After four years, multi-platinum rap-rockers Linkin Park promise a new album and a new direction.
Billboard reports that Linkin Park are winding up the recording of their follow-up to 2003's multi-million seller 'Meteora'. Rather than another by-the-numbers nu-metal album that many critics said 'Meteora' was, co-producer Rick Rubin said the new effort was packed with "beautiful songs". He said that he led the band into broader emotional territory by steering them towards artists like Pink Floyd, Elton John and King Crimson.The other co-producer Mike Shinoda spoke to Rolling Stone in November 2006 of their newly diverging sound, saying one new track has elements of Metallica, Motown, Stones, The Clash and rap, "so if that's not f***ed up enough for people to stop calling us rap rock, then I don't know what else to do."
New tracks from the sessions 'Accident' and 'Announcement Public Service...' which appeared on a CD for their 'LPU' fans will not appear on the new album, and at one stage the band intimated that they whittled the tracklisting down from over 100 songs. Billboard reports that the new album will be out in May on Warner Bros.
