According to an interview with MTV, Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda says that the band’s next record will have a much darker feel to it and will not have the band’s “signature” sound. “We’ve been writing a lot and all the stuff we’ve been experiencing and stuff we’ve seen — that stuff is all going into the songs,” says Shinoda. “Over the next year or so, you’re going to get a lot of different Linkin Park music, and I think you’re going to get a lot of takes on everything that’s been going on.” Shinoda says that he expects to have the next Linkin Park album out in 2010, and expects it to be one of the most challenging albums the band has ever made. “There’s a stylistic thing that’s different. With Linkin Park, we have a signature sound — you know it when you hear us. Trying to describe that difference is like trying to describe the difference between Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, you know?” Shinoda said. “They’re both rock, but they’re different styles. I’m confident in saying this next record is going to be the most challenging … and complex and intriguing music that has come out of the Linkin Park camp. It’s really dark. It’s like post-apocalyptic ‘Blade Runner’ meets LSD.” So why the sudden change in sound? Lead singer Chester Bennington says the band has grown since recording their last album Minutes To Midnight. “With working on Minutes to Midnight, we really broke out of our shell — we really discovered that we can lose our minds in our music, and we’re going to keep going with that for this new one,” Bennington said. “We’re all creative in a lot of different ways. If you have more than one thing you’re good at, or you have more than one style of doing one thing in particular, it helps keep the creativity fresh and new and keeps things rolling in a positive direction.”