It may be a "Projekt," but it's hardly a revolution

You say you want a revolution? Well, this ain't it.

Linkin Park dips its toes into politics in its impressive new album, "Minutes to Midnight," which has a couple of songs dealing with current issues. But the rap/rock band is hardly political and certainly not revolutionary or challenging. And neither are any of the other bands on the bill.

In fact, the second-billed My Chemical Romance is as mainstream, establishment, boardroom-approved and radio-friendly as you can get. Revolutionary? Hah!

Semantics aside, the misnamed "Projekt Revolution Tour" is powerful, thanks to headliner Linkin Park, which has scored the biggest success story of the year in recorded music with its new CD, selling more than a million copies in less than two months.

The disc is more dynamic than the band's other two studio albums. Years of touring and recording have given Linkin Park a tighter, more varied sound. The hip-hop influences have been lessened — "What I've Done," the first single from the new disc, doesn't even have any rapping — and musicianship has been strengthened.

The lyrics are generally what Linkin Park is known for — complaining. Or, to put it another way, whining. Once again, the raps and the lyrics are mostly about tortured youth, how hard it is to live in a free, extremely wealthy country when you're young and have no obligations. Boo-hoo.

Since the guys in Linkin Park are now in their 30s (or close to it), married and millionaires, their kvetching is even less believable than it was on their first two albums.

Some sample lines from the new one: "I'm sick of living," "All the hurt inside, you learned to hide," "Goin' out of my [expletive] mind," "I see pain," "Alone on a Valentine's Day." Sniff, sniff.

OK, maybe I'm being too hard on these guys. One song, the rap-fueled "Hands Held High," does deal with the war, high gas prices and a "stuttering and mumbling" leader, probably a reference to President Bush. And "The Little Things Give You Away" is about New Orleans and Katrina. So the Linkin Park guys are moving a little beyond personal concerns to larger issues, and good for them.

But the real story about the new album is how good the music sounds rather than any supposed "revolutionary" changes in Linkin Park's lyrics.

You're not going to find any hard-core revolutionaries at the Projekt Revolution concert Wednesday at White River. It's not going to be a political rally, it's going to be a party. Fans will be pumping their fists in the air, mouthing the words of teenage rebellion and dancing like mad in the mosh pit. In other words, business as usual.

Revolution? Yeah, right.

Patrick MacDonald: 206-464-2312 or pmacdonald@seattletimes.com