Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory
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Free Music Notes for Hybrid Theory
Free Music Review: Whoa...
Hit: 5 Stars
I have to say I have never heard a CD like this. It is a hard rock album, but probably one of the only hard rock CDs in the world that features ABSOLUTELY NO CUSSING. The only thing is, most of the songs are unutterably depressing. I also think Chester Bennington has one of THE best voices I have ever heard. "Papercut" is one of the best on the album. it has excellent guitar riffs and not-so-original lyrics, but overall I love this song, especially when it makes its transition from rapping and awesome guitar parts to Chester's great, darker bridge.
"One Step Closer", once again, has awesome guitars, and a great melody. I also love the oh-so-true lyrics. The video, I thought, doesn't quite match the song; I don't picture this track to have demonic people walking around the band while LP plays this track. This song was great, though.
"With You" has some of those great turntables, and also a fabulous melody. I especially like the bridge ("No matter how far we've come...") and I, once again, notice Chester's excellent vocals. Another good song.
"Points of Authority" is...different. The beginning spoken part doesn't really have much depth, but it sure is catchy. I wouldn't really like this song if it weren't for the unforgettable melody.
"Crawling" is the darkest song on the album, which is saying something. LP is hard rock, but not dark hard rock, which is a bit of a revolution. This song starts out with great guitar, again, and wonderful vocals and lyrics. I was amazed to see Chester go from his amazing, soft voice to his loud screaming. I think he sounds great both ways, though. This song is one of the best, even though I usually skip it as I like the faster tracks myself.
"Runaway" is a strange song, if you listen to it. It talks about the sad topic of running away (duh) when nobody understands you. Again, the transition from soft to loud was remarkable.
"By Myself" is not such a good song. I think it's catchy and the lyrics are decent, but it lacks depth and some actual effort.
"In the End" is by far one of the best songs on the album. Quite depressing, if you really listen to it, but it rules. Chester's little solo, once again from soft to loud, is amazing. I love this song, word for word, note for note.
"A Place for My Head." I started laughing when I heard the beginning, Spanish-influenced guitar. But when I listened to the rest of it, I was a little disappointed with the boring lyrics, but the guitar part is excellent. An ok song.
"Forgotten" starts out with loud screaming followed by just the opposite, off and on. Then it goes into a slower, more mellow feel, then back to the screaming/almost-singing/screaming/almost-singing/screaming/almost-singing. This song lacks depth as well, but it is amazing in its melody and its depressant value.
"Cure for the Itch" is another song I always skip. It has no lyrics at all, just the turntables and some Oriental piano chords. Nothing special.
"Pushing Me Away" is the closing and one of the best songs on the album. It is sad, but it grows on you, trust me.
I think this debut album is a must-have for any kind of rock fan, and you won't be sorry.
Free Music Review: what the hell IS linkin park~???
Hit: 5 Stars
Linkin Park: LP is an odd combination of different kinds of music that truly presents a great question for the music know-it-all: what IS Linkin Park~? It has a decidedly Papa Roach sound, with the emcee Mike Shinoda but also the rock-guitar sound pulled off completely without a bassist. But most of their songs are more meaningful, heartfelt, and well-written than many of the other foul-mouthed bands that are coming out nowadays. Linkin Park doesn't use one bit of offensive language; instead, they resort to imagery and vocabulary - surprise, surprise: intelligence in music. Songs like "Papercut" are following the suit of "Last Resort," but they make up a surprisingly small portion of the CD. "Papercut," "One Step Closer," "With You," and "Forgotten" are the only hardcore-throughout songs, and even they have some moments of softness. "With You" sounds like an unrequited love song. Others like "Points Of Authority" and "Crawling" have an odd softened-Korn sound (listen closely: imagine a rougher, angst-filled voice singing them) with a bit of Papa Roach/Limp Bizkit rap style thrown in. Chester Bennington's voice sound likes something that belongs in a band like Blink-182, but he has just enough edge and harshness to make him suitable for this band's oddball sound. Mike Shinoda has the attitude and raspy voice to suit his part, but the raps the band wrote are slightly confusing. Some seem to have no pattern at all ("Forfeit the game before somebody else takes you out of the frame and puts your name to shame. Cover up your face, you can't run the race. The pace is too fast, you just won't last") and some leave with unfinished rhymes ("Why does it feel like night today~? Something's just not right today. Why am I so uptight today~? Paranoia's all I got left") but his rhythm, voice, and the backing music just make it work. "By Myself" starts off sounding just like a Limp Bizkit song but in ten seconds changes into something with meaning and thoughtfulness. "A Place For My Head" is reminiscent of Lit because of its very different chorus. While the rest of the CD features angry but well-sung choruses, "A Place For My Head" sounds more like a singsong chant. And then there are songs that are singularly Linkin Park: "In The End," "Runaway," "Cure For The Itch," and "Pushing Me Away." Then you've got the turntable skills of Joseph Hahn, who injects just the right amount of samples and scratches into the songs, producing an awesome sound like that of Slipknot and Limp Bizkit, both bands that feature DJs. Linkin Park isn't, by any means, copying the bands their music reminds me of. They have so much individuality and flair that you are instantly drawn into their CD - which, in itself, is a curiosity. These artists are overflowing with talent that they packed into a 12-song, thirty-seven minute CD. However, its substance and quality leaves you feeling like you've listened to an hour of real music. The CD doesn't get repetitive even after three or four repeats in the player. I'm dying to see the next Linkin Park CD: if this is consistent work from them, they're sure to be a huge hit for a long time to come.Free Music Review: Rock-rap at it's finest hour
Hit: 5 Stars
Whether rock-rap or rapcore is going to live on for awhile or die off and fly into history next to other music genres that were short-lived remains speculated over constantly. I, personally, think that rock-rap will live on as long as it wants if talented artists like Linkin Park stay behind the wheel of it's driving force. Before anyone dares to stereotype this and throw it on the shelf next to their dust-growing KoRn albums, or their "got way too old, way too fast" Limp Bizkit CD's, this album DEFINITELY deserves several listens, although just one spin should get you hooked. How, you might ask? It's as simple as the fact that this is one of those rare albums where there simply is not a bad song on the entire thing. One can spin the entire CD without coming across a skippable track or a gut-wretching, space-filling interlude. Strictly no-BS here.Leading the front of the group are Chester Bennington, with an amazing voice that would make Maynard James Keenan of Tool jealous, but with enough ferocity to scream his heart out on the level of some of today's loudest metal bands. Such a contrast is rare. Putting forth just as much contribution, and an equal frontman along Chester, is Mike Shinoda, strictly in charge of rap lyrics, who has the flowing ability, if not better, of most hip-hop artists. The crunching guitars of Brad Delson bring the metal part of the album to life, while Roub Bourdon's steady and fast-paced drums keep the beats so in check and so hip-hop oriented that one would swear it is a drum machine at points. However, the most bragging rights go to Joseph Hahn, the band's DJ. He can mix sound effects, cut records, and tear into his turntables with the same level of skill as DJ Lethal, among numerous others, all of which is gloriously reflected in the song "Cure For The Itch", performed only by Mr. Hahn. Strangely, the band didn't even have a permanent bass player during the recording, and had to hire a bassist for each song, but now, thankfully, a permanent bassist by the name of Phoenix has solved those problems.
But that's just where the band lies. The music itself is no typical rapcore. The emotionally charged lyrics on all the songs take the music to a level that Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst can't even dream of achieving. Adrenaline-pumping hard rock songs such as "Papercut", "With You", "One Step Closer", "Crawling" and "Runaway" will silence the skeptical on the heavy metal matter. Mike Shinoda gets a chance to show off his flowing skills on "Points Of Authority", "By Myself", and co-operates on the rock vocals on "Forgotten". More melodic, but by no means quieter or calmer songs include "In The End", "A Place For My Head", and the album's finale "Pushing Me Away". The band's sound itself has influences from A Perfect Circle, Deftones, House Of Pain, Nine Inch Nails, Papa Roach, Videodrone, and numerous others.
In my opinion, the best songs on the album are "In The End", "Papercut", and "Pushing Me Away", although it's next to impossible to choose favorites, as every track is equally amazing. Don't stereotype this album with the rest of it's genre and forget about it. This is a must-have.
Free Music Review: "Talentless?" Think again!
Hit: 5 Stars
Dan, a previous reviewer of the album, decided to impress the rest of us by pretending to believe false things. Unfortunatly, he did not fool the brighter of us. First of all he comments, "the band has no bass player, HA!", and that they should put a bass in one of the singers hands. Well, I guess Dan likes bands with two bass players. Does the name Phoenix ring a bell, HA! He also says that the drummer has a simple five piece drum set, which was another one of his illusions. Following are the drums used by the Linkin Park drummer: Gretsch drums:
22" x 18" kick
10" x 12" rack tom
12" x 14" rack tom
16" x 18" floor tom
14" x 4 1/2 snare
14" x 5" snare
Zildjian cymbals:
18" A Custom Crash
19" A Custom Crash
20" A Custom China
14" A Custom Hi-Hats
22" A Custom Ride
Akai S6000 sampler
Akai MPC2000XL sampler
Alesis DM5 drum module
Rane Headphone Mixer MH4
Rane Crossover SAC22 (stereo two-way crossover) for shaker
Aura Shaker
Mackie M-1400i power amp
Pintech Pads (2; freestanding triggers)
Roland KD-7 Kick Trigger Unit
ddrum Trigger (on snare)
Whirlwind MultiDirector DI
Gibraltar Cage System
DW 5000 kick pedals
Furman PL Plus power conditioner
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Dan also bashes Linkin Park's guitars which are a heavy style like many bands. If Dan doesn't like this kind of music, then Dan shouldn't review this kind of music. This is my favorite album ever. Screw Dan.
Free Music Review: The quality of Limp Bizkit...x10! Upbeat, supercharged CD
Hit: 5 Stars
I have never been a fan of rock, listening to rap almost exclusively with a few exceptions. Then I saw the music video for "Crawling" on MTV, and I loved the song enough to buy the CD (figuring that would be the only song I liked on it.) Wow was I wrong, I've had the CD for about a week and it has been the only thing I have played in my new Mustang! 1) Papercut - Great first song to intro. the CD. Listen to the song once and the chorus will pump you up without a doubt.
2) One Step Closer - This is really a fantastic song seems to be the most "hardcore" on the album, it is usually underrated simply because it has been overplayed on any rock/alternative radio station in the U.S.
3) With You - Great song, pretty catchy chorus (like any of the songs on the CD). Really shows how impressive they can be vocally.
4) Points of Authority - This one has a very cool beat but the chorus doesn't come close the calibre of most of the other songs on the CD. Not the best song on the CD but not bad at all.
5) Crawling - What can I say about this song, by now you've probably heard it and love it or you wouldn't even be reading this or considering the CD. Great lyrics, unfortunately it will be overplayed as well to the point where you don't even realize you have been singing the whole song out loud until it is over.
6) Run Away - Good song, this one has a great chorus and great lyrics. The lead singer's voice is really put on display in some of the verses in this song and he doesn't disappoint.
7) By Myself - Personally, I love the beat and chorus to this song. To me it sounds very unique and it really gets you hyped.
8) In The End - One of the best songs on the CD, a shining example of how they are so different from Limp Bizkit, Korn, Papa Roach, etc... It also shows how great a song can be with a little meaning behind it conveyed through amazing vocal talent without using a single word that might result in an "Explicit Lyrics" sticker on the cover.
9) Place for My Head - Great song very catchy, great vocals by both the lead singer and his counterpart. This one is one of my favorites simply because of the chorus.
10) Forgotten - Not a bad song at all but it doesn't do for me what most of the other songs do. (I never leave this track on repeat in the car CD player)
11) Cure for the Itch - Very melodic relaxing example of what their DJ can do without any words.
12) Pushing me Away - Another great song, great finish to the CD although I think "Place for my head" would have been a better last track.
Overall - What an impressive debut CD for a band that has proved they can blow Limp Bizkit out of the water by improving on what they do best - rap/rock. Much more harmony involved in these Linkin' Park songs than any Limp Bizkit song I have ever heard and you will not get sick of the songs after just a few times of hearing them like most headache-inducing Limp Bizkit songs where all it seems to be is screaming to the beat of decent background music. Sometimes actual vocals and meaning to the words makes for a far better CD than just doing it "for the Nookie" can. Can't go wrong buying this!