To be completely honest, Linkin Park has certainly never been the most experimental band on the planet. But despite this they have managed to gain much success and have been able to constantly create songs that are enjoyed the world over. Thus far, it has been expected that Linkin Park will easily replicate the multi-platinum successes of
Hybrid Theory and
Meteora with their first album in four years,
Minutes to Midnight.However, even with the proven formula of
Hybrid Theory and
Meteora providing Linkin Park with a hit machine at their disposal, they have stated time and time again as details about
Minutes to Midnight, the band's fourth album, have surfaced, that they have begun re-tooling their sound, creating "a breakthrough in the development of the band's sound," as vocalist Mike Shinoda says. Linkin Park even went as far as to recruit super-producer Rick Rubin to work on the new album, who helped them to develop a songwriting process different from that which they have used in the past.When the first single from
Minutes to Midnight, "What I've Done" came out today, the first question on my mind was "have they really started to explore this new musical territory?" The answer: not really. About the only thing they have truly done to change their sound in “What I've Done” is slow it down (and change their logo). The speed metal/hip hop/emo combo that made Linkin Park the album selling powerhouse that it is today has disappeared, and in its place is a piano ballad with a basic rock chorus. The intense sadness and anger of their work can still be found, though it seems as if they have given up on being angry (one of the things that made them worth listening to) and have instead resigned themselves to being sad, sort of like Straylight Run with a violent streak.Lyrically the band hasn't progressed much either. The lyrics of “What I've Done” seem oddly reminiscent of “Breaking the Habit” (both songs are about starting over and finding new beginnings), only they too have become toned down and simpler. The colorful and vivid language of past Linkin Park songs has been replaced with “Linkin Park for Dummies,” a simpler, barebones lyrical structure that provides the basic message of the band's songs, but little else. It's almost as if the band felt that their past emo/hip hop/metal songs were too much to handle so they decided to tone them down, creating a song that seems to almost be too radio friendly.Based on their past successes and name alone it is no doubt that Linkin Park will have a major hit on their hands when the rest of
Minutes to Midnight hits stores on May 15th. However, if their new single, “What I've Done” is any indication of what is to come with the rest of the album, the best we can possibly expect is a more subdued Linkin Park, lacking in the power and anger that made them a hit in the first place. Though the rest of the album remains to be seen, in their attempts to advance their sound, Linkin Park has only managed to lose their edge with “What I've Done,” and the song itself, even outside of the Linkin Park mythos, is standard fare at best. In the weeks to come we will all be constantly bombarded with this song on the radio as it becomes Linkin Park's “new” hit single, but the truth is, we've heard it thousands of times before, from Linkin Park and other bands. And most of those versions were better.
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