Linkin Park - Minutes To Midnight (Tour Edition/Parental Advisory) [PA] (CD 2007)

Both of Linkin Parks' previous main albums, "Hybrid Theory" and "Meteora", were mostly heavy rock with a few songs without as much teenage anger as the rest of them.

Their third album takes a completely different track. Of course there are some real thumpers of angst ("No More Sorrow" and "Given Up". You could've guessed by the names!) but the majority are slower (if not with less heavy guitar riffs) and certainly more thoughtful.

The delightfully slower-paced "Leave Out All The Rest" and "Shadow Of The Day" prove that LP has a gentler side. LOATR is a song to some friend/significant other. Although it isn't about the most table conversational topic (it's about when he dies. Not a recommended topic when older folks are about) it is certainly one of their most heart-felt. It is being released as a single in a little while.

The most energetic song has to be "Bleed It Out". As they write in the CD booklet they wrote it to have fun. The song is fuelled by a constant clapping beat and, I have to say, IS very fun to listen to.

Mike Shinoda pulls off an immensely powerful rap about war in (I'm guessing) either Afghanistan or Iraq. I'm no real fan of standalone rap but this is simply an amazing piece of work. You can really hear the feeling in his voice.

There are many others and I am very pleased with them all. It's really quite pleasing to listen to a band who you thought might've boxed themselves into a particular genre. They have received a lot of grief about changing their style. BUT they aren't changing their style. They are merely adding genres to their already loved sound and they pull it off really well.

Also, I bought the Special European Tour Edition of the album which contains a well remixed version of "What I've Done" and there is a link to download live songs from the Tour when you put the CD into your computer. I already had the songs since I went to the concert (29 Jan '08) and bought the digital pack. But if you otherwise hadn't got the songs then they would be a very welcome addition to your LP collection.

5/5
Chromana