Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory

Chester Bennington - Band Vocalist
Mike Shinoda - Band Hip Hop and Rhyme Vocalist
Brad Delson- Band Guitarist
Dave Farrell - Band Bassist
Rob Bourdon- Band Drummer
Joe Hahn - Band DJ

On the 24th October 2000, “Linkin Park” released their successful “Hybrid Theory” album, their original band name (some have suggested that by changing their name from “Hybrid Theory” to “Linkin Park” they were able to appear alongside “Limp Bizkit” in CD racks at record stores).

Whereas I enjoyed Limp Bizkit’s works a great deal I often found Fred Durst to be…..well…whiny. With Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda, at last there was a band with a blend of heavy guitar, alternating rap/melody and vocalists who gave it some real credibility. At first listening “Linkin Park” reminded me very much of “Limp Bizkit”, “Rage Against the Machine” and at times “Megadeth” (especially with the song “Pushing Me Away” reminiscent of “So Far, So Good, So What?”). However the differences are sufficient to make them stand out and create a niche for themselves (one of the better differences being aggressive music without the need for swearing).

The album opens with the track “Papercut” (written about Paranoia) and sets the scene expertly for what is to come. “One Step Closer” unleashes a barrage of aggression (you can’t get much clearer with a chorus like “SHUT UP”) and is most certainly one of the harder hitting tracks.

The dark song “With You” follows on from “One Step Closer”, where a lost love is informed rather chillingly that even though they are gone, they are still with them. The album follows with more of the same, with conviction and great technical ability.

What never fails to astonish me though are some of the rock crowds reaction to “Linkin Park”, sometimes dismissive, sometimes antagonistic, sometimes apathetic. They are without doubt a great band who produce quality music that deserve a place in your music collection.