Linkin Park
The Hunting Party (Warner Bros.)
linkinpark.com
It might be unfair that Linkin Park, which formed in 1996, got lumped into the nu-metal scene that spawned abominations such as Limp Bizkit. The band certainly had more cred in hip-hop circles than most of its peers. But The Hunting Party, the band’s sixth studio effort, doesn’t deviate from formula even though the band adopts a more straightforward rock approach than it has on past albums. Songs such as “All For Nothing,” a track that features a great guitar solo courtesy of Helmet’s Page Hamilton, and “Wastelands” feature the usual mix of rapping and screaming. That’s not say there is some good material here. “Guilty all the Same,” a tune featuring old school rapper Rakim, slowly builds in intensity and is the kind of song that will go well with SportsCenter highlights. The frenetic “War” sounds more like the Offspring than Korn. But on the whole, this album, while intended to be a departure of sorts, finds the band serving up more of the same thing
