Call them reworked, reconstructed or – keeping in line with the album title – reanimated, but whatever you do, don’t call the tunes comprising Linkin Park’s forthcoming release remixed.

With Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington’s new verses, and vocal contributions coming from Staind’s Aaron Lewis, Taproot’s Steven Richards and a couple more, calling the songs that comprise ‘Reanimation’, due 30th of July, simply “remixes” doesn’t do them justice. “Reinterpretations” is a term much better suited to the new songs, some with completely new choruses and alternate melodies that may surprise even longtime Linkin Park fans.

Speaking to Mike about ‘Reanimation’, he had this to say “In my opinion there’s some pretty guitar riffs, but at the same time it’s not super heavy. It’s really tastefully done. I think the beats are really awesome. On ‘Hybrid Theory’ they’re really cool, but the beats on this album are a lot more original and have a lot more character and really hit hard. The only way to describe the whole thing is that it’s a little bit harder and a little bit softer at the same time. We feel a little bit more comfortable and a little bit more mature.”The first offering from ‘Reanimation’ would be ‘Points Of Authority’. An animated video for the retooled ‘Points Of Authority’, originally ‘Hybrid Theory’, which had spent months in the making, has neared completion. Directed by Linkin Park’s DJ Joseph Hahn, the clip should be completely finalized by the end of the month and should surface real soon.

With little but formalities standing in the way of ‘Reanimation”s completion, Linkin Park are in heavy pre-production for their full-length follow-up to 2000’s ‘Hybrid Theory.’ They’ll hit a studio later this summer with hopes to have the album in stores in early 2003.