Reviews (page 10 of 14)
Herrie Niet slecht 3/5
Almost every song sounded the same and used this weird combination of rap and rock that doesn't really work. After hearing one song, there's not really a reason to keep listening to generic Y2K whiny rock. Then again, 'In The End' hits hard.
oh man. This is cringey as hell. BUT I also remember loving it at the time and it all seemed so cool. It is pretty silly stuff but you have to admire that it was pretty different from a lot of stuff at the time and definitely felt like a 'new genre' for teens, even though it probably wasn't, they just threw some disc scratching and rapping into some rock.
Alot of people might get annoyed if I call the sound of this album nostalgic, but it came out when I was five, so sue me.
Didn’t make notes throughout A lot of teenager angst in the lyrics A lot of corny rap bars Production throughout is simple but effective Vocals are iconic
Good album, not much variation. Classic Nu-Metal. Probably wouldn't listen again.
I've never really been tempted to give Linkin Park a chance, the snippets I've heard before did nothing for me. I was pleasantly surprised by this album, don't get me wrong as I don;t feel like I've missed out on much over the last 20ish years, but it was a lot better than I expected.
Never a big fan, but I enjoyed it.
My first time listening to this band,kiddie metal laced with rap. Not my thing but It was tolerable
The soundtrack so 14 year old angst and anger at the world. But there are worse things in the world than that. Plus Chester was always a fantastic vocalist. The rapping and turntables have aged like milk though.
Cant hate this album, pure edge (for those who like this sort od stuff). 3.0
Musical junk food
3.5 Naruto fan flash
It's fine.
One really long, long song. Don't know why they keep putting pauses in it though.
#276. Man, this did not age well, huh? I remember really liking this when I was 13, but like other things I liked as a child like the Power Rangers, or the movie Ferngully, somethings should just be left in the past and not revisited. Because it simply doesn't hold up. If you want to revisit that middle school teenage angst, go listen to Pantera or something, because this'll just make you cringe. 3/5: for nostalgia sake alone, not because it's any good. Song added to playlist: In The End I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link
Really not for meeeeee
Very nostalgic
Local Atlanta group Stuck Mojo was the first rap-metal group I knew of in 1992 (aware that "Epic" was a one-off styling for Faith No More); I thought it was innovative, and over time 311, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Rage Against the Machine, Papa Roach, Kid Rock, P.O.D., Bloodhound Gang, etc. saturated that market for me with varying degrees of appreciation. Kurt Cobain killed grunge with a single shotgun blast, rap hit a golden era, and in the wake of any good rock and roll by 2000, boy bands emerge with their spiked, bleached tips and Ramen-noodle-hair to the delight of teenage girls and their mothers everywhere. Somewhere between rock, rap, digital, analog, Incubus turntables, and spiked colored hair of questionable fashion, we ended up at Linkin Park. Hybrid Theory, indeed. I remind myself to push that aside and just listen to the music. They do what they do really well: on-note screams, syncopated raps, power chords, and scratching vinyl, ALL LIVE. Nice work. The three hits are the best songs on here. Although some of the tracks do seem like filler material, "By Myself" and "Forgotten" were nicer deep cuts. "Cure for the Itch" gives the programming and DJ a platform to shine. In all, I find most of album good with some songs still trying to find its footing. In trying to make my own smaller list of "100 albums you must hear before you die," it is harder to fill in than expected; there are plenty albums that I think are great but only a few that I love wholeheartedly. If I had to expand the list to 1001, I'd have some placeholder albums that I know will eventually come off the list in time. Good, but not great through and through. I expect Hybrid Theory to be removed from the 1001 list in time. For now, perhaps it belongs.
I've got a 3-year-old who's really got a set of lungs on him. From the moment I open my eyes each day to the moment he closes his at night, I'm likely to hear him screaming about one thing or another. These days, I live for those fleeting moments in the evening after everyone is in bed and the house is finally quiet. Maybe I can decompress with a nice cocktail and even have a conversation with my husband. Ahh...peace at last. So the last thing I'm looking for these days is a bunch of harsh screaming, and yet that's what this album gave me, in spades! With lyrics like: Shut up!! Shut up!! 🤬😠💢 SHUT!! UP!! 💢😠🤬 ... I felt like I had really been put through the wringer after this listen-through. This is another band from my youth that sort of passed me by, other than their singles that were everywhere. Maybe if I had been a few years younger when this came out I would have gotten into it at the time. At this point it's hard for me to really relate to the themes much, but I can imagine this album providing some much needed catharsis for some. Musically it is very slickly produced, with a ton of elements packed in. It's almost so perfectly crafted that it loses the human element a bit somehow despite all of the emotion it's trying to convey; it feels very "digital" in every sense--calling to mind that cold, empty, futuristic Y2K vibe. It's explosive but not in a wild, unbridled way--it feels very controlled, which adds to the tension. The tracks are heavily layered and there are a lot of interesting electronic and hip hop textures, but the density of it all paired with anger and melancholy just feels like an onslaught at times. I need a little room to breaaaathe. A song like "In The End" shows how beautiful Chester's voice can be, delivering a solid melody with a bit more space, and it is these moments I find myself favoring. These guys are clearly talented. I like the dual-frontman format, and similar to Nick Hexum/S.A. Martinez, Chester and Mike compliment each other by contrasting melody to rap, higher pitch to lower pitch. Despite any misgivings, I think it is a hell of a debut album; they sound like seasoned pros, fully developed in style and delivery, and I can see why this album made a big impact. 3.5
I know that Linkin Park is the light and acceptable version of all those super heavy metal bands, but they are sometimes a bit too harsh for me nowadays. I remember when I heard of In The End for the first time when I was in school, and I also really hard very heavy metal at some point, but then I grew out of it because it was very repetitive and didn't really have that much variety in the tune. This was nice, overall a bit meh but good.
The best way to listen to this is listening while watching low resolution Naruto or DBZ clips. Rage did the rap rock thing much better.
Better than some
Better than I expected. Not really my style of music, but solidly created and I'm glad I gave it a chance.
A product of its time. Influential for the genre. A singer that left us early.
Some classics, and I know the talent is there. I've just never been that tortured of a soul.
Exactly what I expected from a linkin park album
More innovative than other numetal, and def influential, but still kinda cringe
"I tried so hard and got so far But in the end, it doesn't even matter..."
It did its job
Hit: In the End.
first listen part of me recognizes this feels trashy and as a genre hasn't aged well, and part of me remembers fondly other bands i was into in the 00s in the nu/alt metal scene
In the realm of nu metal, Linkin Park was the moodiest. There's no denying that Hybrid Theory resonated with so many angsty teens that desired angry, modern music. In this sense, Linkin Park was an overwhelming success in tapping into the consciousness of a generation that had heard nothing like it before. With a slight industrial rock influence, a lot of this album sounds like an honest attempt to merge the rap rock and nu metal music of the late 90s without the bro styings of Limp Bizkit. Distinctly, nothing on Hybrid Theory overstays its welcome, which means middling songs never stick around for too long and the great songs are much too short. Truthfully, there aren't that many great songs, but the ones that are great showcase the strongest elements of the band: hard-hitting riffs, excellent textural use of turntablism or synths, and natural integration for the raps. This last point is particularly rare due to Mike Shinoda not quite fitting in on many songs. I have a weird amount of respect for this album despite the hangups. I think this is one of the better examples of nu metal and even then it's just good. Never quite great except for One Step Closer, than song slaps.
3/5
This band has always had a stigma against them and generally, I’ve agreed with it and have not ever liked the corny or cheesy rap-rock sound they produce. Regardless, I still listened to this album in its entirety to stay true to this project and give it a chance. Although I’m still feeling the same about what I think of the music, I have some respect for the lead singer (RIP) given his story and how he carried himself through life, as I read his Wiki while listening, specifically when interacting with fans. I likely won’t ever listen to this record again, but I’ll give it 3 stars as it wasn’t as unbearable as I thought it might and the humans that make up the band seem like decent folks.
Don’t emotionally connect with this. But if you do, I’m sure it’s cool.
Pure angsty emotion, set the tone for so much 2000's rock. I enjoyed it, sometimes it can feel corny or a bit much but the emotion behind it is palpable and the songs rock.
Didn’t hate it, felt like it’s actually aged quite well. A lot of the time though I felt like I just wanted to hear some of the meteora hits. 2.8/5
Was not looking forward to listening to this but it was a pleasant surprise. Best tracks Papercut, In The End and a real hidden gem in Cure For The Itch 3/5
Better than we expected but still not really us and we were glad when we had finished it. Extreme early 2000s vibe.
Solid album. Great nostalgia bomb. Songs are competent and well done, if a bit simple in their construction. Hard to separate out the nostalgia for the talent, although teenage me loved this album. Adult me enjoyed it, but there is a reason I dont return to this album like I do a lot of other bands from that era.
One of the few nu metal albums that isn't an embarrassment 3*
Not my kind of music, but I can appreciate that it’s a good version of whatever that is
While not new when I first heard it, Linkin Park was a popular band during my youth. Songs like "in the end" and "crawling" likely would have gotten a thumbs up from me on my pandora station. I think the sound has aged better than I expected and the drama of it feels nostalgic rather than stressful. Of industrial rock hip hop fusions this one has a strong identity. These songs wouldn't make it on many playlists, but a workout playlist or some throwbacks for a crowd of angsty teens.
Actually not as bad as I thought. I disliked Limp Bizkit much much more
Not my thing but I can understand why people like these guys.
This album was huge when I was younger. Had its angst and appeal at moments. Now that I’m older it’s a little like woahhh is this what was going into the younger generations brain? Catchy songs, sweet vocals, I like the guitar mixing but damn it’s a bummer album
I've never knowingly listened to LP, but I didn't hate this album. It's VERY slick and is like RATM/311/NIN formed an emo band. The songs don't really speak to me, but it was almost like watching an action sequence (these songs could totally score one). Also, super tragic story about the lead singer.
I can understand why this album is on the list (although I guess some of the other reviewers don’t) but the style isn’t really for me. I just can’t really listen to rapping in nu-metal without it feeling kind of silly. I do think what the band set out to do was executed well though.
Part of my late teenage years, was not super fun (I prefered more Korn, Limp Bizquit). But deserves at solid 3/5.
Not my bag
I never really liked them when this came out which was weird because I liked the big metal of the time and I think I know why now. They are way to intense. And singular in what they sing about. It tends to come off as over the top and just not for me. But they are good at what they do.
far from the worst in the rap metal genre (probs the best band to come out of that tbh). not my thing tho 2.5-ish
I thought I was angry, then I heard Linkin Park. Mix in angst, adolescent self doubt and you have the lyrics. There wasn't really a melody you could hum, but I guess that wasn't the point. They had some song about toss grenades (Bleed It Out) that I loved it wasn't here. 3*
legenda
Never really considered the music of Linkin Park all that much to be honest. It was fine, but not really interesting to me. 3.5
This album polarizes everyone it seems like. People either love it or hate it. The early 2000s was probably the weakest/worst rock music ever made. The whole rock/rap thing was bad. I’m so glad that’s done. Linkin Park’s songs all sound the same. It’s cool the first time and then gets really lame afterwards. I’m not siding with anyone.
After two listens I can understand why this album is on the list. Linkin Park took the nu-metal formula and added in some solid riffs mixed with a combo of melodic singing and wailing which spoke to a lot of folks in the late 90’s. 3/5
Again youth sentimenten
Mg
It's fine but I would never listen to it on my own.
Nostalgia 5. Actual album probably a 3. I understand why it’s here. As an early 2000s album, it was fairly impactful.
Un rollo enérgico y pegadizo pero un poco cringy, muy hijo de su tiempo. 3
classic moment
Oddly well paired with Hysteria. Linkin Park may have been the peak of the nu-metal pop cross over. Album is slickly produced and there are a solid 3-4 singles on the album. It feels dated, but a lot of that ties back to me and my age when this album came out. It's well done but derivative and that makes it a little inoffensive, which felt counter to the movement. Honestly, not a terrible showing from the nu-metal era though
Probably inspired by Lincoln Park, Chicago. I can totally see it.
I didn't realise at the time how derivative of korn this was
Me gustó el disco, destaco papercut y pushing me away, tiene el tema clásico de esta banda que es in the end, le doy un 2.5 /5 s
I think there’s way too many 1-star reviews of this album on here! This thing isn’t high art, but it’s a great example of the merging of nu-metal and pop. There’s great production and a TON of hits on here. It’s very easy to listen to. It’s not exactly my thing, but it does feel important to me, and I understand why it’s on this list!
I wasn't a fan of this when it came out in 2000 and not a fan in 2024. I hate the rap element of this album, never enjoyed Benningtons screechy vocals, overproduction and oversaturation. Comes off as the edgy rock version of the boy band era. I get why this appeals to people, but just doesn't do it for me.
Pleasant surprise. Thought it would be a little heavy for my taste.
One Step Closer and Runaway - good rock tracks In The End - the obvious, recognisable track from the album. Good song. It's close to a 4, but the fact that most songs are the same makes it a 3
I do like a lot of of this, but the yelling ruins it.
Liked this more than I was expecting and no doubt Linkin Park are good at getting your toes tapping. I much preferred the songs where the singer was singing rather than shouting
Shows depth.
J'ai toujours confondu les groupes Linkin Park et Simple plan. Malheureusement, faire le ménage dans mon cerveau ne fait pas partie de mes résolutions pour 2024.
J'attendais avec impatience de pouvoir enfin débloquer Linkin Park, après 3 ans de sevrage, c'est maintenant chose faite.
Enjoyed this. I have a few of their albums in my library, but not this one. I don't think that I'd actively seek it out again.
Haven't heard this one in a long time.
Decent album. One of the better nu metal offerings of the day
Lot to like about this album.
I thought that we left this behind in the aughts.
I have to admit I knew a few songs- making my twin brother in 2000 proud.
So I def told people 'this is SHIT!' back in the day without really ever listening to it, so I'll cop to that. That said its... okay. I didn't mind listening to it but there wasn't really any part that grabbed me super hard. I feel like its very much of an era.
Good singles
It's a more approachable version of other popular groups around that time like, Korn, Papa Roach, etc. It was definitely the sound of an era for a lot of people, myself included.
It’s actually better than I expected it to be. It aged pretty good for a nu metal record.
I liked this more than expected, still a bit too heavy and monotonous in parts. Favorite songs: Papercut - relatable, goes hard By Myself - suprisingly, I really like the rap in this track, my favorite on the album (aside from In the End) A Place for My Head - the rap is really doing the trick for me in this album! Almost but not quite there songs: With You - the "It's true" is delicious Least favorite songs: Forgotten - not for me, I barely got through the song I was so bored
Holds up about as well as a nu metal album can. Second only to Toxicity. Second half of the album begins to wear out.
First listen to this. Good hard rock sound. I like several songs. it is a good listen. I will listen to it again.
These guys were not my scene, but they were huge at the peak of my teen years. I did somehow end up seeing them in concert, in 2014, on the Carnivores tour with 30 Seconds to Mars, and they were entertaining. This was a nostalgic listen, and actually the first time I’ve listened to one of their albums all the way through. It’s fine, but still not my jam.
Crossover also. Wenn etwas weniger geschrieen würde, fände ichs noch besser. Aber durchaus treibend.
This pure, unfiltered corny nu metal and I don’t think I can even give this a nostalgic/ironic 4. All of the lyrics are so self serious and edgy and even as a teen when I first listened to linkin park I thought it was a bit much. In the end and crawling are both still great; one step closer didn’t age super well for me; and everything after in the end is what keeps this from getting a 4. It was so bad compared to what came before it and a place for my head literally sounds like it would have been designed for guitar hero
J'aime bien certaines chansons de Linkin Park, mais ce ne sont pas particulièrement celles-ci
Undoubtedly, Linkin Park has some eternal bops; In the End, Crawling, and One Step Closer among them. There were a few fun surprises on this, but most of the album blends together in my opinion. Runaway and a Place For My Head were pretty good.
I don't know what to do with this. Unique genre blend and obviously was giant at the time but has become a little cringe with the years.
Couple really good songs. Cohesive sound
I’m almost certain that I’m in the minority of millennials who never were into Linkin Park in the ‘00s. Listening to this album didn’t change that. Some songs really stood out…others sounded too similar to each other. Overall, decent listening experience but I have no interest listening again in the future.
There are a couple of good, recognizable songs in this album for anyone who was a teenager around the year 2000. Outside of these songs though, the rest of the album feel quite bland and rinse and repeat. If I listened to the full album when I first heard this song I'm sure I would have really liked, if not loved, it. Now though, while it's not a bad listen, I would rather listen to straight up rap, metal, grunge, hip-hop etc. than an album that includes those elements but doesn't do enough with them.
This could only be considered cool in the early 2000s, because nowadays it sounds dated as shit. That said, I'll still scream along with In The End every time I hear it though
Like this better than I thought i would after 20 years.
One Step Closer slaps "Get out of my room!!!" vibes High energy, pretty good album for working out
Good stuff.
I recently got "My December" and it was perfect for the playlist I wanted it for (though apparently that's not on this album? At least not the version I found on YouTube). But their sound is silly, with that over-the-top emoting and the squeaky turntable sound effects and whatnot. Yet another one that blends into itself.
A few songs from the album are alright - the whole album was too much
Album irregular, tiene una de mis canciones favoritas, pero otras muchas de relleno.
Not bad, not great.
Pleasantly surprised by this. I’ve always kind of rolled my eyes at Linkin Park. There have been enough memes and things to make me feel that way. But their music was coming out during my formative years and I’m glad this popped up. It sort of fills the hole in my understanding of that era of rock/alternative music. That being said…it wasn’t really my thing. Like with Metallica before them (a few albums ago), Linkin Park’s music has a very specific, aggressive sound that, to the naive, untrained ear, can make all the songs sound the same. So I did feel that some of the songs sounded very similar to each other. That isn’t a knock on the album, just a comment on my own unfamiliarity with the genre and the band themselves. It’s an intense sound, and you really need to meet it at its level in order to fully appreciate it. That could probably be done with further listens. Standout tracks: One Step Closer, Crawling, Runaway, A Place for My Head, A Cure for the Itch
I have a hard time separating the album from the time of my life I listened to it (17/18).
Tight playing. Good record. I can do without the vocals, common to me with this genre. I added a cut to a playlist though.
Rock potente con fuerza. Le ha faltado algo. La voz, buena. O demasiado estridente en ocasiones. Un poco decepción
not my cup of tea
I recognized "my skydiving song" and I like that one for sentimental reasons (In the End), but the rest of it was not my favorite style. I kept wondering why this album was on the list. However, much of it reminded me of Jordan and her need to "cry out" so I don't know if I was impacted by the sadness for Jordan or just the awareness that without Jesus, this kind of anger and frustration and crying out won't have any solutions. That makes me a bit sad. I probably shouldn't have started my morning with this one.
It was okay. The only one I truly liked and saved to my personal playlist was “Cure for the Itch.”
I used to like this album a lot when I was younger. But it's average now 6/10
It kinda sucks but in a way that's cool not sure how else to describe it
3.8 - A musical Big Mac. Every element is engineered meticulously, arranged predictably, in order to deliver satisfaction. I do love Bennington's vocal performance on "Crawling" - operatic in a good way.
Not my kind of music. Too loud & harsh.
this sucks, but in a way that's charming and makes me like it. End of the day though, if I were being made listen to this kind of thing, I'm probably reaching for Evanescence first (and *really*, I'd ideally try to make a case for Nightwish, but that'd probably be too much of a genre stretch (in this hypothetical (their version of shouting is too melodic)))
ist OK aber nicht das Beste von Linkin Park wie ich meine.
Was never to my taste but certainly a definitive album.
This brought back memories, the rap flavoured rock songs were better than the rock flavoured rap songs if that makes sense
There is an imbalance that isn't rectified by the end of the album. In the scope of metal it lacks the musicality and creative heaviness of bands like SOAD. As far a rap is concerned they aren't even close to RATM (or their rythem section for that matter). I think the beauty of this bands debut album lies in 1) when you hear it and 2) appreciating that it is in fact band still getting there bearings on not just one, but at least 3 genres. It doesn't always work, and the sound becomes repetitive, but it would be a disservice to disregard the emotion in which Chester delivers his verses. Younger me in screaming every lyric to songs like "crawling" and "by myself" and older me is just happy that I had those moments.
Power Rock. Energy Max. For my taste too much IN YOUR FACE
I've heard In the End before. Like many albums on this site, I don't necessary find the music off-putting. I just don't think I would enjoy listening to it in most cases, and in this case, it's just a little too intense for me. Fav Track: In the End
It’s ok.
Not my kind of music but still well done.
Good effort. That sound has since become cliché.
Dat viel me niet tegen. Typisch zo’n band die ik altijd wat links heb laten liggen.
Stiekem toch wel een guilty pleasure. Niet alles is even memorabel, maar zeker de eerste helft zijn het toch wel echt kneiters.
For old times’ sake dan maar.
Hit: In the End.
The nostalgia from the singles hit me hard. It's got some great highs like In The End, Papercut, or Crawling, but the rest tends to blend together or end up quite a bit lower in terms of quality. It's not my favorite genre, but I'm never offended when I hear something like this album come on.
Not really my thing - but imagine live could be good! Favourite track 'In The End'
A seminal album of my youth, I listened to this on repeat over and over again: coming out when I was 11 but discovering it closer to 13 or 14, it’s aggression, general angst, and anti-authority vibes appealed to my adolescent malaise. Listening to it now, and knowing a little about Chester Bennington’s difficult childhood and early drug use, the lyrical content really has little to do with me and my life, then or now. But boys will be boys and it’s controlled anger and outlet for aggression was like candy to me. For a nice-metal album, it still rocks, even if it’s a bit juvenile in approach and content. Not something I’ll play but for nostalgia’s sake.
Some songs make you think about why Linkin Park’s haters are wrong. Others remind you of why they are right.
Some bangers! Some not!
So classic. Wish I could give a 3.5 bc it wasn’t really my jam but I appreciate what it did.
I used to play this album on repeat. Listening to it now, I think it's aged OK. It definitely sounds of a time. There's no doubt this caused nu-metal to blow up into the mainstream for better or worse (probably worse). Still, it's a mostly fun and angsty short album with some catchy hooks.
Ok wegen der Erinnerung
Some chunky guitar riffs, but still mostly feels like music aimed at the maladjusted 13 year olds of the year 2000.
Of all the nu metal albums, this was easily the best one. Mainly because they don't just sound like self-centered frat boys. That's not a high bar. I haven't listened to it in a long time and wasn't sure how it would hold up. And it does a little. It's not my favorite album or even within my top 100 albums, but it still has some nostalgia value. It's still infinitely better than their contemporaries from the time.
high school album. People are so crazy about this album.
More iconic songs than I expected.
初高中生爱听，还是最喜欢numb和in the end
Nu metal. Huh. I basically like the metal part, but the Hip Hop is hard to bear. And the singing (if it comes to that) is overly full of pathos. 2.5/5
Has some of their big hits definitely a solid album
I cringed when this came up. It was so overplayed and made fun of back in the day. It’s very nu metal / rap rock, but is at least a little better than the Limp Bizkit album that was on here. Chester has a good voice for the style. The production is alright, very nu metal. 2.5
It’s a fun emo angst album. I’m still digesting it but there are some songs that I really like - papercut, one step closer, crawling, be myself, in the end are all great songs. After some time i think it’d probably be a 4/5 but as of now it’s a 3.
Takes me back
Not my thing but I could tell that this was done well and is probably excellent if it’s what youre into.
I wasn't really into this one. I like metal and this sounds like something I should be into, but I wasn't feeling it today. I might have to listen to this on a different day and maybe it will hit different.
Amazing. Not in a way of being the best album ever made, but Hybrid Theory just gets me hyped up every time I listen to it.
linke pa
Paper cut - sounds like one I’d consider for a ‘cool feeling’ playlist. Quite grungy. One Step Closer - I’ve actually heard the main line from this but never knew it was Linkin Park. Not too into it so far. With you - felt kinda sameish, not convinced. Points of Authority - maybe the best so far? Can’t really remember Crawling - best intro so far. Falls off with the angry screamy vocals, but the normal vocals are much better. Favourite so far. Runaway - pretty repetitive. Be myself - good verse, pretty odd sounding chorus. In the end - another one that I knew beforehand but didn’t know was them. This one sounds pretty good. A place for My Head - I realise I like the fast paced vocals, but the screechy vocals really take away from the album Forgotten - literally sounds like the last one. Cure for the Itch - the glitchy sounds are cool. I like that this one is more instrumental. The piano is a welcome change. Pushing Me Away - the chorus isn’t as screamy as usual!
3.75
Ugh, I really have a hard time with Linkin Park. Yes, even Hybrid Theory and Meteora. Chester Bennington obviously had some incredible emotional vocals, but besides 'Crawling', 'In the End' and 'Pushing Me Away', the tracks just blend together in this awful early 00's production. One star for each of those songs.
"Hybrid Theory" is the debut album by American rock band Linkin Park. Nu metal, rap metal, alternative metal, rap rock and alternative are the referenced genres. That's about right. The lyrics deal with lead vocalist Chester Bennington's problems experienced during his teen years with drugs and alcohol and the constant fighting and the divorce of his parents. Other members of Linkin Park include Rob Bourdon (drums), Brad Delson (guitar, bass), Joe Hahn (turntables, samples and synth) and Mike Shinoda (co-lead and rap vocals, keyboards, programming and guitar). The album had generally positive reviews and commercially hit #2 in the US and has sold 32 million copies. Woah! "Papercut" starts with an electronic beat and then the metal guitar and drums kick in. This is pretty much every song. There's scratching. Shinoda is rapping. Bennington comes in with the chorus and screaming. It's about paranoia. Keys go into the metal music in "One Step Closer." Nice vocal interplay by Shinoda and Bennington. Bennington is actually singing in "Points of Authority." This has kind of a funky metal groove. Here, he goes into the effects of child abuse. "Crawling" has a similar musical format as the previous songs but uses the synth more. Bennington addresses his lack of control with drugs and alcohol. Piano keys starts their big one, "In the End". This is their best co-lead. Both singers are emotional and bring it. Catchy chorus. The music nicely follows the lyrics. And maybe their deepest lyrics on the album as they talk about the lie that if you just work hard that's enough and gives you opportunities. Nu metal is one of my least favorite genres. Period. However, in that category, this has to be one of the best examples. Most the songs are formulaic with some sort of soft opening which kicks into metal. The co-lead vocals do work for me. The lyrics are strong and emotional especially now when you know what happened to Bennington (2017 suicide). I'd never recommend any nu metal but if you feel need, this is a good place to go.
some bangers some bores
I didn't want to like it because I don't like angry music, but I must admit this one is certified *okay*
I only knew one song from the album which was Crawling that I quite enjoyed. The rest of the album felt quite similar, an okay album but not one I'd revisit.
1. Papercut - i kinda like this one. 2. One Step Closer - this one was ok 3. With You - i kinda liked this one 4. Points of Authority - not my favourite 5. Crawling - i like the sound of the intro and the verses, don't love the chorus. 6. Runaway - this one is ok too. 7. By Myself - not that memorable for me 8.In the End - obviously have heard this before, one of their hits. 9. A Place for My Head - i quite liked this one, the verses were interesting and worked well with the chorus. 10. Forgotten - this was ok, but not my favourite. 11. Cure for the Itch - interesting sound, a little different to the other songs, especially since it was mostly instrumental. 12. Pushing Me Away - i actually really like the lyrics of this one, one of my faves on the album. Overall, I don't mind this album but some of the songs were a little screamy for me, but enjoyed when he sang in a different style (often on verses) and think he had a good voice. I liked the sound of a lot of them and the music, the lyrics were ok too, but I don't always like the singing style. I also didn't realise there was a bit of a rap influence on some of them, so that was interesting.
I used to play this and call it my angry music. I'm just not that angry anymore!
My favs from this album: Crawling & in the end. Not a huge rock fan but these songs had a great melody and I enjoyed listening to a genre that’s usually not my go-to one.
Idk
I never was a huge Linkin Park fan. They're ok.
In theory I appreciate Linkin Park. In reality, it's just too much yelling for me. Also, we need to yell once in a while.
Charged
Nostalgic, it has a few stinkers on it. Will I listen to again: 50%
They have a formula. It works but by the end of the album it gets a bit annoying. The DJ is a bit dated but honestly it's some good high-energy moping.
Recognizing the historical place for this genre, it's not for me.
Was a great album. Very motivating. Classic songs
I’d never listened to the full album but was familiar with the hits. Still not a fan, it’s a little too vanilla, but I can appreciate the artistry and skill of the band.
This came out when I was 15 and it is absolutely perfect for a 15 year old. Listening to it as an adult, it feels very emotionally and musically repetitive.
very late 90s earl 00's male voice style. Fine but not particularly original vs other similar artists of the time. a bit of RATM lite with synth. A soupcon of Moist. a Hint of Duran Duran in 'With you'. I found Crawling and Runaway repetitive and screamy, skipped about 3/4 through. Honestly most of this album is Repetitive screamy. I don't mind screamy, I can tolerate Diamanda Galas. I mind screamy when it's the same scream over and over again. Get off my lawn! Overall Meh
3.4
Some quintessential Linkin Park tracks carry this album. Some dated sounding production but paired with tremendous vocal performances. A lot of the instrumentation has it's strong points but has a tendency to sound pretty generic. The rap sections tend to kill the momentum of some of these tracks as well. Favorite tracks: Least favorite tracks: One Step Closer, Crawling, In The End. By Myself, Cure for the Itch.
It’s aged well
Good vocals. Hits still hit
It seems like everybody I hung out with in the late 90s and early 00s LOVED Linkin Park. I like the continual use of 2 vocalists with very different voices. I like how they span - and maybe helped define - multiple genres. The only down-side - and this is entirely my own down-side - I don't actually LIKE most of those genres. In particular, I ABHOR when a male vocalist screams into a mic in every. single. song. So +5 for genre setting. -2 for just not doing it for me. Balance it out with 3 stars.
If you would have asked me how many songs I've heard from these guys, my answer would be, not many. Now that I've listened, I realize I have heard a lot of their stuff. The name Chester Bennington, well I can tell you he was very good friends with Chris Cornell and after realizing the connection, I got pretty pissed off. Chester spoke at Chris's funeral and sang Hallelujah. He got to witness the destruction of suicide and the impact on all the lives around him. 2-3 months later, he does the same. Fucken bullshit. Fuck both you guys. I know of a pretty good bassist who took your route. I'm pissed and I'm angry right now, gogdamnit. Rant over. Musically, I thought these guys rocked out and recognized many of their songs. Paper Cut was a great opener and One Step Closer is a song that would be a great workout tune. You can hear and feel the angst, tension and anger in his singing. I was thinking a little like Rage, but Rage was angry at the system and our fucked up government leaders. Chester is angry at himself and his fucked up relationships. Big difference. Back to the music, I enjoyed most of the album and songs. Crawling, Runaway and In The End were all very good. Something about My December stuck with me and may be my 2nd favorite after One Step Closer. I was really hoping High Voltage was a AC/DC cover. Anyway, solid album. Happy to be introduced to a band I knew was there, but did not give the proper time and listen. Have to say the circumstances and connection to one of my favorite singers has left me pretty worked up. 1st song after album ended was Bombtrack by Rage. Cornell, Soundgarden and AIC all followed. Good listening when album ended too. I'm going with 3.5. I'd listen again, but just can't get to a 4 on the scoreboard
I've heard this album many times but honestly I felt I needed a refresher because I could only remember a few tracks. Listening again I can see why. I feel like they hadn't quite found their sound yet what with this being Linkin Park's first major album and all. There are gems and nuggets that sound like the monster they become though and those are all of the big hits. I think this album's biggest issue is it's nu-metal edge. I'm glad they shifted away from this sound because I think it served them better. There were a few more tracks this time around that I appreciate more than I did in high school but it's still not Meteora or Minutes to Midnight. Not just yet. 3
3.5 A few surprises for me with this one. First, holy cow, I did not realize this album came out in 2000. If you asked me, I probably would have told you like 2005/2006. I remember this album being huge when I was younger - like, this was the stuff on the playground that kids who were inevitably going to either join the military or drop out and become a teen dad (or both) listened to. Second surprise was how much of this I actually recognized. Looking at the tracklist, the only song title that stood out to me was In The End, but when I actually gave a listen, about half the songs in the front half had me like “Oh yeahhhh I remember this one”. Granted, a lot of these sound kind of the same so that also may very well have been a factor. Third surprise… I did not realize Linkin Park was a rap metal band. Like, yes, I knew they played hard rock and incorporated rap on some tracks, but as far this album goes, this is straight up rap metal, similar to groups like Papa Roach and Limp Bizkit, and as a result, this album very much feels like an early 2000s time capsule. Not to say that’s necessarily a bad thing though - I would still very much put this above anything by their aforementioned contemporary groups. As someone who’s never been particularly invested in Linkin Park, I can see what drove people to this - there’s a fun, angsty energy all-around that was great to work out to at the gym. But they eventually weaned off a bit from this sound, right? The two other songs I’m familiar with by the group are Numb and What I’ve Done (the latter probably being my favorite of theirs), and I would definitely classify those as hard/borderline alternative rock more so than rap metal. I digress, this didn’t expand my fandom of the band by much, but I had a good time. 3.5 may be a little high, but it hit me with a weird high of nostalgia that’s hard to come by, so we’ll go with it. RIP Chester
Oh wow take me back to middle school! This is a bit much for me right now and I didn't listen to it often enough to be nostalgic but it's certainly not bad! It's just not my go-to genre.
Judge me if you want but this goes hard. Brings back a lot of nostalgia for making fun of Crawling but you know what it's a fun song.
Standout Tracks: Crawling, In the End
Album 2 of 1001 Favorite song(s): In the End This album is designed for a specific type of person and I'm surprised with how many people hate it that it still went 12x Platinum. I was 7 when this album came out and wasn't for me at the time. But as I have grown older and appreciated metal more over time I can see why it was popular but I probably won't go back to it save for the occasional meme that uses "Crawling" or "In the End". There are songs to appreciate but...in the end...there is other metal I would rather listen to.
Tough first album to listen to in this project. Sounds very 2000s, which would make it quite a trendsetter I suppose. I liked it, but I don't think I can tell nu metal bands apart just yet.
A good album which carries memories for me from a very specific period of time but, while there are a few very good songs, I do find Linkin Park’s style gets repetitive.
The epitome of 'if it ain't broke don't fix it'. Enjoy the same formula 11 times. Saving grace was the instrumental one. Loved that one
I can see why 13 year olds loved this
Nu-metal, rap-metal. I would like thus if u was younger but it just comes across as ranting kids with guitars and turntables. It is melodic at times and I remember the hits.
Bonus point for "In the End", "Crawling" and partly "One Step Closer", the rest really can't catch me and would be a 2.
Not really a fan of the band. This album was pretty innovative for the time and I did like the songs. But they were really just a one trick pony.
Very “emo” quite depressing lyrics which are harsh to listen to in retrospect of Chester's suicide. A successful blend of heavy rock, rap, electronica and acceleration rock. Two singers range from rap to rock screaming with accessible singing in between. Guitar riffs are thick and beefy. Neither too hardcore, ugly or industrial. Like Faith No More, but higher ratio of good songs. Pretty good - a 3.5 stars. I also throughly enjoyed the Jay-Z collaboration mini album.
Not really a fan of these music, but it's fun trying it out.
i'm not the biggest nu-metal fan, so this album wasn't something i would choose for myself, but I can see the appeal it held in the 2000s. some of the tracks seemed to blend together for me, but my personal favorite was "cure for the itch."
Solid album.
Well, it was better than Justified. I wouldn't listen to it again, but I didn't hate it. It reminds me of when I was listening to bands that were playing at the Family Values tour, back when I was in middle school. But like then, I prefer the other bands to Linkin Park, and their albums to this album.
I don't think I've seen an album or a band divide people so much as this but I neither like or hate it. It's just generic. I listened to a song with 1.5 billion listens in Spotify and marvelled that not only have I not heard it before but that there was nothing distinguishable about it. Indeed as others have said this is carefully constructed to appeal. And appeal is does, to a huge army of listeners in this genre.
I was reluctant to listen to this but I actually enjoyed some songs. I think you need to have been a very specific age when this came out, it was one of the first albums I bought. Everyone listened to this when I was in school, and it it was a bit of an equaliser for those that liked hip hop and those who preferred guitar music. Unfortunately, without the nostalgia factor, the call and response rapping sounds very corny, and the lyrics are like an angsty teen brat who hates their parents for no reason. It’s now quite laughable that there’s no swearing in the album, just shouting things like “go away” and “shut up”, along with threats of running away. It was a nice trip down nu-metal memory lane but a strange choice for this list.
Heti projektin ensimmäiseksi albumiksi valikoitui teini-Geon vakkariluukutuslevy. Satunnaisia Hybrid Theoryn kappaleita on tullut kuunneltua tässä vuosien mittaan, mutta edellisestä läpikuuntelusta oli varmasti 10+ vuotta. En tiedä kuinka paljon menee nostalgian piikkiin ja kuinka paljon Chester Benningtonin kuolema vaikuttaa, mutta jotenkin katkeransuloinen kuuntelukokemus. Kyllä tämä on luettava niihin "tärkeiden nuorisolaisuuslevyjen" joukkoon jotka ainakin just sillä hetkellä muuttivat maailmaa.
I've always liked this album, not as much as Meteora but it's good some good tracks. However it does sound very over produced in today's ears.
At first I didn’t like it. And then I realised I wasn’t meant to like it, I was meant to *feel* it. “Feel” meaning get angry and throw my arms around in intrinsic, uncoordinated fashions on the “Dance floor” at the local bar’s “Nu-Metal Mondays”.
Very much a product of its time.
This is a pretty basic pop album that pretends to be something edgy. Overall, the hooks are catchy, the instrumentals are ok, the vocal delivery is impressive... I was asking myself what is it that I don't like about this music? And I think that it sounds insincere, overproduced, written track by track using a template. All of the songs blend together, they seem like they are all sketches/variations of the same song that actually worked out really well - In the End (it still bangs after all these years). It was a great gateway album into music for a lot of angsty teenagers back in the early 2000s. But it doesn't really work outside of that context. It's a 2, but I'm going to bump it to 3 due to all the nostalgia.
Well, it would be an exaggeration to suggest that I enjoyed this. Numetal is not my bag, baby. Saying that, one has to accept that it was a thing once, and these guys picked up that thing and ran with it. It pretty much has to be considered the epitome of the genre, selling more than anything else numetal before or since. One could observe (and in my other reviews, I have) that the early 2000s was where music died. Linkin Park is almost proof positive of this. Highly compressed and loud, this is music designed for radio play, or low-bitrate playback on headphones. It came just a tiny little bit too late for Napster, but just in time for the Cambridge Soundworks 2.1 PC satellite speakers and sub (unless you are born after 2005, you know exactly what I'm talking about) combo. And this music is made for that. Because it lacks dynamic range, because it's just loud, it gets tiring fast. I completely accept that a couple of tracks here and there are actually pretty good to listen to, but I tell you what - writing this review on my phone, I've played a couple of seconds of a few tracks to try and pick out the ones I enjoyed when I was listening this morning on my stereo... And my phone speaker loses nothing of this music. It's bonkers to me how everything is squished into the middle. I guess my distaste for numetal, my dismay at the loudness and the "early 2000s" clause are gonna have to brush up against the zenith of genre and peak popularity and do what the producer did, and squeeze everything to the middle.
Slaps but just linkin park
Interesting album. It's not quite depressing, and not very angry, but you can feel the lead singer's pain.
have heard before. is good but not for me
Nu-Metal Lite™
Although a little harder than I usually like this was well done.
Too much screamy stuff for my liking. But some decent playing hidden in between. My son likes it.
Kind of surprised at my overall enjoyment of this. Never heard it, know the band exists, possibly a couple of singles somewhere along the line, but no familiarity. Not bad. A bit of a pastiche of various styles, sort of unique, yet derivative.
Ich dachte das album wäre schlimmer. linkin park generell spricht teenager an, vor allem mit den sehr einfachen lyrics. bisschen über produziert aber insgesamt nicht so schlimm wie erwartet. 2.5/5
Stands the test of time, great performances. A great mix of genres and production. Attention to detail. Better than the bands during that time for sure. 5/5
3.5
Ah Hybrid Theory. The CD i loved to spin when i was 10-11 alongside Sum 41's All Killer No Filler. Unfortunately only one of those albums remains in my library. Hybrid theory was a really fun album to bring a young listener into new genres that may not have had play for a young person in the early 2000s. Chester Bennington's voice has a great rasp for ripping through angst-filled lyrics and Mike Shinoda's backing vocals brings a different element and emotional tone to each song. The melodic tunes are still fun for a spin, but Nu-Metal's struggles of being very open and heavy on the effects of their instruments stops this work from being more valuable and long-lasting. I recommend this album being blended into a headbanger's mix. Linkin Park builds up the tracks well and allow Chester great space for shredding out painful lyrics. The instrumentals and diversity of sound is lacking, but if you LOVE this sound--Hybrid Theory does not disappoint. I still enjoy Papercut and One Step Closer, In The End has been unfortunately meme'd to death, and a few tracks that try moving away from headbanging into strings and keys struggle to find a home for the core sound of Nu Metal.
A “classic” of the nu metal/ rap rock genres, an era of music that was generally regrettable. I will admit I owned and blasted this at various points of my teenage years, and it certainly is packed with hook ridden tracks. The lyrics are comical and overly aggro and just plain bad in most cases. The “rapping” is also pretty pitiful. I’ll throw this a bone for nostalgia’s sake.
Top 3 Songs: 1 - One Step Closer (2) 2 - By Myself (7) 3 - Papercut (1)
Linkin Park had two highlights, each of appropriate magnitude. First, Crawling is the relaxed sibling of In the End. If the transition between the two was managed, you would have a restrained thirty-minute version of angst: the album. Alas. Second, the guitar tone reminder of certain eras of old favorite Skillet. That band also tried to rip off NIN, but ended up... where they are today. Linkin Park avoided that pitfall, at least, and are an easy choice over several contemporaries.
Actually kinda fun. Quite nostalgic. Chester vocals are best Linkin Park vocals.
Good solid nu-metal album that takes a few times to really appreciate it I think
This was in my regular rotation in high school. I fully expected to listen and write a review stating that this album was the exception to the rule that nu-metal sucks. I don't know if it didn't age well or if I just didn't know better back then. Probably a bit of both. I always knew it was a bit over-the-top in the emo/angst department, but this was more extreme than I remembered. It's kind of embarrassing that this album was put out by people old enough to know better, but honestly, good for them for commanding the adolescent market. I come away from this conflicted. It feels like the album is simultaneously ground-breaking and derivative, if that makes sense. Anyway, I wanted to give a better score, but that feels dishonest. Best track: Pushing Me Away
The perfect album for angsty teenagers. 4 The genre these guys spawned has a special place in my heart. But "In the End" was always overrated. 3
If I’m being fair this album is a 3 it’s not bad and just because it was a big part of my youth doesn’t make it good. Scratch the itch sucked
More of a Meteora type of guy
My brother really loved this album.
It's quite dated for sure, and I probably won't listen to it anytime soon as I've already lost my teen angst, but I can't deny I'm a little into it. 3.5
Men will literally record Hybrid Theory before going to therapy.
Hmmmm, probably a weak 3 for me. In The End is easily a 5 and there’s a few others that I enjoyed, but others were… painful.
Not my type of music, but I have to say, I can see how if you do like this kind of thing, it would be pretty good. Just a great execution of a form that doesn't do it for me
Powerful blend of rock and hiphop/rap. I can see why this would have a grip on angsty teens at the turn of the millennia, but it’s not the type of music I turn to when I’m pissed off. Still, objectively good music.
This record was enjoyable, even though I’m not a big fan of the rapping. Great heavy guitar work.
Raw and lively and very tight production. Lyrically complex but musically a bit too uniform.
Ok - the Coldplay of metal. Almost every song on this album has been a hit, and objectively over the years they are well written songs. The packaged stylings of the era sounds terribly dated, yes, but a good song is a good song. I never really liked this band to be honest, and they were terribly overplayed back in the day, so I cannot bring myself to put this album on rotation willingly, but it's objectively a strong showing and it's never boring.
I definitely like a couple songs here. May need more listens. Honestly a tough choice between 3 or 4. Rounding down for protocol.
I was too old and lacking angst when this album came out for it to really speak to me. I was fine with the hits, In the End is a good song but didn't grab me enough to want to check out more. Listening through now I find the album to be a solid, middle of the road effort but the pseudo-deep lyrics don't bring any punch. Each song is much like the next, any one is fine to listen to on its own, but piled on top of each other the lack of substance is hard to ignore. That said I recognize this album as a bit of a pivot point in music and don't object to its presence on this list. A straight mediocre 2.5 but rounding up for the surprise gem Cure for the Itch.
Linkin Park were always a bit to clinical and ordered for my liking - I went to a gig which has Jay-Z and Linkin Park as co headliners... and by far and away the best act of the day was Enter Shikari. Before LP came on to the stage, little stands were put on top of the monitor speakers so that the band members could look cool by putting a foot up on the speakers, without being unsafe. This album was fairly safe, but still enjoyable. Just missing that bit of chaos or risk.
Linkin Park has a uniquely shifting reputation as both a widely beloved and derided band. Some time ago I decided to listen to find out what it was really like for myself. What I found was better than I expected, worse than I hoped. It certainly has more merit and earnest emotion than the typical nu-metal band, but it also suffers many of the same flaws. Ultimately, I still consider it worth listening to if you haven’t heard it, not only for it’s tastefully short length and since it’s such a defining album of it’s era. On a similar note, I find it disappointing that this is one of the albums that has been cut from the revisions of this 1001 albums book since it is a much more essential album than so many of the other post 2000s picks. It’s also another example of the way emo and it’s adjacent genres are ignored
Helt bra men själva låtarna är inte super spännande och känns inte super speciella bortsett den första, Crawling och In the End.
Wel vet, en In the End blijft een banger. Wel een beetje heftig om te luisteren na een lange dag werken.
Wake me up (wake me up inside) can't wake up (wake me up inside) save mee
"Papercut", "Cure for the Itch", "In the End", "Pushing Me Away" - całuski. Plus "A Place for My Head" za tekst.
Was okay
Takes me back to my mid twenties. But not as good as I remember.
Seminal Linkin Park debut. Nu metal - hip hop rock.
Ei ikinä oo ollu kuppi teetä, mut ymmärrän hypen. Pätevä kokonaisuus
Classic and influential. unfortunately repetitive listening now
Great album, lots of good songs
Staple of my youth but couldn’t get into it. I prefer Reanimation?
Oh, good! In all honesty, I've heard this band's name for years yet somehow never got around to listening to any of their music. I didn't even know what genre or style of music they tend to play. I'm glad this came up. This group is definitely strong and talented as writers and performers. Sound is very tight and well-orchestrated, and I like the blend of styles I hear. Hard rock, rap, post-punk, etc. It could very easily tip into sounding like just too many ingredients but they manage to show enough restraint to avoid that. Nicely done.
Kyllähän tämä on hyvä. Jyrää alusta loppuun tasasen lujaa. Crawlingista kunnon youtube-nostalgiat.
Well this was a lot better than I thought it would be. I already knew the singles but the rest wasn’t as droning as I feared it would be. Not sure I’ll return to it much but it wasn’t a bad listen at all
I mean I know it is a formative album and "In The End" is an all time classic song. But I just can't get into Nu Metal. I don't know what I want to give it, but the aforementioned song is making me lean towards bumping it up to a 3 star.
Hate to say it but I kind of enjoyed this
7/12 I liked more songs than i thought i would. It is a little too nu metal for me, but happy that i listened and enjoyed some songs.
Hit: In the End
I am not one for Nu Metal and the general vibes of Linkin Park, that being said this album is fairly iconic and it is warranted. The unique blend of dark lyrics and themes with unique instrumentation makes it a stand out and among the bands biggest outings. It will be interesting to see the staying power of this album as time progresses, but for its main audience of devotees, it is clear it will become that mainstay.
I still have a vivid memory of “Crawling” playing over the morning announcements on day in 7th grade and everyone freaking out.
Highlights: One Step Closer, Crawling, In The End 3,5/5
In the End dobre, reszta po prostu głośna. 3.5/5
A solid and fun album. Not something I would listen to repeatedly but decent.
Listen - I was the prime audience for this album when it came out and I soaked it up. I can only reflect on it through that lens. But listening to this album over 20 years later certainly hits differently. It is still a banger for me, but knowing where Chester was ultimately at and issues of mental health in teens…it’s more desperate. Not a ground breaking record for music, but a groundbreaking record for me that opened the door for me to appreciation of metal.
I'd do 3.5 if I could.
Has clear highlights that you keep waiting for during the listen, which makes the other moments a bit less enjoyable. Still a classic.
In The End belongs on any and every workout playlist. It's in the middle tier of greatest debut albums of all time.
Þetta er svo furðulegt. Hvernig getur band farið svona í taugarnar á manni og svo 23 árum seinna er það orðið allt í lagi. En ekki meira en allt í lagi. Metalgítarinn mætti svo alveg slaka á.
good songs really good, and for what it is it's fine, the remixes with Jay Z are pretty great
Full of classics but couldn’t get past the Chester Bellow
Nu-metal was never my thing, though I understand the influence this album held for the genre, and for music in general at that time. Chester was a voice for the misunderstood, angry youth, and as such was beloved by many. The lyrics here strike me as borderline juvenile, and the music, while powerful, belongs to the early '00's. An important album, but just an okay listen for me.
Despite never listening to this entire album before, I was certainly familiar with a lot of the songs. Some of the songs are still alright. I am still confused at what Linkin Park wants to be as a band. Metal, Rock, trying to rap, Pop, Angst, Emo, Vamp?, something else entirely. While I do not believe any of these songs were in a Transformers movie, Linkin Park will always remind me of those movies. In fact this album is a lot like a Transformers movie: First, the idea of seems great. Second, it can be entertaining if you aren't watching or listening for substance, plot, continuity, tone, execution, or effort. Third, if you just want explosions and loud noises while nothing makes sense and causes confusions by the choices then the album is alright. I have no desire to revisit this album, but it was short and I didn't skip any songs.
A bit hard edge formy morning commute. Not bad just not Christmas week good
Yeah, nah. Didn't really get into this one. Fave track Cure for the Itch.
Probably the most tolerable of the nu-metal bands. I didn't hate it. Fave track - "In the End", I guess? Or "Crawling" for the "this orange will not peel" meme. 🍊
High school weightlifting ruined this album for me. It pushed me close the edge and now I am gonna break. I am not angry enough for this anymore.
Reminds me of the 2000's, Linkin Park everywhere. Wasn't much into at the time and the record feels like of a time, with what feels like a fair bit of filler. Chester's voice is the highlight of every track. 6/10
Muss ich drei Sterne geben für. Hätte ich nicht gedacht, besser als erwartet.
Somewhat repetitive, but has enough little details a la the synth accents in ‘Points of Authority’ to show that some artistic effort did go into this LP. It’s definitely aged much better than other products of its time and still presents a decent listen.
Buen disco, pero es muy heavy para mi gusto.
3.75
Entertaining, if rarely surprising, and follows the usual themes of feeling like an outsider, misunderstood and mistrustful of conformity. Of course, to get this huge, you have to play the record industry game a bit and so the rebelliousness pose starts to feel insincere. And boy is this album made with radio friendly play in mind - the production isn't spiky or punky at all but polished like a shiny new pin, but this does keep it fresh and satisfying. And it is of course difficult to listen to without thoughts of Bennington's passing. Who knows what that poor man was really going through, despite the honesty and rawness of his lyrics? Was there more that could have been done to help him reach some peace or did he need to continue re-living his trauma on stage and on record? One hopes his art and self expression did more help than harm - if not him personally then perhaps, maybe, amongst Linkin Park's fans.
was a bit pounding for my day ... but I recall several songs. Not my cup of tea unless i was feeling rebellious...probably prefer other albums/artists for that. But lovely to be reminded of some of the songs and connect it to the band Linkin Park!
Holy cow so many Spotify streams! I had no idea how wildly popular this album was. Fun listen.
As with most heavy metal, a little goes a long way for me. They are pretty darn good though.
Decent album. I could see people either loving or hating this one. For me, it was decent. Good instrumentation, but the voices of the singers were annoying from time to time. Might just be a me thing though.
first time listening to linkin park and it wasn’t bad, nice i’m not a huge fan of them (as stated before) but this isn’t a bad album, i think they do a good job of staying consistent nd keeping the listener listening don’t think i’ll come back to it cause it reminds me of a high school bully i had but aside that it’s solid yeah
CRAWLING IN MY SKEEEEEN THESE WOUNDS, THEY WILL NOT HEeeAL Album overall: 6/10
this is my first time in a while visiting this one. i can totally see why people really like it, and i really liked a lot of it too - its hooks are really full, the instrumentation knows exactly what it wants to be, and some of the lyrics would be really crushing if they weren't absolutely meme'd to death (i told gannon this - in the end would have absolutely CRUSHED ME if i was a teen going through it in 2000) there are a lot of iconic tracks on this one - one step closer, crawling, by myself, in the end. it's a cultural staple for good reason, and it's a lot more artful in its anger than contemporary tracks like break stuff (fuck you, fred durst). it falls into some of the trappings that i hear with a lot of late 90s/early 2000s music - "we have computers! let's use the computers!" leads to some unnecessary sounds and effects throughout this one, especially on cure for the itch. unfortunately for hybrid theory, it will be forever cemented in the time period it came out in, so it will always be slightly corny, because rap rock is almost always at least slightly corny. sorry. some of the tracks are kind of same-y, too, like in the end and pushing me away, because the genre as a whole kind of limits itself. you rap, and you rock, and you yell, and you angst. it works well here, though, because linkin park is one of the two most insightful and creative groups of people to touch this genre (again, fuck you, fred durst. you suck) ((the other group is system of a down, by the way. all love to serj)). i think the reason i never fully got into linkin park when most people did (teenage years) is that when i'm angry, i listen to sad tracks - phoebe, sufjan, etc. so, i never really fully got the appeal of music like this, this more angry self-reflection. but, again, i can see why other people are really passionate about linkin park, because their work has the potential to really resonate. it falls in well with the other standards i usually find myself judging albums with - it's cohesive, it knows what it is, and it has memorable tracks and moments that i'll take away. while i don't personally see it as an "album i HAD to listen to before i died" or anything like that, i'm glad i revisited it through a critical lens, because i feel like i get it a lot more than the last time i listened.
Even though I classify this as angry white guy music it really does kind of slap. Growing up listening to it in my dads car likely plays a role.
Listening to this makes me think of what Nirvana might have sounded like if they let rap/hip-hop influence their style. Overall, I think the lyrics are pretty powerful even if I don't love the delivery.
very heavy, in the end, crawling good songs too much screaming in it for me
I feel like I should like this more than I do. On the face it checks a lot of boxes that matches at lot of my favourite music. Heavy epic guitars, lots of texture, melodic soaring choruses. Sadly it just feels too one dimensional and paced. Too teenage angsty with the songs blending into each other. 'MOM, KNOCK BEFORE YOU COME INTO MY ROOM! They don't understand me...'
Linkin Park's sound is very well-polished, but I found this album relentless and exhausting. Maybe that's the point; I just wish it let off the gas for a little bit. I hate to say it, but I think Limp Bizkit are a better nu metal band - at least they knew how to have fun and injected some variety into their albums.
p good.
Best Song: In The End. Exactly the right amount of angst, with a chorus that just asks to be sung in chorus. Worst Song: Papercut. Pretty rough start to the album. Really makes me realize how much their music can be classified as "rap rock". Don't know how I never made that connection before. It feels obvious now. Overall: When I saw this come up I was excited because I thought I love Linkin Park. After listening to it, I realize I actually just kind of like Linkin Park. That approachable "edginess" and angst was really evocative to me when I was listening to this in my teens, but now I can see the parts that are a bit shallow, or a bit cheesy. Not to say that I think current Me has the accurate read on the quality of this album, but I think it needs to be appreciated by someone at a very particular phase in their life. This would be Holden Caulfield's favourite album.
More 3 1/2 stars. I really wanted to give this 4 or higher as there are some powerful songs on here. I am being honest, this album is overwrought with Nu-Metal plating and pre-emo histrionics which dampen the obvious fury rather than enhance it.
I ended up kinda liking it. Reminds me of prog metal at times, like Dream Theater. But more edgy, like Slipknot or Rage Against the Machine. Also had some strong pop punk elements? Like MCR? I don’t like rap at all, but it’s at least cooler when paired with heavy metal guitar
A textbook in how to turn teenage angst into the musical equivalent of fast food. (6/10) FT: One Step Closer, In The End
It's ok. Probably won't listen again. Singer's voice is a bit annoying.