Short Album Update

[hahninator]

First, Mike's recent video interview:

 

 

He said he is hesitant to discuss how amazing the new music is, and doesn't want to give song titles, and album name, etc. The original goal was to have new music out by now but they slowed the process down to spend more time on the album and write a few extra new songs. The band will release music at the beginning of the year.

 

Next, Chester's recent Kings of Chaos interview:

 

"I can’t give you a date because we don’t know. We have begun mixing. That lets you know we are coming up to the final phases of the record. We have a ton of songs, so we are going to be mixing for quite a long time. We have been talking about first quarter of next year. It will be before summer, I imagine.

The new Linkin Park record is what I have been focused on; I’m extremely excited about it. We’ve been working with a lot of great collaborators in terms of writing. We’ve been doing this for a long time. This is our seventh record, and we’ve always kept things in house, meaning we shut the doors and don’t let anybody in like Willy Wonka. Then we go, “Look! Does anyone like the candy we made?”

This time we were really curious how other artists and other writers work because we like to gather as much information and expand on our education, so to speak. We look at music the same way doctors look at medicine. There is always an evolution, always something new that you can learn, so we don’t rest on what we already know how to do.

It’s funny because when we started the process of making a new record, we really wanted to focus on vocals and melody first. That was something that was suggested by Rick Rubin when we first started working with Rick.

It took us about three albums and 6 years to figure out exactly how to do that. For me, I’ve had a lot of time to get into the emotional and lyrical content of the songs. I’ve been able to sit with them for a long time, listen to them, and they’ve become ingrained into my mind before I even went in and sang. There is something special that I feel is very different from what we have done in the past as a result of doing things this way.

Many of the vocals I did were done with a piano or a simple guitar chord progression. Then we built the track around the vocals and created all the sounds that we wanted to replace the guitars and piano."

Judging by comments from both Mike and Chester, the band is mixing the album now with a lot of tracks. A single will likely be released in January or February, with the album out in the first quarter of the year, before the summer tour.

[RickLPL]

I'm curious how many tracks are gonna end up on the album. They've said multiple times that they've got a lot of material.
Also, they still don't know the release date?

Edited December 4, 2016 by RickLPL

[AStarkson]

Based on how hyped they are about the album, the first song is gonna be very important so they really should take their time even to decide which one shall be the first single...

[linkinepi]

Great to know that they're in the mixing stage. Hopefully by January they'll release the new single.

[Igussek]

I really hope that single will be out in January

[Astat]

I'm curious how many tracks are gonna end up on the album. They've said multiple times that they've got a lot of material.

Also, they still don't know the release date?

They'll talk our heads off about how much material they've recorded and how good it all is and how excited they are like they always do. Then they'll cut it down to 12 tracks for the album like they always do. And then they'll never release any of the remaining tracks, like they always do (Minutes to Midnight being the lone exception).

Edited December 4, 2016 by Astat

[Geki]

This is going to be a good album. Just hate how long the wait is this time around, I got used to the short time frame of LT and THP. But the music seems really promising and interesting. I also think it will be a 12 song album, but there's nothing really wrong with that, IMO. Maybe we will end up getting the other songs on LP Underground releases or other stuff like they did with the MTM tracks that didn't make the album.

[RentEznor]

They'll talk our heads off about how much material they've recorded and how good it all is and how excited they are like they always do. Then they'll cut it down to 12 tracks for the album like they always do. And then they'll never release any of the remaining tracks, like they always do (Minutes to Midnight being the lone exception).

 

This.

 

And I even "hate" more this type of stuff seeing the Linkinpedia page and how many unreleased demos and songs they have and I'm sure they wouldn't waste so much time putting some bonus tracks on the CD or else, maybe Warner doesn't let them release it (?) I don't know, I don't think they're THAT lazy.

 

This is going to be a good album. Just hate how long the wait is this time around, I got used to the short time frame of LT and THP. But the music seems really promising and interesting. I also think it will be a 12 song album, but there's nothing really wrong with that, IMO. Maybe we will end up getting the other songs on LP Underground releases or other stuff like they did with the MTM tracks that didn't make the album.

 

I honestly don't felt it's taking too long, same with ATS, I was excited and by the end of 2010, I loved that album to this day. Not saying this is gonna be something similar, they said it's something we've never heard before so, I can expect anything.

Edited December 4, 2016 by KlaytonShinoda

[linkinepi]

Them not touring at all during this year and the lack of news is what dragged the wait out.

[Geki]

 

This.

 

And I even "hate" more this type of stuff seeing the Linkinpedia page and how many unreleased demos and songs they have and I'm sure they would not waste so much time putting some bonus tracks on the CD or else, maybe Warner doesn't let them release it (?) I don't know, I don't think they're THAT lazy.

 

 

I honestly don't felt it's taking too long, same with ATS, I was excited and by the end of 2010, I loved that album to this day. Not saying this is gonna be something similar, they said it's something we've never heard before so, I can expect anything.

 

Well, with ATS, it wasn't as bad, IMO. After Projekt Revolution 2008 in the U.S., they took the rest of 2008 and half of 2009 to write for the album. We got Road To Revolution in late 2008 and Songs From The Underground as well. LPU8, too. And then we got New Divide in the summer of 2009, as well as a pretty good tour in 2009. Then LPU9 came out which was the first LPU to have all demos on it, so that was exciting, we also got ATL from it. Then in early 2010, we got Not Alone, as well as 8-Bit Rebellion! and Blackbirds as well. Then The Catalyst came out in summer 2010 and then album in September 2010, followed by a world tour for the second half of 2010 and most of 2011, etc.

 

The wait in between Meteora and MTM was super long but we knew the band was taking a year off for 2005 as confirmed by the band. So we waited a year and a half for MTM in reality (January of 2006 until March 2007 when WID came out).

 

This time around we've only received Things In My Jeep during the break (DTB came out before THP cycle ended). The Visionaries and Linkin Park demo getting released in 2015 was cool as well, too. But like linkinepi said, we basically had no tour in 2016 (unless you count that China performance of only Chester and Joe) which will be the first year in the band's history that we had no shows. We also had LPU15 and LPU16 during this wait but we've always had LPU albums during the waits.

 

I'm not even that worried about the wait anymore, though, it's getting closer to the album release and I expect a single in January or February. Once the first single comes out, I never mind the wait.

Edited December 4, 2016 by Geki

[RentEznor]

 

Well, with ATS, it wasn't as bad, IMO. After Projekt Revolution 2008 in the U.S., they took the rest of 2008 and half of 2009 to write for the album. We got Road To Revolution in late 2008 and Songs From The Underground as well. LPU8, too. And then we got New Divide in the summer of 2009, as well as a pretty good tour in 2009. Then LPU9 came out which was the first LPU to have all demos on it, so that was exciting, we also got ATL from it. Then in early 2010, we got Not Alone, as well as 8-Bit Rebellion! and Blackbirds as well. Then The Catalyst came out in summer 2010 and then album in September 2010, followed by a world tour for the second half of 2010 and most of 2011, etc.

 

The wait in between Meteora and MTM was super long but we knew the band was taking a year off for 2005 as confirmed by the band. So we waited a year and a half for MTM in reality (January of 2006 until March 2007 when WID came out).

 

This time around we've only received Things In My Jeep during the break (DTB came out before THP cycle ended). The Visionaries and Linkin Park demo getting released in 2015 was cool as well, too. But like linkinepi said, we basically had no tour in 2016 (unless you count that China performance of only Chester and Joe) which will be the first year in the band's history that we had no shows. We also had LPU15 and LPU16 during this wait but we've always had LPU albums during the waits.

 

I'm not even that worried about the wait anymore, though, it's getting closer to the album release and I expect a single in January or February. Once the first single comes out, I never mind the wait.

 

I don't remember 2008-2010 being as stressful as how it has been 2014-2016 to me. Like you said, we had a shit ton of material, new album, songs, demos, singles, live shows/audios, beside other things.

 

I didn't live that era as much as I would've loved, I just discovered LP around 2004 after Collision Course came out, maybe a few months before the end of the Meteora World Tour, but yeah, seeing how many things happened between late 2004 to early 2007, that was a hell of a ride, specially the label dispute and the inminent musical change for MTM.

 

Yeah, it has been a weird year to be honest. I don't mind waiting for the next album next year, but I would have loved some special show for the LPU, anything, but it didn't happened. Maybe they're actually taking this really seriously, wich is a good sign somehow.

Edited December 4, 2016 by KlaytonShinoda

[hahninator]

Them not touring at all during this year and the lack of news is what dragged the wait out.

 

Yeah exactly. The wait between albums this time was excruciating. It all started when the USA tour got canceled and then STP got announced 2 weeks later, but no makeup USA tour ever happened. Band in the studio all fall and Chester managed to tour with STP then too. 2016 we got almost nothing - the studio updates were SO small/short, no clips of music, nothing. They're very secretive.

[KeysToTheLinkinPark]

I'm actually really excited for their upcoming gigs. I hope they listen to us fans and switch their setlist.

[danielpsoad-09]

I'm actually really excited for their upcoming gigs. I hope they listen to us fans and switch their setlist.

 

I wouldn't hold my breath. This quote is from an article posted two days ago, which features an interview with Mike:

 

He continues, “for example, we know that over two-thirds of our fans live outside the US, they range from 13-35, they're roughly 50/50% male/female, most of them are gamers, and 80% of them were pleased with our set list on the last tour.

 

Here´s the full article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonobacon/2015/06/11/from-piracy-to-prosperity-inside-the-new-artists-toolbox/#79930b2609c0

 

So clearly, they will continue to please the "casual" fans that go to their concerts to listen to In the End, Numb or What I´ve Done.

[Geki]

 

I wouldn't hold my breath. This quote is from an article posted two days ago, which features an interview with Mike:

 

He continues, “for example, we know that over two-thirds of our fans live outside the US, they range from 13-35, they're roughly 50/50% male/female, most of them are gamers, and 80% of them were pleased with our set list on the last tour.

 

Here´s the full article: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonobacon/2015/06/11/from-piracy-to-prosperity-inside-the-new-artists-toolbox/#79930b2609c0

 

So clearly, they will continue to please the "casual" fans that go to their concerts to listen to In the End, Numb or What I´ve Done.

 

What a terrible quote... I would consider myself a hardcore fan and I live in the U.S., am not a gamer and never have been and was not pleased with the last set list they used on tour. I also know a lot of fans who are over 35 years old and I'm not sure why the gender bit is necessary, that's irrelevant 100% anyways, and I've seen HEAPS of people complain about the last set. It's not like they have ever even polled the fans on whether they liked the set or not anyways, and I don't think they've been actively asking fans at M&G's and such whether they like the set or not, so that's also kind of a strange comment. I think what he was trying to say was that they have a diverse fanbase, maybe? Very weird quote. A fan is someone who enjoys the music that they make, nothing more, nothing less.

Edited December 5, 2016 by Geki

[lpliveusername]

That Forbes interview is from June 2015.

[Geki]

That Forbes interview is from June 2015.

Wth thanks for pointing that out.

[thedamian58c]

I'm glad they actually use time to work on the album, not like THP which seemed rushed, with solos and vocals sounding as if they would be recorded by the first try and in one take (with some exceptions though). They also didn't say mention anything about the genre yet, so it may be something entirely new, or a mix of many genres. The album might also turn out to be long, since they said they have a ton of material for the new album, aswell as that they are during the mixing process, which may mean that most of the tracks will be mixed properly and possibly make the cut. However, it may also turn out to be the way Astat said.

[HybridT]

The album might also turn out to be long, since they said they have a ton of material for the new album

 

They had over 100 tracks on MTM and then finally it ended up being a 12-track-album, like always.

[JZLP-Benningstrong]

I don't understand why they always end up releasing album with only 10/11 full songs (not counting intros/instrumentals/interludes)

If they don't give a fuck about playing the full album live they shouldn't mind releasing a real album with over 15 full songs, fuck a 2 disc album would be great.

[RogueSoul]

I don't understand why they always end up releasing album with only 10/11 full songs (not counting intros/instrumentals/interludes)

If they don't give a fuck about playing the full album live they shouldn't mind releasing a real album with over 15 full songs, fuck a 2 disc album would be great.

From my understanding of how albums work, having more than twelve full songs would require more than two sides of a vinyl to cover. Going beyond that you'd need more material to satisfy at least one side of a second vinyl, and then having an empty side is just impractical and frankly a waste of money.

 

Perhaps that principle has changed, and I'm sure someone can explain it better than me, but that's how I have come to understand it.

[JZLP-Benningstrong]

From my understanding of how albums work, having more than twelve full songs would require more than two sides of a vinyl to cover. Going beyond that you'd need more material to satisfy at least one side of a second vinyl, and then having an empty side is just impractical and frankly a waste of money.

Meteora was released in 2 vinyls LOL

It's not about vinyls because this trend started since HT.

 

Probably they just want to have the very best of what they recorded.

[Geki]

Double albums are gross.

[JZLP-Benningstrong]

Double albums are gross.

 

What's wrong with releasing like 20 tracks?

[xacrax]

And if they release the tracks as bonus track / B-Sides? As they did before with My December and High Voltage.. or as they did with No Roads Left and Blackbirds from Minutes to Midnight?