Info on the Studio Album
Linkin Park Trying Not To Suck On Next Album, 9/3/02

Never one to be constrained by rules, Linkin Park DJ Joseph Hahn has but one when it comes to his band's new album.

"We're just trying to make it not suck,"
the turntablist, remixer and video producer said.

Linkin Park, recipients of the Moonman for Best Rock Video at last week's MTV Video Music Awards for the Hahn-helmed "In the End", are roughly midway through recording their second album,
with about 20 tracks done, Hahn said. They'll probably prune the lot down to 12 by the end of the year, and hope to have the follow-up to 2000's Hybrid Theory in stores early next year.

"We're just trying to make a decent album," he added,"because there are a lot of second albums [that suffer from] the sophomore jinx ... So hopefully we can make it as good as the last one."

Reanimation, an LP of remixed Hybrid Theory tracks that has moved more than 572,000 copies since its late July release, according to SoundScan, soothed some fans anxious for something new from the band, but left most anticipating the group's second studio LP even more. Last week, Linkin Park's
management put the spurs to the bandmembers, summoning them back to a Los Angeles studio with Don Gilmore, who produced and engineered Hybrid Theory, to work on the as-yet-untitled project. The sudden recall forced singer Chester Bennington
to call off a September 7 benefit show with his former band Grey Daze.

Hahn was secretive when it came to discussing album specifics, though he did say that the LP would further their cause for uniting the genres of rock and hip-hop.

"We're trying to combine the elements to become one music. It's inevitable for music to go that way. It just so happens that everything is so corporate these days, everything needs to be categorized. So we're just trying to help close those gaps a little bit."

Unlike Reanimation, Linkin Park's next album won't feature any guests, though Hahn said that another remix album might be in order. Whatever they decide, Hahn assured fans that they won't
be let down by the outcome.

"With anything we do, we don't cop out," he said.
"We put a lot of love into everything from our visuals to our music, so I don't think the fans will ever be disappointed with anything we do."

By Joe D'Angelo (Mtv.com)

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Chester Bennington Quote
Taken from Metal Hammer Magazine, July 02:

"It's progressing well and I'm really happy with it.
We have a lot of songs written and there are a lot of dope beats and cool loops going on. We've got some sick, sick heavy guitars. There's just some great music on there. The stuff I've worked on
so far is really easy for me to sing over. It's really easy for me to come up with vocal melodies. And that's the key for me, the ability to come up with good melodies. The only real difference
is the guitars are that little bit heavier. In my opinion there's some pretty heavy Pantera-esque guitar riffs, but at the same time it's not super heavy. It's really tastefully done. I think the
beats are really awesome. On 'Hybrid Theory' they're really cool, but the beats on this album are a lot more original and have a lot more character and really hit hard. The only way to describe the whole thing is that it's a little bit harder and a little bit softer at the same time. We feel a little bit more comfortable and a little bit more mature."