Minutes to Midnight

Linkin Park's new album, which has caused some ongoing mixed opinion by the fans. They released a successful album, Hybrid Theory, in 2000, with hits such as; One Step Closer, Crawling and In the End. This album combined anger and head-bobbing rhythm. Linkin Park immediately became a fan favorite - not as much as my favorite band, Rage Against the Machine. Nonetheless, Linkin Park became recognized throughout music industries as a fast pumping and thumping, heart-beating band. A generation filled with angst and a voice, heard through bands, such as Linkin Park. We all got our own opinion, right? Obviously, Linkin Park is not for every -as well as any other bands in the world. I am not trying to convert anyone to Linkin Park or soften their image. All I'm trying to establish is my respect and opinion for them. Nonetheless, I am not saying that they are an awesome band and that everyone should like them, either.
Their second album, Meteora, was a similar hit; however, not as successful as Hybrid Theory.
For about fourteen months Linkin Park worked on their new album, which came out a couple of weeks ago. They decided to try something new -in this case, change their rhythm but keep the same style. Their new album, Minutes to Midnight, delivered quite a change to fans. I have never been a real fan of Linkin Park, but I will admit that some of their songs have impressed me. I enjoyed; Crawling, Runaway, Faint and Lying from you. However, I could not consider myself a real fan. I decided to buy the new album, taking a chance on them without looking into the album. I started to listen to the new album -keep in mind that I did not read any reviews pertaining to the new album. As I listened to the second track, Given up, -the first track was a preload (just music, no words)- until the last minute of the album, I indeed felt and heard a different Linkin Park.
What do I mean by a different Linkin Park? For instance, throughout the first and second album there were loads of sounds with Chester (lead singer) screaming at the top of his lungs. There were a lot of angry tempo and an angry voice behind the mic. In the new album, except for "No More Sorrow" and "Given up," Linkin Park has established a smoother tone and vocals to their songs. Chester has shown that he cannot only scream the music, but he can actually sing it at any tempo. He showed his soft side in the song -my favorite from the new album- "Shadow of the Sun" and "Leave out all the rest." Many fans were left disappointed from listening to Minutes to Midnight because it did not enchant the anger and harsh rhythm as it did in the previous two albums; however, they are wrong. Dead wrong. The entire album is not a soft and totally changed Linkin Park. Hell no! Songs such as "No More Sorrow" and "Given Up," bring the high-electrifying exuberant anger/power rap rhythm that fans love to hear.
After listening to the entire album, I, a non-real-Linkin-Park-fan, have developed respect for the group. I enjoy listening to their new album at any given time; however, they are not chosen over Rage Against the Machine when I need music to relax me or motivate me. Nonetheless, Minutes to Midnight does motivate me, but not as much as Rage Against the Machine.