In the End, Hybrid Theory is prett good... (Hybrid Theory - Linkin Park)

Member Name: tkd_grant

Product:	Hybrid Theory - Linkin Park
Date:	31/03/03 (341 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Lyrics aren't bad, Blending of musical styles

Disadvantages: Some songs sound too similar, Shinoda's vocals sometimes don't fit

Linkin Park is one of those bands that I think will stick around for a few years, create a few albums, and then fall off the map. And no, I'm not saying I don't like this band, because I do (a lot, in fact). What I'm trying to say is that their music has a good variety of musical qualities, blending hard rock, hip-hop, and hints of techno into their songs, but once you listen to the album, you'll discover that most of the songs sound pretty much the same. But if the music is good, who cares?

I discovered Linkin Park a few years back when my sister had picked up their debut album, Hybrid Theory. I was immediately drawn into the catchy rock tunes with the mix of a little hip-hop thrown in every once in a while. It was a neat mix, so I went to the local Wherehouse Music Store and picked up the album with a strange looking man with wings carrying a flag on the cover, better known as Hybrid Theory.

In a nutshell, Linkin Park was formed when Brad Delson (guitar), Mike Shinoda (hip-hop vocals), and Rob Bourdon (drums) met and became good friends while attending high school in Southern California. The boys all shared the same tastes in music and decided they wanted to make a band. Mike later met up with Joseph Hahn (DJ) at an art school in Pasadena, along with the lead vocalist, Chester Bennington.

Boring Info... Hybrid Theory has twelve tracks, is only 37:53 minutes long, is signed to Warner Bros. records, was produced by Don Gilmore, has no parental advisory sticker (and no cuss words for that matter), and can be purchased for $13.49 on Amazon.com.

1. Papercut (****½)
2. One Step Closer (****)
3. With You (****)
4. Points of Authority (***½
5. Crawling (****)
6. Runaway (***)
7. By Myself (***½)
8. In the End (****)
9. A Place For My Head (****½)
10. Forgotten (**)
11. Cure for the Itch (****)
12. Pushing Me Away (*****)

Papercut is one of those tracks
on Hybrid Theory that pretty much shows you everything Linkin Park has to offer. It?s an upbeat tune all about paranoia, and though it's primarily rock, you can definitely point out some hints of hip-hop and techno. One Step Closer, though not as good as Papercut in my opinion, is a good rock song whose chorus will stick in your head for days. [Everything you say to me/ Take's me one step closer to the edge/ And I'm about to break]. The tone of this 2:36 minute song is pretty angry, and is a good song to listen to if your parents or siblings or friends are bugging the hell out of you (trust me, I know from experience). With You starts out pretty funky with this synthesizer sounding instrument playing, which is soon followed by catchy, hard rockin' beat. The only problem I have with this song is that Shinoda's vocals on the verses seem a little misplaced and offbeat while Bennington's vocals match the song perfectly on the hardcore chorus. I'm having trouble picking out a true meaning of this song, so I'll leave a few lyrics for you to read and maybe you?ll be smarter than me and actually understand them. [It's true the way I feel/ Was promised by your face/ The sound of your voice/ Painted on my memory/ Even if you're not with me/ I'm with you] Points of Authority is not a bad song by any means, however, it's not the best on the album. It pretty much follows the same pattern as the previous song, a blend of techno, rock, and hip-hop. The song is good, but not great.

Crawling used to be one of my favorite songs, that was until I listened to it way too many times! This song is slower than all the previous tracks, or at least during the verses. The song (sung by mostly Bennington) picks up when the chorus finally comes into action. [Crawling in my skin/ Consuming all I feel/ Fear is how I fall/ Confusing what is real] Runaway starts out almost like Crawling, but soon turns into a non-spectacular, medium-paced so
ng. Bennington sings the song in almost a la-di-da rhythm which got on my nerves a tad. I normally skip this track. By Myself is about as "metal" as Linkin Park gets on this album. By Myself is a song all about losing hope, and though it?s not my favorite song, it?s good to play if you?re in the right mood (a hopeless, angry, or depressed mood). Ok... In the End, Linkin Park's biggest hit so far is pretty good lyrically, but I believe the rest is just slightly overrated. The message talks about how if you mess up or even make it big, it won?t even matter in the end. Musically, the song pretty much sounds like any other Linkin Park song except for the fact that there's a piano playing at the beginning and end of the song. Vocally, it's all good...

A Place for My Head is one of my favorites on the album. It follows the same pattern as most other Linkin Park songs lyrically and musically (however, it's more rock than anything else), but what I really enjoy about this song are the catchy chorus and vocals. Everything seems to just fit well. Forgotten ends up right where A Place for My Head leads off. You?re immediately drawn into a hard rock beat followed by the chorus. The song is about as basic it gets and has nothing in it that really catches any attention. Just a filler Linkin Park song? Cure for the Itch is just a slowed down, techno song played by DJ Hahn. When I hear this song, it makes me want to buy some scratch boards (or whatever you call those things), synthesizers, and all that other cool DJ stuff, and do some sampling on my own. A lot of people don't like this song because it's too slow, but I think it's a good way to escape all the angst in the other songs... It lets you cool off a bit. Pushing Me Away is another one of my favorite tracks on the album. Why it is I?m not exactly sure. It's not exactly a showstopper, but I like the rhythm of the song and the emotion in Bennington's vocals, not to mentio
n the lyrics aren't too bad. [The sacrifice is never knowing/ Why I never walked away/ Why I played myself this way/ Now I see/ Your testing me/ Pushes me away]

Best Tracks: Papercut, In the End (for lyrics), A Place for My Head, and Pushing Me Away

Worst Tracks: Runaway and Forgotten

Bennington's vocals seem to fit all the songs pretty well. Yes, I am aware that he isn't the best vocalist around, but he's not that bad. You can probably hear Bennington's vocals best on Pushing Me Away or some of the other slower songs. Shinoda's voice isn't true hip-hop, but is more a poseur. Sometimes he pulls it off, and sometimes he doesn?t. It works on Papercut but doesn't work on Points of Authority. And as far as the drums, guitars, and DJ?ing goes, I think they all did an exceptional job. Most of the tracks on this album are more rock than anything, but I think it was pretty cool how they mixed in different styles of music into their tracks.

Angst, depression, and despair seem to be the main topics expressed on Hybrid Theory. And while we're talking about lyrics, did I mention that there are no cuss words on Hybrid Theory? No drugs. No sex. No violence. Just lyrics that any depressed teenager can relate to.

The only downside to this album (besides two of the songs) is the length. Sorry, but 37:53 is just a little too short for me. But oh well, we now have Meteora to listen to.

Overall, I think Hybrid Theory is a decent debut album, and would appeal to mainly teenagers and people in their 20's. They blend rock, rap, and techno into all their songs, which creates an interesting combination and something different. There are no bad words on the album at all, and no explicit subjects are discussed.

And for those who like(d) Hybrid Theory, be sure to go pick up their sophomore CD, Meteora.

Visit www.linkinpark.com for any other details you wish know about this ba
nd.

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