The Hunting Party is the sixth studio album by the rock band Linkin Park, released on June 17, 2014 through Warner Bros. Records and Machine Shop. The album was produced by band members Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson. It is the first album since Meteora (2003) not to be produced with Rick Rubin, who produced the band’s previous three studio albums.
Stylistically, The Hunting Party is a departure from the electronic rock and experimental sound of the band’s previous two studio albums, A Thousand Suns (2010) and Living Things (2012) and marks a return to the band’s nu metal sound. The album, described by Shinoda as simply “a rock record”, serves as a statement by the band against contemporary mainstream and active rock bands, accused by him as “trying to be other bands and playing it safe”. Packaged by an artwork by Brandon Parvini based on an original drawing by James Jean, the album took under a year to record and produce, with material being improvisationally written by the band. The album also features guest appearances from Helmet‘s Page Hamilton, System of a Down‘s Daron Malakian, Rage Against the Machine‘s Tom Morello, and Rakim, marking the first time Linkin Park has collaborated with other artists on a studio album.
The album was promoted by the band and Warner Bros, with multiple promotional teasers and interviews produced and published in the lead-up to the album’s release and listening parties of the album being held worldwide on multiple dates. The band embarked on the Carnivores Tour, a double-headline tour with Thirty Seconds to Mars, as well as The Hunting Party Tour, in support of the album. Five singles from The Hunting Party have been released; “Guilty All the Same” in March 2014, “Until It’s Gone” in May 2014, and “Wastelands“, “Rebellion” and “Final Masquerade” in June 2014. The album was certified Platinum in United States for the sales of one million copies.
Tracklist:
- Keys to the Kingdom
- All for Nothing (featuring Page Hamilton)
- Guilty All the Same (featuring Rakim) Linkin Park William Griffin
- The Summoning
- War
- Wastelands
- Until It’s Gone
- Rebellion (featuring Daron Malakian) (Linkin Park, Daron Malakian)
- Mark the Graves
- Drawbar (featuring Tom Morello)
- Final Masquerade (Linkin Park, Emile Haynie)
- A Line in the Sand
Credits:
Linkin Park
Chester Bennington: lead vocals, backing vocals on “All for Nothing”, lyrics
Mike Shinoda: co-lead and rap vocals; rhythm guitar, keyboards, synthesizer, production, creative director, engineering, lyrics
Brad Delson: lead guitar, backing vocals, production, additional lyrics
Dave “Phoenix” Farrell: bass guitar, backing vocals
Joe Hahn: sampling, programming, backing vocals
Rob Bourdon: drums, percussion, backing vocals
Technical
Ryan DeMarti: production coordination
Ethan Mates: engineering
Andy Wallace: mixing
Paul Suarez: Pro Tools
Josh Newell: digital editing
Emily Lazar: mastering
Jerry Johnson: drum technician
Brandon Parvini: computer graphics, creative direction
Rickey Kim: creative direction
Annie Nguyen: art direction/album packaging design
James Jean: artwork
Brandon Cox: photography
Rich Morales: mastering assistance
Marc VanGool: guitar and studio technician
Co-producers
Rob Cavallo: on “Wastelands”, A&R
Emile Haynie: on “Final Masquerade”
Assistant engineers
Alejandro Baima
Brendan Dekora
Jennifer Langdon
Publicity
Kymm Britton
Kas Mercer
Additional musicians
Page Hamilton: chorus vocals and additional guitar (on “All for Nothing”)
Rakim: rap vocals (on “Guilty All the Same”)
Daron Malakian: additional guitar (on “Rebellion”)
Tom Morello: additional guitar (on “Drawbar”)
Chester Charles Bennington (March 20, 1976 – July 20, 2017)
