Linkin Park In The Studio, New Album In Summer

Linkin Park‘s Mike Shinoda have hinted that the rock heavyweights may be dropping a new album earlier than expected.

The band are busy in the studio working on their fifth studio album, and it looks like it could be landing right around festival season…

“As most Linkin Park fans know, the sound of each album is usually quite different from the last,” blogs Mike. ”The new album is no exception. But as usual, the album’s sound twists and turns as it is created, so any attempt at estimating what it sounds like today would be silly. The moment I tell you it sounds like “X”, the songs will automatically take a drastic turn and evolve into something different within a week.

But what I can tell you is I’m inspired. We’re inspired.

The band is trying all kinds of things we haven’t before. First of all, we’re not in the same studio. All our previous albums (except MTM) were recorded at the same studio; this album is not being done there. All our previous albums were done with a producer at the helm; this album has largely been self-produced. We normally write in a organized and regimented style, recorded into the computer; this album has been the product of a mix of focused experimentation and free form jamming. We’re even tracking parts to tape instead of going exclusively digital.

I’ve been spending 10-12 hours a day in the studio–jamming, experimenting, writing, recording, re-writing, re-recording…searching for the sound that truly captures where we’re at as a band right now. Something bold and energetic. Something with a balance between the chaos and order.

As ever, we’re digging deep to craft the best songs that will set the tone for the next step, that will draw a line between what we’re doing and everything else.

We can’t wait for you to hear it this summer.”

Linkin Park will, of course, be playing their seminal debut Hybrid Theory in full at Download in June, so it looks unlikely that we’d be seeing much brand new material, but if the album is out by then, perhaps we’ll be getting a nice mix of eras after all…

Merlin was promoted to Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has written for Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.