Linkin Park — Minutes To Midnight

Linkin Park have finally realized that rap-rock is dead. To celebrate their discovery, they've released Minutes To Midnight, their third proper album which virtually annihilates the rap and ratchets up the rock. Produced by Rick Rubin (Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers) and group member Mike Shinoda, Minutes To Midnight comes four years after the triple-platinum Meteora and features a sound that's been polished to a shine. First single "What I've Done" showcases what the band are great at: driving guitars, singer Chester Bennington's soaring vocals, addictive beats and moody keyboard. The group have even co-opted handclaps (familiar to most as the current indie rock/pop requisite) on not one but two tracks — "Given Up" and "Bleed It Out." There aren't many Shinoda breakdowns on this album, which is a huge relief since they always overshadowed Bennington's vocal range. The singer's gravelly screams are still intact, along with his gentle rock ballad delivery, which is accentuated by strings on "Shadow Of The Day" and "Leave Out All The Rest." You can go ahead and hold a grudge against Linkin Park for being purveyors of the deader-than-dead rapcore genre, but you can't blame them for crafting catchy songs that you may hate to admit are pretty good.

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