HOT 99.5 Radio Claim Linkin Park Are Almost "Mostly Finished" With A New Album

In a news post today from a radio blog at 99.5 Hot Radio, it is suggested that Linkin Park are actually "mostly finished" with their follow up to the 2010 album A Thousand Suns, citing that the band only have four more songs left to master before they begin the final touches on their fifth studio release.

The currently untitled album is tentatively set for a 2012 release, but nothing is set in stone or confirmed by Linkin Park themselves meaning that this news should be taken at face value as we don't consider "sources close to the band" an official source. Read the full article below and let us know your thoughts.

Read The Full Hot 99.5 Article
​

UPDATE: After Mike responded to the news we posted on Twitter with the following..

“@LPAssociation: HOT 99.5 Radio Claim Linkin Park Are Almost Finished With New Album” M: is HOT 99.5 where we get our reliable news now?"
​

... Hot 99.5 responded via their blog post with an update, highlighting Mike's posts and then going on to say this:

"Mike Shinoda addressed this blog on his TWITTER TIMELINE today, asking if "Hot 99-5 is where we get our news now," when fans retweeted this post earlier.

He also reported that the station is planning to change formats to a Classic Country theme, branded as HOWDY 99-5, a reminder that you can't always place credit in rumor and specualtion, and a reminder that the band will post their official news as soon as they're ready!

He did not deny, however, that some new LP music had been played for their promotions executives at meetings in Los Angeles at the end of 2011."
​

We honestly never expected such a response from such a scarce news source, and as stated in our post originally, this should be taken at face value and not something official or confirmed. Linkin Park fans are no stranger to the rumor game when it comes to a new album, so the safe bet would be to believe the guy who is actually in the band.

Source: Hot 99.5 via Sucre06

 

If they're talking about fall for the album release, yeah that's definitely very possible as the band has always wanted to release an album in 2012/early 2013. This coincides with the whole "album every 18 months" statement Chester made, and it also means that...provided they started in December of 2010 on a new album, by fall it will have been 18 months. So I think this estimate is rather likely. Hell there's even rumblings that it will be out this summer. Time will tell.

 

I actually removed it and then put it back. The reason I left it was because the four tracks left to record would mean they're mostly finished. Still having the four tracks left to record means they're almost mostly finished. Yeah, I know it makes no sense at all but blame the way the article was worded, hahaha.

 

Well, based on my belief that the band wouldn't take so long to release an album after mixing (which honestly doesn't take that long, unless Warner Bros. has some reason to stall), the 4th quarter + last 4 songs to mix statement doesn't make sense. Of course, the station said the abum "should be released in the fourth quarter of 2012" meaning they themselves don't know of a release date. So in that sense, it would make sense that the band is this far in the record process and I would agree that a summer deadline sounds likely. Honestly, the recent explosion of LP album news after a 3 month silence makes it sound a bit too coincidental to be false....but who knows. And also, this radio station is in Maryland....not sure if it makes a difference but my first expectation for album news would have been either LA or Europe...not Maryland. But....HEY, I hope Linkin Park contradicts me and surprises me. If it's really 4 more songs to mix, then the final master should be coming soon and then that would mean album release fun stuff would begin soon!

EDIT: IF WE HAVE A LPU CHAT OR SOMETHING SIMILAR SOON..................IT'S GOING TO BE AN ALL OUT FRENZY FOR THE BAND........WE WANT TO KNOW.
Just like last year when an interview said the album would have 12 songs and Mike debunked that fast.

 

I just feel like all this news, especially this article.....It's restarting the album waiting frenzy.......I LOVE IT
Reminds me of March 2010 when everyone was heavily anticipating and unsure of everything. And then May through July was the most fun time I've ever had with a band and of course LPA.

 

Well, from the Making of A Thousand Suns, I know that The Catalyst was mixed and mastered before everything else simply because it was the first single. It's the only known separate mastering that I know of.