Arrogantics.com
Linkin Park has constantly stated that Minutes to Midnight would have a drastically different sound than their previous albums. The main vocalist Chester Bennington said in an interview, "Rick (Rubin) has brought more of a stripped down, classic-rock and hip-hop kind of feel." Indeed, the album sounds remarkably different from Hybrid Theory and Meteora, but it's up to the listener to decide if they like the change. Their traditional sound is mostly nonexistent except in a few tracks such as "Given Up" and "What I've Done." A few of the tracks have heavy political motivations and messages, noticeable primarily in "Hands Held High" and "No More Sorrow." Minutes to Midnight displays Linkin Park's maturation over the years in both their musical style and lyrics.
1. Wake
This is the introduction to the album; it starts off with a needle on a vinyl record, and it progresses slowly into full on guitar-heavy instrumental. Unlike "Cure for the Itch" and "Session" from LP's past albums, "Wake" does not have a heavy hip-hop element to it. Fans of Joseph Hahn's usual instrumentals may be in for a disappointment, and as an introduction, it doesn't completely represent the mood and feel of the album.
2. Given Up
This track is definitely filled with energy, but still feels like something is missing. Disappointingly, this may be the heaviest song on the entire album. Despite that possible disappointment, "Given Up" may be a great song to get someone pumped for an activity. Out of all the songs on Minutes to Midnight, this will probably be the craziest when performed live. It's somewhat reminiscent of "One Step Closer" with the heavy screaming towards the end of the song. Mainstream LP fans will also notice the first usage of a swear word in a retail Linkin Park studio album.
3. Leave Out All the Rest
Personally, this is my favorite track of the entire album. After an emotional and heated track, listeners are given a soft-sounding ballad with a pop-rock feel. Despite some disagreements within the LP community regarding the lyrics of this song, I find them thought-provoking and perhaps the best of the whole album. The bridge and the chorus are actually well written, and the slow buildup to the first chorus was soothing like the calm after a thunderstorm. This is the first song that's electronically based, but that doesn't detract from its quality. I can definitely see "Leave Out All the Rest" as a radio single.
4. Bleed It Out
The track starts off with laughter among some people, and Shinoda jumps in immediately with his first vocal performance on the album. The chorus is ridiculously repetitive (it's one line, "I bleed it out, digging deeper just to throw it away") and the track just screams "punk rock" to me. The addition of a piano seems random due to the intense nature of the song. There's some more Chester screaming almost two minutes into the song, and then the constant repeating of the one chorus line again. Mike's verses, however, seem very energetic although they could've been utilized on a better song.
5. Shadow of the Day
Another poppy ballad, but it's much slower than "Leave Out All the Rest." For some reason, I seem to like these ballads, and "Shadow of the Day" happens to be my second favorite song on the album. The lyrics are quiet and lonely-sounding, but the song progresses into an almost inspirational chorus accompanied with violins. I really enjoy Chester's singing in this track, and I find it to be one of Linkin Park's best works. The instrumental components of the song are excellent, and I couldn't ask for more from a Linkin Park track.
6. What I've Done
The well-known first single of Minutes to Midnight starts off with a Halloween-sounding introduction into the Linkin Park we've known for the past six and a half years. "What I've Done" is definitely the track that closest to LP's past records. There's nothing more to say; it's catchy, and due to recent events in my life, I might like it better than most people.
7. Hands Held High
So here's the first, straightforward politically-themed song. But before that, I'll discuss the instruments: there are strings, an organ, and marching drums. The marching drums really highlight the messages of the song. Overall the instrumental part of the track sounds great, although some may disapprove of the drums. Now the messages of this track are clear: Bush sucks, gas prices are high, and the war is stupid. Mike's lyrics clearly state that proudly with lines such as "For a leader so nervous in an obvious way // Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay // And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day // In the living room laughing, like "What did he say?" Depending on your political viewpoints, this track may be great or bad, or you might not give a damn. Everyone will probably agree that the chorus ("Amen") is ridiculous and could have easily been replaced with Chester singing something better.
8. No More Sorrow
Two in a row; this is another political song. The lyrics immediately speak out against Bush with "Are you lost, in your lies // Do you tell yourself I don't realize // Your crusade's a disguise // You replaced freedom with fear, you trade money for lives." This is the darkest song on the album, and it's full of powerful emotions and instrumental work. Brad's guitar playing and Rob's drumming truly shine in this track, and Chester's vocals are well placed on top of the heavy instruments. Once again, the song's lyrics are up for debate due to your own political opinions. Mike's vocals add a nice, final touch to this song. It does sound like the song could have been more raw and with more energy, but something detracts from the entire experience.
9. Valentine's Day
I hate to use the word "emo" because it's overused, but this track screams the stereotype. The song is somewhat depressing (I think the song is also somewhat about Chester's 2005 divorce), but it's another song really showing how well Chester can sing. I don't like the song's pacing (along with some of the other songs" pacing on the album) and I find the lyrics lacking. It seems to be another attempt at a ballad, but unlike the first two on the album, it doesn't satisfy me.
10. In Between
Shinoda actually sings on this track, but it ends up being a peaceful track without a lot of flavor or noteworthiness. The song is pretty boring, and Mike's singing, although sounding very genuine, doesn't compare to the vocal standard set by Chester for Linkin Park.
11. In Pieces
Brad's guitar work is at its finest (at least from what we've heard) on this track. This song is truly different from any of Linkin Park's past work, and its catchy chorus and buildup make this song shine as one of the best on Minutes to Midnight. The rhythmic steel drums draw you in, and the piano was an essential component of this track.
12. The Little Things Give You Away
In interviews, Linkin Park created a feeling of epic proportions and awesomeness to this song. With facts like this being the longest LP track, a fan couldn't help but prepare to be overwhelmed by this track. To be honest, it was overhyped, but it is still an amazing song. The band really came through and provided fans with some of the best work they could've achieved. The acoustic guitar is a great touch, and while a bit slow in the beginning, the song provides six and a half minutes of enjoyment. Lyrically, this song is about Hurricane Katrina and the poor government response. Chester and Mike did a great job at making me feel the pain of the hurricane victims, and I couldn't help but feel touched by the song.
Was this a major change in Linkin Park's sound and style? Yes. Was it a necessary change? Yes. Meteora suffered in quality from sounding too much like Hybrid Theory, and LP needed something different. And this album is what they have created. Old fans of LP may be repulsed or horrified by the new music, but others may welcome it. Minutes to Midnight will probably bring new fans as well. A balance of heavy, fast songs and slow ballads would have been best, but overall the album feels slower than Hybrid Theory and Meteora.
LP's musical ability and Chester's vocals have completely outdone their past efforts, although Mr. Hahn's work isn't apparent due to a large lack of scratching and electronic sounds. Mike's Fort Minor-side seemed more prominent in "Hands Held High," but the album shows that he shouldn't be sing lead ("In Between"). All of this seems to show that LP is attempting to move onto something different, but they haven't quite figured out what completely. Perhaps they're experimenting with this album and their fourth studio album will be more refined and perfected.
