For a band that rose to prominence on the crest of the emerging fad that was nu-metal, Linkin Park have successfully managed to retain a sizeable and international fan base, the greater part of which has been on tenterhooks for this, the band’s third and latest instalment of hybrid metal muscle laced, as always, with intellect and lyrical purpose, and for this particular release, a sharper pop glaze. Not that this should come as a particular shock to anyone; after all, Linkin Park have always been regarded as less hard than any of their peers – a kind of metal band for the mainstream!

And it is the very fact that Minutes to Midnight is less hard-hitting than either 2000’s Hybrid Theory or 2003’s Meteora that comes as a bit of a surprise, especially when one considers that production was largely handled by none other than the mighty Rick Rubin, whose track record alone packs enough decibels to blow the roof off any building! The order of the day here, it seems, was to keep as close to the formula that shaped the previous two records as possible, with a carefully-applied melodic booster shot to enhance the band’s already-booming mass appeal. Of particular note, songs like the remarkable (though not unfamiliar) What I’ve Done, Hands Held High and Valentine’s Day reflect Linkin Park at their most anthemic, while In Between and Shadow of the Day reveal a more conventional rock trait. Minutes to Midnight isn’t quite as immediately engaging as its predecessors, but it will grow on you.

CD COURTESY OF Exotique