Linkin Park - 'Minutes To Midnight' (Warners) Released 14/05/07

Linkin Park claim they spent more than 14 months in the studio choosing from over 100 song demos to make this LP, so why then does ‘Minutes To Midnight’ sound so rushed, unoriginal, and feels as needed as sun cream in Siberia? Four years have passed since ‘Meteora’ was released and although not all critics may have liked it, most could still admit their sound was explorative and genre-crossing. However on ‘Minutes To Midnight’ their signature rapping over rock riffs has almost been completely excluded, which may sound like a bright decision, but without this avenue the flaws in lyrics and song structures are fully exposed, leaving the band sounding weak and depleted. 

‘Given Up’ is a promising start though, a song driven by simple chunky guitars and elevated by the strongest of choruses. Chester Bennington’s distinctive broken voice helps make the song and you cannot help but wonder why the bland ‘What I’ve Done’ was chosen ahead of this for the first single. However this is the exception rather than the rule, as the album meanders along lacking any direction or drive and contains far too many ‘slower’ songs that do little to move, engross, or even maintain your attention.

Following ‘Given Up’ is the momentum killer ‘Leave Out All The Rest’ that has crept its way up to track number three and is determined to spoil the party or quash any plans for a riot. Slow, mind-numbing and simply pointless it makes you wonder and winch at what the scrapped demos must have sounded like. ‘Bleed It Out’ flirts with being a decent tune but is laden with a dated metal riff that is an instant turn-off. ‘Shadow Of The Day’ sounds like The Fray but worse - even though that feat may have been deemed impossible. One of the few songs that does display their trademark rap/rock is ‘Hands Held High’ which is a poignant political rant that portrays the most sincere and thought-provoking lyrics on the album.