|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Album
| 10-08-2007 11:38 | 0 reaction(s) | add reaction | add news |
After 14 months in the studio, Linkin Park has set a May 15 release date for its new Warner Bros. album, "Minutes to Midnight." First single "What I've Done" hits radio on April 2; the band recently shot a video for the track in the California desert, directed by DJ Joseph Hahn.
"This was a year-and-a-half long process of really hard work and experimentation in the studio that yielded about 150 rough songs," guitarist Brad Delson tells Billboard.com. The band recorded 17 tracks and is now whittling down which ones will make the final cut. "Not only is this album incredibly diverse, but the depth of the material is really strong,” Delson says.
Delson is particularly high on "The Little Things Give You Away," which he says is "the song of which I'm probably most proud that we've ever done." Another cut, "Bleed It Out," sports "Motown drums, almost '80s rock guitar, rapping and an early hip-hop influence in terms of how it was recorded. I think it will be really fun to play live," he says.
"Minutes to Midnight" will also include a track with two current working titles ("When My Time Comes" or "Leave Out All the Rest") that Delson describes as "a really moody, almost electronic-based song. Lyrically, I can definitively say this is our strongest record, and in particular, this song I really connect to personally. I think it's a really touching song."
The new album was co-produced by group member Mike Shinoda and Rick Rubin. "He can hear a rough idea, then point you in a direction like, 'Check out this score by Ennio Morricone,'" Delson says of Rubin. "You'll listen to it and you'll go, 'That totally jarred my imagination.' He was an incredibly helpful guy throughout the whole process."
With "Minutes to Midnight" finally complete, Linkin Park is already in rehearsals for an extensive tour slate, beginning with a May 6 appearance at New Jersey's Bamboozle Festival. Delson declined to reveal specifics, but Billboard.com has learned the band will reprise its Projekt Revolution tour later this summer, likely alongside My Chemical Romance.
"I always get into this fight with Mike in the studio, where it's like, 'Oh, just add another guitar part,'" Delson says with a laugh. "And he'll be like, 'But we're not going to be able to play that live.' I say, 'Dude, don't worry about it. It sounds good.' But now we're in rehearsal and we're stuck with these stupid decisions we've made, where parts are almost impossible to play. Some songs, Mike is literally moving back and forth between an acoustic guitar, an organ, an electric guitar, and singing. We have our work cut out for us but they've been sounding great."
Meaning
The title is a reference to the Doomsday Clock, where "Minutes to Midnight" is a measure of the proximity of the world to nuclear destruction.[1] At the time of the title's announcement, the clock stood at 5 minutes to midnight. Mike Shinoda has explained that the album has various meanings:
“ Don't take that at face value. There are layers of meaning, most are metaphoric...It’s definitely a reference to the doomsday clock—the Apocalypse—a metaphor for death and rebirth, but it could also be applied to the music industry, sort of tongue-in-cheek.
So what does “Minutes To Midnight” sound and feel like and do the gentlemen deliver as they always have in the past? Here is the track by track report with a preliminary review rating for each cut.
1. Wake
To begin their long awaited album, Linkin Park choose to gently set the wheels in motion rather than forcefully kick-starting lively music which fans have come to expect. Instead, they present a slow, short intro track with a synth-heavy melody and a nice building ambiance, which gradually increases in volume. 4/5
2. Given Up
The smoothness is soon thrown out the window however when the scratchy turntable sound of this second track transforms into a gargantuan heavy rock riff. This is possibly the most in-your-face song on the entire record – the punk rock style drumbeats are brash, the guitars thrash and Chester Bennington sings his lungs out. When it reaches the bridge, he goes from singing to screaming the line, “You put me out of my misery” over and over again. It’s heated, emotional and enjoyable, but the track definitely feels like it’s missing a certain something. 3/5
3. Leave Out All The Rest
From one extreme to another, three tracks in and we’re presented with a ballad. It’s very listenable pop rock with tranquil vocals and dominant bass guitar. It seems odd to position such a slow-paced tune so early into the album but it’s radio friendly style is bound to be popular with many. The piece of music does end rather abruptly though and you may be left wanting more. 3/5
4. Bleed It Out
This is much more like the Linkin Park we’re used to hearing. Mike Shinoda starts off with a casual rap before trading off with Chester and some insightful lyrics, “I bring it out, bring it in deeper just to throw it away.” The song’s structure revolves around four simple chords with screaming vocals leading up to the catchy chorus. Piano adds an extra dimension to the track but overall it’s a little repetitive and flat, ending abruptly again. Saying that, we can see this being released as a successful single in the future. 4/5
5. Shadow Of The Day
Possibly the most listener friendly song on ‘Minutes To Midnight,’ the style is very soft yet clear with both vocals and bass taking a poppy turn. Percussion comes across clear and dominant, but overall the song remains average in terms of technicality. It seems to offer nothing more than a break-up in the record, but its dreamy nature is quite certain to be a hit with the fans. 2/5
6. What I’ve Done
Generally a hit from the moment it is played, ‘What I’ve Done’ soars with a catchy chorus and likeable verses, before developing into a brilliant bridge and climatic ending. A gentle guitar solo midway adds depth and versatility before another welcome chorus. The haunting piano and synthetic drums combine to create a fantastic addition to Linkin Park’s third album and a perfect choice for their first single. 5/5
7. Hands Held High
The marching drumbeat and simple melody is an ideal backdrop to Shinoda’s poetic rapping and it has certainly developed in the space of two previous albums and his hip-hip focused side project Fort Minor. Again, Chester’s melodic singing comes in later but the central theme of the song does seem to be soldier’s homecoming in the aftermath of war. Maybe it was written to get those arms flailing lighters around at rock festivals. Either way, it’s still an impressive track. 4/5
8. No More Sorrow
Opening up with a creeping lead guitar, ‘No More Sorrow’ rocks heads with a deep double-bass drumming intro switching over to a simple paradiddle on the snare. Definitely the best chorus of the album so far, with an enigmatic riff and emotional shouting from Bennington. The tune flows naturally with a heavy bridge followed by a modulation and even higher pitched screaming. There’s no DJ elements to this song and it has to be said that some of the vocals and drumming becomes repetitive fast – even more noticeable is the fact that the band don’t seem to be stretching themselves in terms of song writing techniques. 3/5
9. Valentine’s Day
After a somewhat depressive two minutes of ballad-laden lyrics and slow-moving guitars, it finally kicks in with another extremely infective hook and harmonious backing vocals. “On a Valentines day” is passionately sung with interesting vocals spoken over the top, before annoyingly ending abruptly and letting the song down. 2/5
10. In Between
If there’s a point in the album where it’s easy to see that the songs are starting to lose their flair, this is it. Those sweetly spoken vocals are back once again alongside grainy drumbeats, but without any differences in tempo there’s nothing exciting here. It’s peaceful, but there’s no denying this is a weak ballad track amongst Linkin Park’s repertoire of excellence. 1/5
11. In Pieces
Thankfully, faith is restored with quite simply the highlight of the album. This is soft yet rhythmic with synthetic drumming you can’t fail to be taken in by. The stirring piano and powerful bass proves to be a winning combination for the band – with vocals at their best only boosting the song further. Another build up after a few minutes adds more magic to the piece, with sweet sounds and eventually more heavily distorted guitars, minus screaming. The song slows down and ends dramatically with a simple beat and ska-style guitar plucking. 5/5
12. The Little Things You Give Away
Acoustic guitar and Linkin Park in the same sentence? You better believe it. One last ballad, with those great mechanical style drums and melodic vocals from Chester rounds ‘Minutes To Midnight’ off fruitfully. When the bass cuts in, the song hits another dimension before ending a reasonably decent record. There’s not many heavy tracks – instead, Linkin Park have shifted to crafting softer, easier listening songs like this one. Despite it not being a patch on ‘Hybrid Theory, ’it still delivers and the fans will almost surely be lapping this up after its release on 14 May. 4/5
“Minutes To Midnight” garners a preliminary 8/10 Kudos rating overall.
http://billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003554313
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minutes_to_Midnight_(album)
http://www.kudosmagazine.com/?p=833 |
|
|
|
|
TOP ARTISTS:
Coldplay, Rihanna, Jonas Brothers, Jason Mraz, Miley Cyrus, Lil Wayne, Leona Lewis, Avril Lavigne, Chris Brown, Katy Perry, Paramore, Linkin Park, Mariah Carey, Pussycat Dolls, The, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Jordin Sparks, Secondhand Serenade, Akon, Eminem, Lifehouse, Usher, Nickelback, Ne-Yo, Colbie Caillat, Abba, Evanescence, Simple Plan, Takida, Metro Station, Kanye West, Lars Winnerbäck, Håkan Hellström, Sara Bareilles, Jesse McCartney, Avenged Sevenfold, Christina Aguilera, John Mayer, Boys Like Girls, Natasha Bedingfield, OneRepublic, Celine Dion, Kelly Clarkson, Fall Out Boy, Carrie Underwood, Death Cab For Cutie, Metallica, Aerosmith, Alanis Morissette, Beatles, The |
| Copyright © 1998-2008 LetsSingIt | add to bookmarks | disclaimer | privacy policy | advertise on this site |
|
|
