Hybrid Theory

Linkin Park

Warner Brothers, 2000

http://www.linkinpark.com

REVIEW BY: Vish Iyer

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 09/23/2004

In the late eighties / early nineties, Faith No More had come up with this fresh new sound: blending the heaviest form of rock ever with funk / rap. As far as I know, Faith No More was one of the first 'heavy metal' bands to have a full-time keyboardist! This unique keyboard-laden, rap-filled high-energy hard-rock sound was new, seminal and spawned a new generation of funk-rock acts using keyboards. However, most of these acts could not match the energy of Faith No More, and with the splitting up of Faith No More, it seemed as if there was no one else to carry on this unique blend of music, once made so popular by this great band.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Just when everything seemed lost, or "everything's (seemed) ruined" as the boys of Faith No More would put it, Linkin Park came along and saved the day! Amongst the myriad of funk-rock acts today, Linkin Park is the one act which stands out, clearly and handsomely, as probably the only act to come close to the energy of Faith No More.

Hybrid Theory is power-packed dynamite which, in its mere 37:53 minutes of playing time, blasts itself off with full fervor, releasing its complete potential with great style and panache. One track after another, each of the twelve songs is as fraught with the same amount of energy and punch as the previous one. Before you know it, the album ends abruptly, not without leaving an obsessive effect of especially the hard-hitting rapping of Mike Shinoda, and leaving the listener wanting more than just a thirty-odd minutes of this addictive rock album.

The lyrics are not so great, and like every other rock outfit these days, they are about despair, and nothing else but despair - no one in rock can write despair (and be reassuring at the same time) better than the spite-ridden, wrath-filled king of hopelessness Mr. Trent Reznor. However, there are a couple of things about the lyrics on this album which really surprise me. First of all, there are absolutely no swear-words, especially no four-lettered 'F' words, which generally litter modern rock albums; not that it makes a rock album any less worth listening to. Moreover, Linkin Park shares this quality with Faith No More, whom they so strongly resemble. Secondly, though the lyrics are nothing special, the timing and delivery of the words by both the vocalists is simply awesome and really commendable.

Linkin Park has a unique combination of having two vocalists and a full time DJ -- a combination never tried before in rock. It also makes a very good use of this unique combination. Hybrid Theory has everything that one could want in a rock album, and is just about perfect in every way.

Rating: A-

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© 2004 Vish Iyer and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Warner Brothers, and is used for informational purposes only.