Mike always keep us up-to-date with their progress with the new album, and this time he writes about 5 finished songs:

At last count, there were upward of 60 tracks on the "band" hard drive. Obviously, they're in all states of completion (except "finished"). Well, 60 is a big number, and focusing down on all of those to try to get them finished sounded terrifying not to mention silly; a good chunk of those are probably not really our best stuff anyway. So we narrowed down to 20. These 20 aren't all going to make the album, they're just the best songs we've got so far.

Of the 20, we're trying to focus on 5 right now, and get them finished. The work has been going exceptionally well--I think all the guys are more focused than ever. I don't know for sure, but I would bet that the average song length on these is around the 4-5 minute mark; a bit longer format than our usual stuff. We're really enjoying being in the studio right now, trying to be as creative and adventurous as we can, while letting our sense of songwriting, rhythm, and melody guide the way through the chaos.

Source here

Excited? Thoughts?

Awesome!

Woo! Just read this on his blog. Was wondering when the next album update was going to be. Looks like things are going very well.

this has got me excited
zOmg longer LP songs haha

Edited and moved

Wow. 4-5 minute songs. ~huge leap for LP~

Seems like this album is taking forever.

So if we got an album with 12-13 songs...It might push over an hour of music...

I hope at this rate they will be mixing the album by Feb or Mar.

nice!

and, longer songs, yes, please

Four to five minute songs are fine by me, so all-in-all, this is a fine update.

I don't want to rush them obviously, but I do hope they finish the album "soon".

Longer songs = WOOT!

Awesome... 60 songs
a lot

Oh hell yes.

Nice. Can't wait for the new album!!!

I can not wait. This is going to be awesome, especially with Mike's FM energy being put into it.

great news
love them updates... they can take their time if you ask me.... better take your time and do it properly

Haha nice, sounds pretty sweet. This makes me ev more excited for the album.

Best news in 2009. They heard our response finally!! We had been fussing for longer songs. They are doing it!! Five songs finishing

Tell the world to get ready to bow down to Linkin Park as they launch another single with new formats and style! I am patient! Do it properly so that we enjoy it.

I don't know if this is good or bad news, I would have thought they'd have more than 5 songs completed by now. Also the 4-5 minute thing isn't necessarily a good thing cause the songs on the mtm that were that length such as sotd and tltgya were lame.

im not expecting nothing, they did the same thing in mtm and when the album was released nothing different

I really hope those 5 songs aren't softies like In Between and LOATR, and I hope some of them contain rapping and some Mr. Hahn scratching (something that I've never heard from a LP song in a billion years).

i whish mike don't sing in this album like he did in mtm, his songs are the worst of the album, im curious to listen fear and drum song, but mike had a bad voice to sing

TLTGYA was one of LP most epic song they've ever written. SOTD was a pretty darn good one. not lame at all

Ermmm .. good news I guess. Good thing they're making 4-5 minute songs.

Once again the famous 'narrowing process' takes place on a LP record. From 60 to 20, from 20 to 5 . Probably none of those 5 songs is going to make the final cut for the album. lol

one of these days, they should just give us groups of 5 new songs every few months or so

I hope we get to hear some of those songs that don't make the album as well. They put so much time into making then, i never really understood why they just lock some songs away in the vault ( i.e. Japan)

Regardless i'm PUMPED. I'm SO happy LPU 9 is around the corner, otherwise i'd be going nuts waiting for the new album right about now

The only thing I can think of are all those complaints about Chester not focusing on LP...THIS sounds like the opposite...

I wonder if they'll play across the line on the new tour(s)?

Exactly my thought

That was an awesome update from Mike! Longer songs im digging! Hopefully they have awesome lyrics and not half the tracks are just instrumentals. But i say they will cut some down to 3-4. I really dont want another 12 track record. Over 12 and thats a new step!

Those songs are so generic.

that sounds awesome! leght of 4-5 mins, thats what i like very much, now we just have to wait for some more infos, so it looks that chester is really working with LP and touring with DBS at the same time. thats what i like to hear!!! can't wait until we get the news the new record is done and the release date will be ... !!that will be the best news for the next year together with tour dates !!

Good update, nice to know something is going on. However, the title is misleading. You make it sound like there are 5 songs already shelved and packed and thats not what the blog from MS says... it says they have 5 they are trying to get finished. Big difference.

Either way, its good news but considering they have been in the studio for a complete year, I'd say thats pretty unacceptable. Also, if ANYONE thinks Chester is able to put 100% to LP right now with all these DBS promotions/shows around the world thing is smoking some serious cannabis. I'm not downing Chester and I'm sure he's doing everything he can, but he is gonna be milking the DBS cow for as long as he can.

Either way, good update from MS but they should be way further along. And with New Divide and seeing the maturity of the band, it makes sense for them to be straying into longer songs.

why because they are slow? not hard metal songs? please

Ok so...If it took them around a year to make 5 songs they really like that have a chance of making the album then I seriously doubt that we'll even have this album next year...How can Chester say that it may be out by June? I dont get it.

MTM making process doubled for this record LP is really pissing me off. They take so long to create the damn record and its over in vertually 35-45mins. So i think we're due for a record that will keep us entertained over the hour mark! ... Also, wtf is up with Mike? He said CD's only allow 80mins? I have CD's where i can place any amount of tracks on (Virtually limitless time).

Mike mentioned one day he eventually wanted to give fans 3-4 new songs every few months so they can continually tour while making new music at the same time.

Thoughts on this update:
- Woot @ longer songs; that's badass
- I'm not gonna lie, they are a lot further behind than I thought they were...I was expecting them to have 15-20 actual song songs now that they're tidying up for the CD...didn't know they were at this stage
- Please no 12 track CD again. There are numbers higher than 12.

Seconded what Preston said - it's taken them a full year and they've accomplished:
- New Divide (2-3 weeks)
- Short summer tour of a month and a half (Transformers gig included)
- 5 songs they're "trying to focus on"

Atreyu hit the studio right before LP and just dropped their new CD. The Bravery has new material, 10 Years is debuting new material live in December and have been in LA mixing the CD recently, Hawthorne Heights is about to drop a new record....

LP takes way too long in making an album in my opinion. Chester can't focus with LP right now...like I said before, DBS is really slowing down the album process. I seriously doubt the record is coming out in 2010 if all they've done so far is this. Sounds like a January-March 2011 release in my opinion maybe.

Thank god for LPU 9

Thanks! I couldn't change the topic name xD.


And what if they decide to put 9 songs on the album?



Go here and tell us what the title says. ^^

Only difference with LP is that they don't suck! WHAT UP!

No but with LPU9's awesomeness, the wait for the album won't be as bad. Now that (or what it seems like now) they are really working on the album, and that should speed up the process more.

lol @ biased first sentence

Agreed with the second statement. LPU 9 will make it go by a lot quicker and it does seem now they are fully focused and in gear.

great news

Mike rulesss

I cant be fucked waiting for this album. LP has lost a shitload of respect from me. Im sick of waiting 3-4 for albums. They're just not worth it. Fuck the live shows with 1 new track, and 1 older track played. I demand a single from the first bunch of tracks done! Even if they're not on the album they can be promo singles!

It´s good to receive any kind of news about the new album but...

It makes me sad to know that we will have to wait forever to get a new album!!! their working progress is just a shame for a band of their size.

They keep talking about how they change their way of writing and understand music, how mature they are right now and bla bla bla... but still take 3 years to get an album of 40 minutes.

They need to know that they are a rock band and like we have our daily jobs their daily job is write music or making shows. If they are not making shows they need to be making new music.

Stop all these crap other activities they have and start to care more (and maybe change) about the 3 years that we have to wait to get a new album.

now thats some awesome news! Thanks mike

I hope you guys realize that if you rush the band, the music will be crap.

After a year. They've only done that much! How have they been rushed? There just damn fucking lazy!

I've put out 3-5 albums worth of material since Mid June this year. Because i generate my idea's a lot better than LP's stale old ways. Even though its easy to write material for my project i am picky at what i release.

Your also talking to the guy that beats off to Fort Minor nightly, so good luck with changing his mind on that...

I'm really excited with this news

They're experimenting alot with their music. Experiments take times, it's an trail and error phase.
Plus every artist got their own work ethics, the other might knock faster an album, and the other takes his time. I personally prefer the second one.
why stop making tracks if creativity keeps flowing, it just might be they'll make a new song what's better than they recently got.

just my opionon on the 'it's taking them to long comments'

Peace!

Great news!!!! I'm so excited hearing this one "average song length on these is around the 4-5 minute mark"! The new album is going to rock!!!!

Hmm... with all these posts I can round up a bit of things.

1) Linkin Park takes fucking too long to produce an album because they focus on live tours. Because of that, respect and popularity deteriorated despite the live shows. A lot of great artists did not go live frequently because they focus on albums. Which side are you on?
2) Linkin Park wants their music to be very special. That's why they produce it very slowly.
3) Michelbeats's post makes sense.
4) ND is released quickly because it contained most of the elements in M2M. They mastered the format and had not much trouble doing it.
5) LP Underground albums play a part in keeping us from boredom.
6. Meteora -> M2M = Super long experimenting time (Can't blame them)
7. Rushing sucks - turns the music crappier than M2M

Finally, after all, Mike said that the new album will be electronic rock and newer. Patience is our friend.