Minutes To Midnight [PA] [Digipak] by Linkin Park (CD, May-2007, Warner Bros. Records Record Label)

I had the privaledge of listening to the new Linkin Park album (Minutes To Midnight) today, one day before it's release, and it was amazing! Being the super dedicated Linkin Park fan I am, I am very critical of their new music. The album is composed of 12 tracks totaling 43 minutes. The current track Linkin Park and the radio stations are choosing to play is their track titled "What I've Done". This is a huge teaser to what the full album is like. A few super chart topping sleepers are also hiding on this album. You can tell the band decided to create an even more unique sound on top of their already unique music type. A lot of passion has gone into this album and you can tell so with the track titled "Hands Held High". Mike Shinoda, who started a side project of his own titled (Fort Minor) pumped out the song "Whered you go". This new track by him on Minutes To Midnight has his own style put into it ala-Fort Minor. In this track he hits every bar with every thought and feeling you have of your own in music form. As a matter of fact i believe a little bit of everyone can relate to the lyrics in these songs on this album. Despite what most critics are saying about this album "Linkin Park soften up for this album to gain a more mainstream audience", this is far from the truth. Yes there are soft tracks with meaning and emotion in this album. However for each one of those tracks they have one hardcore song to match is ala-hybrid theory. This album offers a mixture soft and slammin.

My Predictions:

Track 5: Shadow Of The Day (pop stations)
Track 7: Hands Held High (hip hop/rap stations)
Track 2: Given Up (hard rock stations)
Track 11: In Pieces (alternative stations)

If that right there does not show the variety of music they have on this album I dont know what will. Overall, this album is their best album yet, hands down!
It hits stores tommorrow 5/15/07. Buy it, i guarentee you will not be dissapointed.

Track Listing:

1.Wake
2.Given Up
3.Leave Out All The Rest
4.Bleed It Out
5.Shadow Of The Day
6.What I’ve Done
7.Hands Held High
8.No More Sorrow
9.Valentine’s Day
10.In Between
11.In Pieces
12.The Little Things Give You Away

Teaser Lyrics From "Shadow Of The Day"

"I close both locks below the window.
I close both blinds and turn away.
Sometimes solutions aren’t so simple.
Sometimes goodbye’s the only way.

And the sun will set for you,
The sun will set for you.
And the shadow of the day,
Will embrace the world in gray,
And the sun will set for you."

Let's put it this way:

#1 The Debut "Hybrid Theory" = fresh, raw, mix of rock/rap, cool new sound. Something to listen to while working out at the gym; very catching. Can listen to over and over again and not get bored of it.

#2 "Meteora" = disapointing, nothing new, some of the same sound, 1/2 of the album is love/rock ballads. Not worth listening to very often. Original sound lost its edge and creativity.

#3 & #4 = a live album and a remix album. Whatever, these are cop out albums. Who buys a "live" or a "remix" album anyway? Get into the studio and create something new....

#5 "Minutes to Midnight" = Huh? Is this the same band that came out in 2000? Slow rock ballad songs; liberal, leftist babble. Only two semi-rock songs. Not even worth listening to once. Maybe their new marriages are on the rocks...

I wasn't impressed with the single from Minutes to Midnight, however, I still went out to buy the album the day it came out. I kept my fingers crossed about being disapointed. Afterall, Meteora was somewhat of a letdown.

This new album SUCKS.

What were they thinking? Who was this created for - Highschool girls to listen to when their boyfriend breaks up with them?

The album cover is also extremely cheasy. It has all of them standing around in a friendship circle and it is in black and white. Ahhh, how sentimental. That should have been a dead givaway at what I was buying.

It kind of reminds me of Incubus, who's early album SCIENCE rocked with a raw, energized edge. Nonetheless, every subsequent album of Incubus's got worse and worse. They lost their identity and became a cookie-cutter, fuzzy mess. They sounded boring, amatuerish, sophmoric, and stale. Maybe, once the contract is signed they are just doing a job? What happens to the musicians that start out great and end up almost annoying? Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots were the same way.... starting off great and ending up boring!

I can only guess that these guys (Linkin Park) actually enjoy singing and playing these types of songs. I dunno, but imagining these songs being played at a concert, I believe that would put anyone to sleep! Ridiculous.

Maybe they've just made enough money already and become big enough stars they assumed that whatever they put out people will buy....I definately fell for it.

Now, search other reviews and you might hear a lot about "true fans" stick with a band blah, blah, blah. Or maybe you'll hear: "after listening to it a few times I really like it now." Why put yourself through the misery? Wake up kids, that logic is a bunch of nonsense. The way to keep fans is to keep sounding good. It's simple: No good music = no fanbase.

I'll tell you what, next time I'll wait to sample it on Itunes or Napster!

Sad, isn't it?

MCL

My friend burned me a copy of the album a few days before its release (don't worry I already bought the album yesterday when it came out). At first the feel of this 3rd LP album is a little different. The beat and style is different from the previous albums like Hybrid Theory and Meteora. But after listening to the album a few more times, I have to say this album is just like the last two, lyrics wise. The tone and attitude that is Linkin Park is there. What most people don't know is that this is actually Chester's band, not Mike's. People are probably expecting more of Shinoda in this album, but there was that little side project called Fort Minor. Minutes to Midnight is Chester's turn to shine, and shine he did with his amazing voice. Mike himself said that he wanted this to be all about Chester. And also, the time between Meteora and Minutes, Chester did wanted to make his own side project but never accomplished it. Well, this is probably his side project here and it is different. Any TRUE LP fan would stick with the band if they changed their style or beats. And honestly, the only difference is the beats and not alot of Shinoda. I appauld (sic?) Linkin Park for not recycling their old beats and trying to be in the genre of Nu Metal (which of course is dead). just listening to the lyrics you can tell its LP at its best. Music is an expression and Linkin Park has evolved as time goes by. Yes theres songs about the war, gas prices, Katrina and Bush. so what? Linkin Park performed for the Katrina Relief Fund Concert and they had to say something musically. so to all you haters out there stating that this album sucks because it's different, go hang yourself. Ill be seeing them in concert for Project Revolution.

No hard core fist pumping rock like they always have befor this was a flop with only 3 good songs everything else sucks this is not linkin park. this is not what they have done in the past and hopefully not what they do again in the future i will be very apprehensive about the next album. NOT impressed with this at all!

Pure Crap DOnt buy save ur money there so soft now and all they talk about is global warming and war in iraq and gas prices GAY GAY GAY ive listened to it may times trying to like it but i cant its not HT or metora

I decided to buy it because the album had more than one hit song on it. I love Linkin Park. To me, this album is better than their first. All the songs are excellent. I highly recommend it.

We waited almost 4 years for this? The LP JZ holdover was rock solid, but this newest CD is very un-like Linkin Park. This is by far their worst CD. It reminds me of early U2. If I wanted to hear them, that's what I would have bought. Meteora is very similar, in every way, to Hybrid Theory. Minutes to Midnight is more like the horrid Gray Daze album then anything else.

Way too much cursing in this album. The cool thing about LP was that in each CD, they might only curse a maximum of 2 or 3 times. And the curse words were never part of a repeated chorus. I don't mind cursing one bit. It's just that after 3.5 albums from LP, this is WAY out of the ordinary and I just don't want to hear it out of them. Their seldom use of curse words in previous albums created real impact when they finally decided to use one. The F word is thrown around so much on this album it is just sick.

Now, there are some enjoyable tracks to listen to. But know this.. there isn't ONE song on this CD that could bump out a song from the Hybrid Theory album. Not ONE. That is truly sad. How can you call M2M revolutionary when it stinks?

If it weren't for the late song yell-talk by Chester, which just feels downright uncomfortable, "Given Up" would have been an ok track. "Leave out all the rest" sounds like it is a slightly dilluted attempt at another NUMB effort. "What I've done" is an acceptable track, this is the song you have probably heard all over the radio, and yes, it is played out now. "Bleed it out" is the only true new sound on the album, something about it reminds me of PTS OF AUTHORITY, which is a good thing. "No more sorrow" and "Valentine'd Day" are very enjoyable tracks, but are just not the kind of songs you want in your CD's top 3.... if these 2 songs were the 6th and 7th best songs on the CD, then we'd definitely have something here! (But we don't). The best song on the album may be "In Pieces." But again, "In Pieces" wouldn't even make the final cut on the Hybrid Theory album.. so how in the world can LP release an album like this to its loyal fans? I'll tell you why..

LP was dooped by people in business suits. They were told to change their "sound" or else their work would become "indestinguishable." Yes, LP took the bait. Instead of giving the fans what they wanted.. what we were BEGGING for for the last 3.5 years.. they gave in to a handful of know-nothing big-wigs. M2M is SOFT. M2M is the skimpy little brother of Hybrid Theory. But most importantly, M2M is a letdown.

Now, if M2M as bad as Chevelle's new CD? Well no, nothing can be THAT bad. M2M has DECENT songs on it. But I don't want DECENT out of LP. I want something I can't get anywhere else. Hybrid Theory, Reanimation, Meteora, and Colission Course have no equals. LP's old albums made me want to blast the entire CD.. there was no adjustment made to the volume knob.. there was no fast-forwarding through "weak" tracks.. and there certainly was always a certainty that what you were listening to was truly HIP/CURRENT/WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW.

M2M is like a bunch of songs you would find in the dumpster after Hybrid Theory's final cuts. M2M is just plain weak.. it is sickly. It makes me worry that the LP era is over. What is there now? LP had no equal, but now they do, they are equal to softies like Hoobastank and Incubus.

Listen to track 1 and 2 of the Underground Album, then you'll agree that M2M is WAY off base. Sorry LP, this CD STINKS!!

A lot of critics had said that this offering from LP was so far from their norm that fans wouldn't go for it...
well, I'm a fan & I'm also very critical & I think this is their best yet! I bought this 2nd copy of Minutes To Midnight so I could have one in the house & one in the car! I was never tempted to hit 'forward' ever, even the first time I listened to it. I LOVE this cd from beginning to end & over & over again!

There new cd is horible. What happend to the Hybrid Theory that we all knew and love? This new cd is pretty much all emo rock. It sounds all like mainsteam rock but there is a few songs that are "ok". Another thing i noticed is that they now say the f word all of the time like they need to so they sound good. They now have to curse to get our attention? now we got another mainstream band with mainstream music not the new different music that we all have come to love. Basicly if you are just a casual LP listener then i dont recommend buying this cd. If you love My Chemical Romance then you will probably like this cd. But if you are the hard core LP listner then it is probably worth it for the few good songs, but otherwise it is a horrible cd compared to their last two.

What happened to the linkin park? Minutes to midnight is nothing more then a mainstream sell out that we have seen so many times from so many good bands.
We wait so long to hear the latest and are disappointed, when our favorite bands through out WHATEVER in order to make a quick buck!

I am so disappointed in this band.

Sellouts!

Sellouts!

Sellouts!

Didn't like it at all. Weak album compared to their last few. They didnt have the hard techno edge that I like about them.

Very dissapointed!

It's safe to say that Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight definitely doesn't sound like any of their other albums. The real question is "is that a good thing"? LP debuted in 2001 with a new sound no one thought was possible. They were able to incorporate rock and rap into one sound. Sure it's been done before, but LP made it their niche.

Fast forward to '07, we now have Minutes to Midnight. Produced by the legendary Rick Rubin and Mike from LP. Lemme first say, it's not fair to grade this album after one run-through. The first run-through of the album is mainly spent being in shock of LP's new sound. So after my second and third listening of the album, I realize what they're trying to accomplish.

LP's first two albums and their songs dealt mainly with inner demons and conflicts with those who are or were close to them. With Minutes to Midnight, they've widened their microscope and are taking to heart of what is going on around them. The 2nd track "Given Up" remains true to their original sound (besides the keys jingling in the background). You can say the same about "No More Sorrow". It's the heavy rock sound that people have known them for. It's the other 10 tracks that you notice a obvious difference in LP's sound. Take "Shadow of the Day" for instance. When you listen to it, it sounds very U2-ish. A sound you thought LP would never associate themselves with, but they have. Another one is "Bleed It Out". My first thought when I heard this one was this almost sounds like AC/DC. Then you start to notice their maturity on "Hands Held High" and "The Little Things Give You Away". A handful of critics are bashing these songs b/c, again, it doesn't sound like your traditional LP song. But to me, it shows what has happened over the past few years has affected each member of the band personally. Mike and Chester, respectively, spill out their hearts on both of these tracks. Anyone who loves music has to appreciate that.

Jay-Z once said "Do you listen to music or do you just skim through it". Anyone who skimmed through this cd probably re-sold it on eBay by now, but for those who listened to it and then listened to it again, you notice something. You notice that Linkin Park is conducting an experiment. An experiment to decipher who loves their sound and who loves their lyrics. They knew the ones who just loved their sound, they would probably lose them as fans. Those who loves their lyrics appreciates the band more than ever, b/c now LP is singing more than about personal demons. They're tackling the high gas prices, the "war" in Iraq, the senseless murders, and the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Chester sang in "What I've Done" he's "wiping the slate clean with the hands of uncertainty". This explains exactly what they're doing with this album. They're stepping away from the sound that made them famous, uncertain of how it will be received. More than ever they want people to listen to their words. It's obvious b/c they've included their lyrics in the booklet that comes w/ the cd. They sacrificed their claim to fame in order make music that's more relevant. That sacrifice may or may not break this band, but Linkin Park knows these 12 songs will reach a level in their "true" fans that it hasn't before.

i have the new linkin park cd minutes to midnight every song is awesome i really like leave out all the rest

If you like to rock out, Linkin Park is the band! :] Great cd, just as good, maybe even better than their other albums! Recommended buy if you like Linkin Park!

CD may have been opened, but it plays like it is brand spanking new!!! No scratches or blemishes... Totally sweet deal... Linkin Park will always rock!!!

I bought the CD after hearing "What I've Done" on the radio. I don't usually buy CD's because I usually only like one or two songs on any given CD, but I have always liked all of Linkin Park's music so I figured it would be a wise investment. That was a wrong assumption. It is not the usual Linkin Park music at all. There are only two or three songs I like on the entire CD and I feel like I wasted my money. Obviously it is hard to describe what genre their music falls in as they seem to have a style of their own. This CD is no different but overall it felt that the CD had a slower and softer feel to it instead of the edgy upbeat tunes.

I would rate this CD at a "D+" simply because it is one of my favorite bands.

2.5 overall rating

This album has its good parts, but for those who are looking for Linkin Park's old, raw, heavy sound, you're out of luck when it comes to this album. A lot of the songs border on brooding, however they do manage to maintain, to a point, that sound that is uniquely Linkin Park in their songs "Bleed it Out" and "No More Sorrow." However overall, Linkin Park looses a substantial amount of their originality in sound in this album. It's still worth listening to if you're a Linkin Park fan, but new listeners should not be thrown off my the more tamped down sound of this album, it's not the traditional Linkin Park.

I COULD NOT WAIT FOR THIS CD TO COME OUT. I ACTUALLY LIKE IT BUT IS IT THE SAME BAND? WOW....IT'S QUITE MELLOW COMPARED TO THE LINKIN PARK THAT I WAS SOOOO LOOKING FORWARD TO. SO I WILL PATIENTLY AWAIT THE NEXT CD....HOPING THAT THE OLD LINKIN PARK SHINES THROUGH.

I have to say that I have been a Linkin Park fan now since the first cd came out and of course I had to rush out and get the second one and now that a third it out I had to have this one too. Well to my surprise I'm not impressed. I listened to the whole cd and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I'm not happy with this one at all and it looks like this cd won't be hitting the ipod for a daily listening. I agree with one person that put a review out that this sounds like a high school cd. It's awful. What is up with the first track? I had to put the volume all the way up cuz I thought something was wrong with my radio in the truck.

I won't be listening to this one this time. Maybe they just need to get back to the basics and start over and apologize for this one. I know not every cd they put out can be great but this one sucks bad.
Thanks for reading my review.
Leigh

They killed Linkin Park. Minutes to Midnight is nothing more than Good Charlotte on sleeping pills. BORING, GAY, HORRIBLE. enough said.

Another great cd from Linkin Park. A must own by anyone that likes rock. They add explicit lyrics for this one, but not in an excessive amount.

Being a longtime Linkin Park fan since Hybrid Theory, I can say this new album does sound a bit different than previous albums but it still good! MYSELF I love the slower songs! HANDS HELD HIGH, SHADOW'S OF THE DAY and VALENTINE'S DAY, this cd is alot more mellow than previous albums....the only rip your face off song that can be compared ot Crawling, FAINT or NUMB would be GIVEN UP and NO MORE SORROW. As stated in the album Linkin Park was trying something new. Not the same thing recycled. I LOVE LINKIN PARK!

This band is awesome i love every song they have on this album if your thinking about buying the CD stop thinking and just buy it!!