CD Review:Minutes To Midnight - Linkin Park

[KiwiCoromandel]

You can't blame Rick Rubin for this shambles. Reinventing Linkin Park - the last bastions of nu-metal - is an impossible task, even for a music super producer with a Midas touch.

Minutes To Midnight is the first real stinker to have Rubin's name attached to it. And what a shocker it is, exposing a band that has had its head stuck firmly up its own arse for far too long.

Linkin Park's first new album in four years proves the chart pleasers are wallowing in nu-metal no-man's land. It discards the previously successful riff-rap-rock formula for 12 tracks of wishy-washy experimentation.

It's full of weak ballads (Leave Out all the Rest, Shadow of the Day, In Between), lame hip-hop (Hands Held High) and U2-style bombast (What I've Done). Only Bleed It Out's catchy hand claps have any sense of progression or - gasp - sense of fun.

Funnily enough, Linkin Park seems to know how bad it is, bleating on about what a difficult album Minutes to Midnight was to make in the album's bizarre liner notes. Suck it up, losers.

Even lead singer Chester Bennington doesn't seem to like the new album. When he finally gets his heckles up on Given Up, he screams "Put me out of my misery" at the top of his lungs.

If only we could, Chester. If only we could.

...........................................................................

Reader's feedback:

I couldn't wait for Linkin Park's new album but now that I listen to it I'm not very happy with it. I really was hoping to listen to the original Linkin Park, not this kind of Linkin Park. I hope they come out with a much better album.

-Jenny Meyers

I hate to say it, but Chris Schulz is right. As an avid Linkin Park fan (and member of the LPU), today was a very depressing day for me. When I finished the surprisingly short Minutes to Midnight, it took me a few minutes to shake off the shock that this folksy, unfinished, valium-induced, lyrically depressing album induced. Linkin Park is telling everyone that they've changed, but I can only hope that, after reading reviews like these, they'll say it was all just a joke and release something better.

-Christina Matthies

Dude, I just bought the CD and I loved it but then again any true Linkin Park fan would.

-Kidgammer

I just bought the CD and it is great. You sir have your head too far up your butt. This band rocks and for you not to know that tells me how bad a critic you actually are. You are definitely low on the opinion poll and for you to say such idiotic things ... wow ... whatever. Minutes To Midnight rocked and your comments don't deserve to be read.

-Chris Nottelling

source:Stuff.co.nz/CHRIS SCHULZ

image:Supplied:Linkin Park: New album Minutes To Midnight a real stinker.

[bmc]

i downloaded it early, figured it was at least good enough to buy, so i bought it today. I like it...but their other CD's blow this one out of the water.

[certifiedLPfan]

Glad to see this thread. Would you guys want to be kept updated with regard to Lp and the new album? You might want to check

http://www.lpfans.net

You can also download the tracks there and videos (making of MTM and making of "What I've Done")

[bmc]

Glad to see this thread. Would you guys want to be kept updated with regard to Lp and the new album? You might want to check

http://www.lpfans.net

You can also download the tracks there and videos (making of MTM and making of "What I've Done")

i dont know if you are going to be legit or if you are just a spam bot.

[KiwiCoromandel]

DOES LINKIN PARK`S NEW ALBUM SUCK?

Music fans are divided over the merits of rock act Linkin Park's new album, according to feedback sent to Stuff.co.nz.

Linkin Park's third album, Minutes to Midnight, was released on Monday.

It was recorded by legendary super producer Rick Rubin, and is the band's third studio album.

It's also their first album in four years, making Minutes to Midnight one of this year's most highly anticipated rock releases.

But it was given just one star out of a possible five by Stuff.co.nz music reviewer Chris Schulz, who labelled it "a stinker" and said it was full of "wishy-washy experimentation".

"It exposes a band that has had its head stuck firmly up its own arse for far too long," he said.

The review has generated plenty of feedback from Stuff.co.nz readers, both positive and negative.

"It sounds like you don't know what it's like to be in a band and always have to change your style," Reid Davidson said.

"Nobody can produce an album like Rick Rubin and Mike Shinoda can. Although they pull a new sound, it doesn't mean it was a complete failure," Jonathan Guerzon said.

Others agreed with the review.

"I'm not very happy with it," said Jenny Meyers.

"I really was hoping to listen to the original Linkin Park, not this kind of Linkin Park. I hope they come out with a much better album.

And Christina Matthies said: "I can only hope that they'll say it was all just a joke and release something better."

source:Stuff.co.nz

image:Reuters:BAD REVIEW: A one-star review of Linkin Park's new album Minutes to Midnight has generated a passionate response from fans.

[KiwiCoromandel]

Glad to see this thread. Would you guys want to be kept updated with regard to Lp and the new album? You might want to check

http://www.lpfans.net

You can also download the tracks there and videos (making of MTM and making of "What I've Done")

no thanx...it seems that the fans will keep us up to date with this one mate...

[NelsonG]

NME's Dan Silver gives it a 2/10:

http://www.nme.com/reviews/linkin-park/8533

but...

Rolling Stone Magazine's David Fricke gives it a 4/5:

http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/...reviews_rssfeed

I don't have an opinion yet, as I've only heard two tracks, BUT I must say that while listening to previous LP albums, I couldn't say that I didn't like a song because I liked them all (some more than others, but still enjoyed all), but I've already heard two tracks that I didn't like and only one that I did like. From what I've heard so far, they switched the typical roles of Chester and Mike. There's too much Mike and not enough Chester. And when Chester is actually heard on a majority of a song, he and the band are trying to sound "harder" than they really are.

LP: Don't mess up the formula that's gotten you where you are today.

[Lord_of_the_Dense]

By far their worst. It has maybe 3 redeeming songs. Leading off with "What I've Done" as a single was a wise marketing move, but ultimately deceiving. Rubin needs to get into a Slayer frame-of-mind when working with these guys. I think Meteora was slightly downhill from the debut, but this was a major drop. I honestly do not believe they'll recover from this.

Minutes to Midnight indeed.