Minutes to Midnight (Linkin Park album) come". "Herald Sun" writer Karen Tye gave it 3½ out of 4 stars and praised the band's new sound, asking, "Who knew being a plain old rock band could suit Linkin Park so well?". Despite commending the band for their ambition, "The Guardian"s Caroline Sullivan gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and perceived "their decision to stay roughly within the shrieky boundaries of their genre" as a weakness, while writing that "the sound still pivots on the interplay of walloping guitar chords and self-flagellating lyrics". Among those with a more negative view of the album was Stephen Thomas
Minutes to Midnight (Linkin Park album) to Midnight" received mixed reviews from critics. "Rolling Stone" magazine named it the twenty-fifth best album of 2007. It has sold more than four million copies in the US and 20 million copies worldwide. It was ranked number 154 on "Billboard"'s "Hot 200 Albums of the Decade". In an interview, lead singer Chester Bennington explained that the album is "a mix of punk, classic rock, and hip-hop standards" and that "Rick has brought more of a stripped down, classic-rock and hip-hop kind of feel." In another interview, Bennington stated: "This time around, Mike Shinoda is singing a lot more. It