LINKIN PARK's 'A Thousand Suns' Is Not A 'Concept Record'

LINKIN PARK's Mike Shinoda told MTV News in a new interview that the band's new album, "A Thousand Suns", is not a "concept record." Far from it. In fact, if anything, it's a "multi-concept record."

"People asked us if it's a concept record, and in the middle of the process, we were contemplating whether or not that was what we wanted to do," Shinoda told MTV News. "And I think, as we finished it, it became clear that, usually the problem with concept records is, like, [the] term usually refers to things like [THE WHO's] 'Tommy' or ... rock operas and stuff like than that has a narrative. And this doesn't have a narrative; it's more abstract that that.

"So if those albums are more of an Andy Warhol, this is more of a Jackson Pollock," he continued. "You can kind of look at it, and all the stuff's in there; you pull out whatever it means to you."

LINKIN PARK is currently duking it out with rapper Trey Songz for the No. 1 spot on next week's Billboard album chart, according to Billboard.com and Hits Daily Double. LINKIN PARK's new album, "A Thousand Suns", is expected to sell 250,000 to 260,000 copies in its first week of release. But Songz is right behind the California band, with his "Passion, Pain & Pleasure" moving anywhere from 230,000 to 250,000 copies, which could make it a photo finish by the time sales close.

If "A Thousand Suns" grabs the top spot, it will be LINKIN PARK's fourth consecutive chart-topper, following 2003's "Meteora", 2004's "Collision Course" EP with Jay-Z, and 2007's "Minutes To Midnight".

Like every other act, however, LINKIN PARK's sales reflect the current realities of the music business: while 250,000 copies is impressive, "Minutes To Midnight" sold 623,000 in its first week.

The band is also struggling with mixed fan reaction to the new album, which downplays guitars in favor of electronics. Vocalist Mike Shinoda told The Pulse of Radio he hopes fans will appreciate the group's new approach. "I think a lot of our fans have come from that more, that rock side, and they're hearing the electronic elements and they're going like, 'That sounds like, you know, rave music or whatever to me,'" he said. "When in reality, I think people who listen to rave music are like, 'This doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard.' And that's really nice. I like that fact and I feel like it's bridging a gap, a new gap for us. But also it's just an expression for us of all the cool sounds we can make that hopefully other people have never made."

LINKIN PARK debuted a handful of new songs live on Tuesday night (September 14) — the same day as the album's release — at a show in New York City.

The first single from "A Thousand Suns", "The Catalyst", is the band's ninth No. 1 rock radio track.