Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda says rock music has lost the plot – and his own band are partly to blame.
But he believes tonight’s Download headliners have addressed the issue with next week’s album The Hunting Party, and he plans to keep working to bring back the power.
Shinoda tells Radio.com: “Rock music has gone in this direction that’s like indie-pop jingles. It’s like songs that could be on the Disney Channel. I don’t want to follow that trend.”
That’s one of the reasons he made a conscious decision to re-introduce loud guitars to the Linkin Park sound, after they’d moved away over their previous two outings.
He told guitarist Brad Delson: “‘Our bassist Dave Farrell told me you’re one of the best guitar players he’d ever met. Do you think our fans know that? What do you think the 14-year-old Brad thinks of you right now?
”‘That kid was listening to heavy metal and shredding in his room all day. That’s the kid you want to impress.’”
Shinoda adds: “Rock music – even the most popular bands – isn’t really influencing the zeitgeist. It’s not moving the needle of pop culture.” And he admits he doesn’t have all the answers. “All I know is what we can do as a band; we’ve made the best record we can make right now.
“I don’t want rock to be pop. I do want it to be exciting – and right now, it’s moderately exciting.”
