They've called it all kinds of names: Nu metal, aggro-metal, punk rock, or, by the less inspired, alternative. But Linkin Park's music, agrees vocalist Chester Bennington, is hard to slot.
"I guess you can just call it Linkin Park," he laughs. "The more music we put out there, the harder it is to slot it. I think it's nice to stand alone, not to belong to any genre."
Critics and fans are not so easy to distract, Bennington should know. They've already called his band's upcoming A Thousand Suns, releasing next week, "a genre-busting" album. "Well, we have everything from hip-hop to pop and rock and metal, so I can see how it will be difficult to fit," says the 34-year-old.
Bennington and his band mates will be rocking the Yasalam after-race concert on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island at the 2010 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 13.
Speaking to tabloid! over the phone, the vocalist says Linkin Park's UAE debut, in more ways than one, will showcase the band's new sound to the world. The band's roster also includes Germany, France, Austria, the UK, Brazil, Chile and Argentina.
"It's going to be a new experience, even for some of our fans already used to our performances. The whole process of working out these songs live on stage, using technology and putting it together is going to be different," he says.
Of performing in the capital, Bennington says the band are "really excited".
"We've never been there, so this is going to be a whole new experience for us. It'll be a great atmosphere with the races and we can't wait."
To give fans a taste of what's to come, Linkin Park released a single, The Catalyst, from the new album early last month. The song debuted at No 1 on Billboard magazine's Rock Songs chart.
And to prove they are as attuned with latest trends as any rock band, they hosted a contest on social media site MySpace.com in July, asking fans to download The Catalyst and remix it. The winner, a Polish fan who goes by one name Czeslaw, will have his version featured in the new album as a bonus track.
Unlock a song
The band also launched an online game, 8-Bit Rebellion! earlier this year for iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad users. The game, which stages a plot in which players aim to defeat PixxelKorp, an "evil HD empire that has taken over the 8-bit world", will let gamers, upon completing the stages, unlock a previously unreleased song — Blackbirds. The song will also feature in a version of the new album.
"I think the people who listen to us today are different from the people who used to listen to us back then. So we need to evolve," says Bennington. "We also need to make sure our sounds and our music is not an obvious choice."
Hybrid Theory, the band's debut album released in late 2000, is still Linkin Park's best-selling album with 24 million copies. After going platinum more than 10 times, it became the second best-selling album of the decade, according to Billboard.com.
The band followed up this success with the chartbusting Meteora (2003) and after a few years' break, Minutes To Midnight in 2007.
A Thousand Suns is co-produced by Mike Shinoda, the band's rapper, and Rick Rubin, who worked with the band on the last album.
Bennington is also involved as vocalist and songwriter with another rock band, Dead by Sunrise, who debuted Out of the Ashes late last year. "I think working [with another band] has helped me in terms of the songwriting. It gets my creative juices flowing.
"I really go out of my way to make it happen with the other band, and as long as it does not interfere with Linkin Park, I am happy to do it."
Bennington, who used to flip burgers before starting the band Grey Daze in 1993, has also dabbled in acting, making cameo appearances in the 2006 action-thriller Crank and its sequel, Crank: High Voltage. He will soon be seen in Saw 3D, the seventh and supposedly final instalment of the horror franchise. "I did a lot of theatre back in the day and I definitely have a good time doing it," he says.
"I haven't really actively pursued it. Again, as long as it doesn't interfered with what I do with Linkin Park and as long as I think I can portray the characters correctly, it's fun."
As a musician, Bennington says he has also dabbled with Middle Eastern music. "I've messed around with some of that stuff in the past," he says. "I love the Middle Eastern vocal techniques and the harmony. It's amazing."
Dont miss it
Linkin Park performs at the Yasalam After-Race Concert on November 13. These concerts are exclusively for Formula 1 race-day ticket holders. For more information, visit yasmarinacircuit.com.
The boys in the band
- Chester Bennington: vocals
- Rob Bourdon: drums, percussion
- Brad Delson: lead guitar
- David "Phoenix" Farrell: bass
- Joseph "Mr." Hahn: turntables, programming, samples
- Mike Shinoda: vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard
Go get yours
A Thousand Suns is scheduled to be released globally on September 14.
