My reply has already been stated. This single's purpose was to get everyone aware that Linkin Park is still here and that new music is coming.
Let's take an objective look at this. Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks First single: June 6, 2013 Album release: August 30, 2013 Time between: Almost 3 months Billboard Debut: #3 Schoolboy Q - Oxymoron First single: June 11, 2013 Album release: February 25, 2014 Time between: 8.5 months Billboard Debut: #1 30 Seconds To Mars - Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams First single: March 19, 2013 Album release: May 17, 2013 Time between: 2 months Billboard Debut: #6 Basically, no.
Maybe it just seems like a long time in relevance to how long LP usually takes between the first single and the album release? But I'm not sure, as I don't remember the amount of months between the first single and release day from previous album cycles.
I heard somewhere that they're going to make an alternate version of GATS with Mike rapping in it rather than Rakim.
Really? I thought most rock bands do it like that. Disturbed's singles for Ten Thousand Fists came out in June or July, and the album in mid-September. Dream Theater's first single for Systematic Chaos came out in March for a June album. And then Sevendust for their album Next, released in October, had singles in July as well.