Well folks, prepare to keep worrying as Linkin Park makes the move towards the inevitable “mature” album and trips up a bit on Minutes to Midnight. Lead by first rate producer Rick Rubin, Linkin Park tries something new and goes off in many different directions, leaving fans puzzled.

The album gets off to a good enough start with the highlight track “Given Up,” in which lead singer Chester Bennington’s shredding screams, mixed with Mike Shinoda’s MC skills are used to their top effort. Another early key track is “Bleed It Out,”which chugs along.

But from there, the album is mostly a downer. “Shadow of the Day” sounds at place on a Lifetime TV movie, and “Hands Held High” sounds like a somber and uninteresting take on the state of the world. After the latter of the two tracks, Shinoda goes mostly silent on the rest of the record. So does DJ Joe Hahn, who adds the occasional scratch here and there but is silent throughout most of the record.

To be honest, there are bands that do this mid-tempo material pretty well. Songs like “Valentine’s Day” are tailored made for radio, but lack the haunting effect of past singles, such as “My December.” But to be honest, Linkin Park is best when mixing the aggressive with the introspective tunes. On Minutes we get a different Linkin Park, and not necessarily a more entertaining one.

This reviewer is all for a band trying to switch up their sound from time to time, but not when the results are this meddling and mediocre. Linkin Park swings for the fences on Minutes to Midnight, but swings and misses for the most part.

GRADE: C-

Linkin Park's Minutes to Midnight is in stores now.