It’s hard to believe that four years have passed since Linkin Park’s last release “Meteora” burned up the alt rock charts. A lot has happened in this time:
1. Slash went into rehab
2. Britany Spears went off the deep end and into rehab like 4 times in a week’s time period
3. Axl promised us that “Chinese Democracy” was coming out every single year and yet we still wait. Chances are he knows someone in rehab.
4. Nick and Jessica fell in and out of love (Bon Jovi Style) and the world is waiting for one of them to fall to pieces (Velvet Revolver style) and check into rehab.
I digress….
Since their inception, Linkin Park has seamlessly meshed hip hop and rock in a manner that is both commercially acceptable as well as rocker friendly. Matter of fact, the Jigga Man himself was so impressed that he decided to enlist Linkin Park’s services for some truly delectable “mash ups” (check out 2005′s “Collision Course”).
With a few albums of success under their belt, you may assume that Linkin Park would play it safe. Well, they do kind a, sorta.
In honor of the end of the school year, we will provide an analogy to describe this album.
“Meteora” is to Jolt (popular caffeinated beverage of the 80′s, prior to the advent of Red Bull) as “Minutes to Midnight” is to:
A. Hawaiian Punch
B. Hi-C Ecto Cooler
C. Cran-Grape
D. Coke Zero
*If you answered D., you are correct!!! Congratulations, you have earned yourself a virtual high five and a Scratch and Sniff sticker of your choice!
Why Coke Zero you may ask? Simply put, “Minutes to Midnight” does not rock nearly as hard as Linkin Parkâs previous efforts. But, much like Coke Zero it still tastes great and bears a strong resemblance to its highly popular predecessor. Although slightly Mello-Yello the album shows a more sophisticated Linkin Park heavily focused on melody and emotion as evident in songs such as “Shadow of the Day”, “Leave Out All The Rest”, and “In Between” (to name a few). For those who fear change, the band does provide a small helping of classic Linking Park including “Given Up”, “Bleed It Out”, “What I’ve Done” and “No More Sorrow”.
Fortunately, Linkin Park pulls off the dichotomy in their sound and have given themselves the ability to further their musical explorations. If “Minutes to Midnight” was a mid term exam, I would give the boys an A for execution and effort.
