Music News & Notes

Linkin Park prep new album

It has been reported that Linkin Park are currently at work preparing their fourth studio album.

Co-frontman Mike Shinoda confirmed that the band have decided on a producer, but are keeping the information under wraps at present.

Shinoda told Billboard: "I feel like we've been writing a lot. I'd say we've got about half the music done, though I shouldn't say halfway because who knows how long the next batch of songs will take. But all the material's just kind of coming together."

According to Shinoda, the new album is due to be released in 2010, and is promised to be a fresh departure from previous releases.

"It's not going to be Hybrid Theory or Minutes to Midnight. And if we do it right, it'll have a cutting edge sound that defines itself as an individual record separate from anything else that's out there."

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SACRIFICE: 'The Ones I Condemn' Artwork, Track Listing Revealed -


The cover artwork for "The Ones I Condemn", the much-anticipated new album from reunited Canadian thrashers SACRIFICE, can be viewed below.

Commented guitarist/vocalist Rob Urbinati: "Our recording process was real, so we didn't feel comfortable going too far into the digital realm for the cover. Our old friend, Kurt Bachman from BELIEVER, got us in touch with Michael 'Roz' Rosner, who does nothing but absolutely stunning work. Roz was into letting technology assist in creating art, not take over, and that is the same approach we take to music. Roz can make an image look beautiful, yet ugly; human yet inhuman; all awesome, unique imagery. The Eye Level studio team took our ideas and gave us a great cover."

"The Ones I Condemn" is scheduled for a mid-June release via Brazil's Marquee Records. The CD was recorded at Rouge Valley Studio in Toronto, Ontario with engineer Darius Szczepaniak, who has previously worked with I MOTHER EARTH, SUM 41 and EDWIN, among many others. Guest musicians on the album include Jed Simon (ZIMMERS HOLE, TENET, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, ARMOROS), who "[laid] down a total whammy-bar barrage," and the band's old Scarborough metal comrade Dave Hewson (SLAUGHTER, STRAPPADO), who lent some guest vocals to "The Devil's Martyr".