Drummer, Rob BourbonвЂ™s groove, and funk influence can be heard in вЂњPushing Me AwayвЂќ and the rhythmic вЂњWith You.вЂќ Guitarist, Brad Delson and DJ Joe HahnвЂ™s boom-bap and downtempo, electronica riffs and beats come in so clean in вЂњCure for the Itch.вЂќ Musically diverse, each member of the band brought their own influences to this debut. The teenage angst felt in вЂњPoints of AuthorityвЂќ felt raw and the band demonstrated a vulnerability at a different level with the Grammy-winning вЂњCrawling.вЂќ The intro to вЂњCrawlingвЂќ is so iconic and BenningtonвЂ™s guttural scream is chilling. Bennington with his powerhouse vocals, conveying each emotion like in вЂњRunawayвЂќ and in вЂњA Place for My HeadвЂќ brilliantly expressed vivid lyrics written and rapped by Shinoda. Even the idea of suicide that later came to haunt the band, was a topic that very few bands were talking about, nonetheless in the mainstream.Д«ennington and Shinoda worked so well together. Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, the brain that held up the Linkin Park body, showcased deception, control, psychological and physical abuse in their songs. Thematically, it opened up a realm of possibilities for teens alike.

And sure there was Limp Bizkit, who a year prior were gaining momentum and this seems like another version without the chain and red cap, yet for a band that most people in the scene did not appreciate, they sure became monumental. Thrown into the virile nu-metal genre, Linkin Park stood apart. It was an early introduction to genre-bending and an education to rule-breaking since no other band was hitting cross-cultural genres like that at the time. It was the highest-selling album since 1988вЂ™s Appetite for Destruction (Geffen), selling 32 million worldwide to this day. Released on October 24, 2000, Linkin ParkвЂ™s Hybrid Theory (Warner Bros) broke records. As pop dominated the airwaves with releases such as, N*SyncвЂ™s No Strings Attached, and Britney SpearsвЂ™ Oops I Did it Again, an album that was forced by the media into the new category nu-metal was about to become historic. Hey, weвЂ™re only a week late with this review and the albumвЂ™s already sold a million copies.Д®verythingвЂ™s peachy in the land of major label rock.The year 2000 is very memorable for many things, exceptionally in music. But, unlike its debut, it has some very pretty packaging and a CD-ROM section, if thatвЂ™s the sorta thing which floats your rubber duck. And, like their debut, it also has its token instrumental filler track, and it has its вЂheartfelt epicвЂ™ song as the last track. It becomes obvious that the second half of the album is the band growing up a bit and trying something new without completely alienating their audience. This is more of the direction I expected вЂMeteoraвЂ™ to take вЂ“ fucked up beats with more experimental Aphex washing machine-music bleeps and less of the dire вЂњI wonвЂ™t waste myself on yooooooouuu!!!вЂќ lyrics (sample lyric from вЂFrom The InsideвЂ™). Mind you, it does sound a bit like вЂBoys Of SummerвЂ™.ДЄnother track sticking out like a sore thumb is вЂNobodyвЂ™s ListeningвЂ™, a twisted hip-hop tune. They ditch the quiet/loud, rap/scream formula and turn down the guitars, but still end up with something worthy of a moshвЂ¦ albeit with less pushing and shoving.

вЂBreaking The HabitвЂ™ stands head and shoulders over the rest, showcasing a more, gulp, mature sound. There ainвЂ™t quite anything to match the classic chunky riff on вЂOne Step CloserвЂ™. The single вЂSomewhere I BelongвЂ™ is Linkin Park by numbers, while вЂFaintвЂ™ and pretty much anything else here is, well, the same. Ladies and gents, welcome to вЂHybrid Theory Part 2вЂ™.ДЇirst half of the album sticks to the same formula as before. вЂHybrid TheoryвЂ™ has sold millions, so why should вЂMeteoraвЂ™ be any different? Unfortunately, thereвЂ™s the saying вЂњif it ainвЂ™t broke, donвЂ™t fix it,вЂќ and thatвЂ™s exactly whatвЂ™s happened here. When they tried to delve into the more experimental side of their influences (itвЂ™s no secret theyвЂ™re Aphex Twin fans), it was pretty laughable, but thatвЂ™s something they couldвЂ™ve got better at or tried to use it in a different way. It had a formula (rap bit, then ChesterвЂ™s singing/shouting bit in a vaguely angsty fashion) and it damn-well stuck to it. Slag them to buggery as much as you like, вЂHybrid TheoryвЂ™ was an album worthy of any drunken party.

Linkin park hybrid theory ep review