Reviews (page 6 of 14)
Listens: 3 (and probably another dozen over the 20 years this album has been out) Standout tracks: Points of Authority, In The End The first half of the album, maybe up until In The End is pure nostalgia for me, and absolute bangers to boot. The latter half is adequate and sort of fizzles out. But just because the music is nostalgic and many of the tracks are seared into my mind, doesn't make it objectively good. Sometimes - most of the time - the songs feel angsty and edgy for the sake of being angsty and edgy, with virtually no variety in the message, though I will concede the message is consistent. It's 38 minutes of "I feel feelings" type shit. Yea. We all feel feelings. We get it. It's less edgy and more corny, eyes-roll-into-the-back-of-your-head inducing when you're in your late 30s. But God damn when I was 13 this shit was great. Nu-metal in general isn't a particularly favorable genre for me. But of all the Nu-metal bands I listened to or in some specific cases still listen to, Linkin Park is pretty close to the top (perhaps behind System Of A Down). It's a 4 because I enjoy listening to it and even consider playing it from time to time if I'm in the mood
## In-Depth Review of Linkin Park's *Hybrid Theory* Linkin Park’s *Hybrid Theory*, released in October 2000, remains one of the most influential and best-selling debut albums of the 21st century. Fusing rap, metal, and electronic elements, the album defined a generation and reshaped the soundscape of mainstream rock. This review examines the album’s lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, and weighs its pros and cons. ## **Lyrics** *Hybrid Theory*’s lyrics are intensely personal, reflecting frontman Chester Bennington’s experiences with trauma, mental health struggles, substance abuse, and family discord[1][2]. The writing, primarily by Bennington and Mike Shinoda, is confessional and direct, channeling raw emotion without resorting to excessive abstraction or metaphor. - **Themes of Pain and Alienation:** Tracks like “Crawling” and “Papercut” delve into internal battles, with lines that evoke a sense of being trapped by one’s own mind (“Crawling in my skin / These wounds, they will not heal”)[3][1]. - **Responsibility and Self-Reflection:** Bennington noted that songs like “Crawling” are about taking responsibility for one’s actions, not blaming others for personal pain[2]. - **Anger and Rebellion:** “One Step Closer” and “Points of Authority” express frustration and defiance, resonating with listeners feeling misunderstood or marginalized[3]. - **Vulnerability:** Despite the aggressive delivery, there is a consistent undercurrent of vulnerability and a search for understanding, which differentiated Linkin Park from many of their nu-metal peers[4][3]. **Strengths:** The lyrics are accessible, emotionally charged, and relatable, particularly for adolescents and young adults grappling with similar issues[1][3]. The dual vocal approach—Bennington’s melodic singing and Shinoda’s rapping—adds dimension and variety to the storytelling[4]. **Weaknesses:** Some critics argue the lyrics can be repetitive and, at times, simplistic, relying heavily on angst and emotional turmoil without much nuance or evolution across the album[5]. ## **Music** Musically, *Hybrid Theory* is a masterclass in genre fusion. The album blends heavy guitar riffs, hip-hop beats, electronic sampling, and melodic hooks, creating a sound that was both fresh and commercially viable in 2000. - **Instrumentation:** Brad Delson’s guitar work is punchy but rarely showy, serving the song rather than indulging in solos. Joe Hahn’s turntable and sampling contributions bring a modern, electronic edge, while Rob Bourdon’s drumming is tight and dynamic[4]. - **Vocal Dynamics:** The interplay between Bennington’s impassioned singing/screaming and Shinoda’s rhythmic rapping is a hallmark of the album, providing contrast and energy[4][6]. - **Song Structure:** Most tracks follow a verse-chorus-verse format, with an emphasis on memorable choruses and dynamic shifts between quiet, tense verses and explosive, cathartic refrains[4][6]. - **Hooks and Melodies:** The album is packed with earworm hooks—“In the End” and “Crawling” are prime examples—helping the band achieve massive radio success[4][2]. **Strengths:** The seamless integration of disparate genres set a new standard for mainstream rock. The album’s energy is relentless, and the hooks are undeniable, making it accessible to a wide audience[4][6]. **Weaknesses:** Some critics find the music formulaic, with little variation in structure or tempo across the album. The heavy reliance on the loud-soft dynamic and predictable build-ups can make the album feel repetitive over multiple listens[5][6]. ## **Production** Produced by Don Gilmore and recorded at NRG Recordings in North Hollywood, *Hybrid Theory* is a polished, meticulously engineered record[2][4]. - **Clarity and Balance:** The mix is crystal clear, allowing each element—vocals, guitars, electronics, and drums—to stand out without overpowering the others[4]. - **Modern Techniques:** The band leveraged Pro Tools and digital editing, moving away from the raw, jam-based approach of earlier nu-metal bands. This resulted in a tight, radio-ready sound that was both aggressive and accessible[7]. - **Atmospheric Layers:** Hahn’s samples and effects add depth and atmosphere, distinguishing Linkin Park from other bands in the genre[4]. **Strengths:** The production is a significant factor in the album’s success. Every track sounds big and immediate, with a modern sheen that was ahead of its time in 2000[4][7]. **Weaknesses:** The high-gloss production, while effective, can also feel sterile or overproduced to listeners who prefer a rawer, more organic sound[5]. ## **Themes** *Hybrid Theory* is thematically unified by the exploration of emotional pain, alienation, and the struggle for self-acceptance[1][2]. - **Mental Health:** Many songs address depression, anxiety, and the feeling of being overwhelmed by internal struggles[1][3]. - **Family and Relationships:** The impact of broken homes, parental conflict, and betrayal is a recurring motif[2]. - **Identity and Self-Doubt:** The album frequently explores questions of self-worth and the desire to break free from negative cycles[3]. These themes resonated deeply with a generation of listeners, particularly teenagers and young adults facing similar challenges[1][3]. ## **Influence** *Hybrid Theory* had a seismic impact on both the music industry and popular culture. - **Mainstream Success:** The album sold over 32 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling debut since Guns N’ Roses’ *Appetite for Destruction*[2][3]. - **Nu-Metal Evolution:** Linkin Park’s approach—eschewing the machismo and profanity of peers like Korn and Limp Bizkit for a more introspective, melodic style—helped redefine nu-metal and broaden its appeal[7][4]. - **Production Trends:** The album’s digital, cut-and-paste production style influenced countless bands, leading to a shift away from traditional rock recording methods[7]. - **Cultural Touchstone:** For many, *Hybrid Theory* became the soundtrack of adolescence, capturing the angst and uncertainty of youth in a rapidly changing world[5][1]. **Strengths:** The album’s influence is undeniable, spawning imitators and opening the door for more genre-blending in mainstream rock. Its success also paved the way for Linkin Park’s continued evolution and experimentation in later albums[7][4]. **Weaknesses:** The album’s ubiquity and formulaic approach led to a backlash, with some critics and listeners dismissing it as music for angsty teenagers, lacking in depth or sophistication[5][7]. Over time, the nu-metal genre itself became oversaturated, and *Hybrid Theory*’s style was often copied but rarely matched. ## **Pros and Cons** | Pros | Cons | |------|------| | Powerful, relatable lyrics that speak to universal struggles | Lyrics can be repetitive and simplistic | | Innovative fusion of rap, metal, and electronic elements | Song structures and dynamics can feel formulaic | | Polished, modern production that set new standards | Production may feel sterile to some listeners | | Catchy hooks and memorable choruses | Lack of musical variety across the album | | Massive influence on mainstream rock and nu-metal | Associated with the oversaturation of nu-metal | | Timeless singles (“In the End,” “Crawling,” “Papercut”) | Sometimes dismissed as “teen angst” music | ## **Conclusion** *Hybrid Theory* is a landmark album that captured the zeitgeist of the early 2000s, offering a cathartic outlet for listeners dealing with pain, alienation, and self-doubt. Its blend of genres, polished production, and emotionally charged lyrics made it a commercial juggernaut and a cultural touchstone. While it is not without flaws—most notably, a tendency toward repetition and formula—it remains a powerful and influential debut that continues to resonate with fans old and new. For those seeking an album that balances vulnerability with aggression and innovation with accessibility, *Hybrid Theory* stands as a defining statement of its era—and a testament to the enduring power of music to connect and heal.
Enjoyed the album. Harder than I'll usually listen to but was to good to hear!
Surprisingly enjoyable
There are songs on this album that live rent free in my head and randomly pop up. Considering their debut album took different styles of music and mashed it together in a way that resonated with ppl worldwide is impressive (even if it's not my go-to genre).
He bred my theory till I park
youre asking an emo like me if i like linkin park?
I didn't believe a Linkin Park album would make the list — but I'm glad one did ❤︎₊ ⊹ While the rap rock genre did not age well, Chester Bennington made me feel less alone when I was a quiet, misunderstood but deeply perceptive child, and there was a time Linkin Park meant everything to me. "ROADS UNTRAVELED" brings me back to a defining moment in my life. — I stood by "Meteora" since I was twelve and will continue to stand with that album (c'mon, "Somewhere I Belong" and "Breaking The Habit" are gut-punches), "Hybrid Theory" is a close second for me. Chester put so much f**king emotion into his songs: Every word seems to be strung from the soul. The album feels very 2000s — I wasn't even old enough to consciously remember much from then, but man, it makes me feel nostalgic: "I kept everything inside And even though I tried, it all fell apart What it meant to me will eventually be A memory of a time when I tried so hard" Rest in peace, Chester.
I remember listening to this album when I was younger. There are a lot of great high energy songs that remind me of good times. This is one of those albums where I enjoyed listening to the whole thing, it didn't really have a song that I didn't like. I'm sure I will listen to this when the mood strikes me.
Speaking as someone who has never (intentionally) listened to Linkin Park, and who was born after this album came out, I was surprised at just how many tracks I recognised. And this is their debut... Damn. Normally I'm not a fan of music that forgoes melodies in favour of loud rapping, but Linkin Park really makes it work. A Place for My Head has a solid guitar riff and chorus melody, but the verses have some solid vocals in their own right. Reminds me of heavy metal and alt-rock from the previous decade. Plenty of other tracks, including Crawling, Forgotten, and Runaway, follow this formula of "rap during verse, rap-sing during chorus, and have a guitar-bass-doubled riff mixed to a heart-stopping level". It's not exactly a new idea, but it sounds great, so I can't complain. One thing I've noticed during this project is that I latch onto tracks I'm familiar with, even if they're technically worse songs. One Step Closer is a perfect example of this. I don't think I've heard the song in its entirely, but I've heard it referenced time and time again – especially the lines "Everything you say to me / Takes me one step closer to the edge / ANDIMABOUTTABREAK". Similarly, my primary experience with Crawling is the "crawling in my crawl" meme from way back when. And of course I've heard In the End, because who hasn't? Great riff melody in that track, solid backing vocals, great overall atmosphere... nothing to complain about here. There are no throwaway tracks, the album is a perfect length, and the cover art is cool as heck. I would've liked to see more variation in mood rather than a near-relentless onslaught of emo lines. Maybe some novel instruments, a few ballads dotted throughout, or any track that avoids rapping altogether. Hopefully Linkin Park heeded some of that advice later in their career. 4/5 Key tracks: One Step Closer, Crawling, In the End
I feel strongly about listening to everything with an open mind- call it the poptimist in me. I appreciate the time when rock and rap intermingled, and I like the having two lead vocalists (did that happen all that often?) I never bought or went out looking for this album back in the day but somehow know every song, which objectively makes it a pretty good d debut album even if I wouldn't consider it my favorite "type" of music.
Classic. Definitely some bias here
Fire
A really nostalgic album for me. Hard to fault it!
More enjoyable than expected? I had my federally mandated LP phase in high school, then had my anti-LP phase in college, and now I appreciate what they were doing on this album more than ever before. Some really cool deep cuts, fuzzy guitar riffs that make me nostalgic, and some influences from trip hop & downtempo that really make it flow. Honestly, would listen again. 3.5/5
Impressive combination of emo vulnerable lyrics with metal and hiphop inspired music.
Influential, I miss daddy Chester, fuck Mike
Catchy and gets in your head. Overproduced and corny sure, but at least it's enjoyable.
Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would! Linkin Park falls victim to a lot of the issues that nu-metal at large does. Radio rock friendly riffs and beats coupled with 3edgy5me lyrics. I was huge into LP when I was in middle school, but man, it is hard to take this music seriously, but I enjoyed it the same way I would watch Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Is it a great movie? Nah, but I had a good time.
Very catchy. Rap isn't my thing overall, but I thoroughly enjoyed some of the tracks. Fave tracks: Forgotten, Pushing me away. Would I revisit: definitely.
Sportsmetall får neppe nokon renessanse her i huset
Not quite at the angst levels needed to fully enjoy this I think. But there are still some absolute classic in here Specific rating - 3.9 Fav song- in the end Least fav- cure for the itch
🖤it's not a phase mom🖤
I liked it more than I expected
Even the songs I didn't know yet went hard, maybe it's just a nostalgia trip but was a great listen
This is probably the first GOOD album that I ever owned. But I can't remember if I bought Meteora or Hybrid Theory first. I would condiser HT to be the better of the two regardless. When I think of Nu Metal as a genre, I consider Linkin Park to be the icon or GOAT, RIP. Also, the remixed album of this was phenomenal.
I am a big fan of Emo Rock, but in the end, it doesn't really matter
Never been a Linkin Park fan but I really enjoyed this album.
Really enjoyed this album. Couple of standout tracks.
In The End still sounds as good as it did all those years ago
The favourite album of pre-teen me and probably the first album that deviated from what my parents listened to and had lying round the house. Was also the first album I enjoyed with a friend and bonded over. A proper trip down memory lane this was, probably around 22 years after the last time I heard it. I have to say I’m impressed with how good it still sounds to me - I was expecting it to be way more dated and cringe but I really had fun and actually heard things I’d not previously noticed or forgot that if I had noticed. Enjoyed the more electronic-y sounds on this and the guitar tone is good, even if it has since been well over-done (no fault of this album). I think this is still somehow a 4.5/5 for me down to 4 as it’s no longer my taste - however would listen again and again. Standout tracks (aside from the obvious hits): Points of Authority Runaway Cure for the Itch
Enjoyable vocals suck tho
I was not into Linkin Park when they emerged. Mostly cause the "rapping" was weak and I was not feeling the way Chester did. Not to downplay depression but it was not a surprise to me that he eventually committed suicide. I credit Christian Hand's breakdown of "One Step Closer" (not on original album release) for reintroducing this band to me and opening my ears to their talents. Hybrid Theory is actually a killer debut album. I did always like "In the End," which is the top track and there are really no skippers. The mixing of hip-hop, hard rock, and electronica works well and I have changed my opinion on LP. The band came up with a solid formula and made a definite splash. If you liked this, I highly recommend the remix album Reanimation...better than the original in my opinion. 3.53 stars for this hybrid record. (P.S. always thought they were from Lincoln Park, New Jersey 😆)
When Linkin Park debuted with Hybrid Theory and made their rise over the next couple years I didn't think much of them/it. It wasn't until 15 years later that I looked back and realized that they had compiled 15+ hits and that I had been a passive fan for a major part of my life. I did a deep dive through their discography and found out how much I enjoy a lot of their music. I'm not sure how they pulled it off but they managed to carve out an effective niche by somehow combining light elements from a handful of genres that I'm not really big on (rap, nu metal, screamo, etc.). It doesn't quite make sense but somehow it works and managed to gain pretty wide appeal. Perhaps it was just the right amount of angst and experimentation to work at the turn of the millennium. I remember how big Hybrid Theory was on its release. The hits that made the band have proven their enduring power and have remained relevant for 25 years even in the wake of Chester's passing. The deeper cuts have grown on me over time and really round out the album well. For better or worse Hybrid Theory's tracks are pretty formulaic as you can almost expect the same distorted guitar-riff amp up as Chester prepares to belt out his next anger-laden chorus. While it's become an aspect of their identity I wouldn't fault anyone for tuning out Linkin Park citing the anger and yelling as unpleasant. As much as I like Hybrid Theory I think Linkin Park improved over their next couple albums. I'd love to see Meteora or Minutes to Midnight show up on this list but I'll be surprised if they get a nod. Here's to hoping though. All in all Hybrid Theory is a really effective debut that established LP's style and formula right from the get go. I appreciate that they softened and refined themselves as they grew but I can't knock Hybrid Theory for putting them on the map. Even if it isn't my favorite LP album it is a deserving entry. 3.68 stars
Objectively, I shouldn’t like this. Nu-metal is SO of its time, and this is way overproduced. Early 2000s rock was in a really rough place, and it still hasn’t really recovered, in part due to how popular this and other bands were. However…Crawling, In The End, Papercut, One Step Closer, all bangers. This rules
Brilliant sounding as it was then
I really liked it but it sounded all the same.
I didn't love Linkin Park when they first hit the scene, but I've since come around to their music and definitely respect their legacy and influence. With all that being said, I was a little let down by this album. The singles were amazing, but the album as a whole was so up and down. A lot of the songs paled in comparison to their nu metal counterparts, and yes I'm including Limp Bizkit in that. Aside from the singles, this album's saving grace was its bonus tracks. "My December" and "High Voltage" were arguably the best tracks on the entire album. Normally I try to avoid bonus tracks as I want to experience the album the way it was intended when first released, but I'm glad I listened to these because it elevated the album for me. This is another 3.5 for me, but I'm rounding up because of how strong the high points are on this album, as well its influence and legacy.
I feel compelled to give this 5 stars even though the music is pretty awful. I was like 11 when I heard it and then after the singer killed himself I see all these angsty teenage lyrics in a new light.
Banger after banger. It’s corny, but that’s expected from new metal. Teenage me would give it a 10/10
Lmao. Never a huge LP fan growing up but hard to ignore the bangers on this album.
I missed this album! Listened 10 days later. The actual first album I recognized. 4 stars. It's not as good as Meteora which would get a 5. But I saved 8 songs from this album so it's awesome.
Didn't really expect to like this so much, but it fucks from start to finish. A dozen short, slick, hard-hitting tracks. Chester Bennington's lyrics are the driving force of the album and his vocals are supposed to be a big draw, but I found him annoying to listen to at times. Still a solid 4/5
Always been an awesome album that I haven't appreciated enough.
4+
This is it, the peak of late 90s/early 2000s nu-metal, the last gasp of millennial innocence before 9/11 and the peak of American illusions. I was entering middle school when I first heard this album, and to say it was major is an understatement. It was inescapable for an angsty 12-13 year-old. While there is definitely nostalgia, it doesn't hold as much sway as other albums that I would grow to love in my high-school/college years. But it's undeniably one of my favorites from the period, and I think it ranks above peers like Limp Bizkit or Korn (which have appeared on this list for me), which I think are good for exposure, but not more than 3 stars. This deserves a slightly higher rank than both of those.
Kicks ass. The rock/rap hybrid doesn’t age super well at times but it’s still a very unique and consistent listen. Goes even harder when on a run
There are definitely some really great songs here, but I do have a couple problems with this album. 1. The guitar tones aren't great and sound pretty dated 2. The production has always put me off of this album, I can't explain it but it seems a little too clean and perfect 3. I am not a fan of Mike Shinoda's rap parts. Besides that, there are some good songs here. Low 4.
probably not gonna be a very popular album among the people in this group, but i really liked this
I avoided this when I was a teenager because it seemed too "mainstream". I was just that cool. I've since heard a lot of the songs, so I was interested to see how the album as a whole would stand up and it's really solid. I get why it was popular. The layering of sounds is interesting and Chester's voice is obviously iconic. I kind of missed a trick as a teenager ignoring this.
it's corny and kind of bad but also pretty fun (yes i listened to this a lot between the ages of 9 and 12 why do you ask)
I unashamedly like numetal but will freely admit that the majority of full length records in the genre are majority filler slop to pad out a 40 minute runtime between the hit tracks about hating your stepfather. Hybrid Theory was critically acclaimed because it bucks the trend by being a listenable album start to finish. Truly a landmark for the genre. This album is the soundtrack to a thousand AMVs and dodgy YouTube stop motion animations. It’s fucking sick and if you look down on the lyricism as cringe or dated you need to take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror and a long huff of whatever air duster you have in the house then listen again.
This is a must listen if only as a document of the movement that linkin park was such a big part of. I’m not going into the pointless debate of whether they were real punks or not. They did what they did. And they did it well. 4 stars. 3 for the album. And one for a post 1990s album that should be here.
This album hit harder than I expected, I came into this album with low expectations because when I saw it was listed as rap rock and my mind went straight to RHCP and a flow of disappointment rushed over me. Thankfully it was nothing like that. Chester's vocals on this are so damn immaculate, it's the best achievement on this record (RIP to the legend). Only second to the production of course. Having listened to couple of mellow records previously this was a nice breath of fresh air. Hard-hitting, conscious, and manic. This was a great listen. Top 3 Favorites: With You, In The End, and Crawling no bad songs 4.00/5
Surprisingly, given my age and my music taste, this is the first time I've actually listened to this all the way through. It's a decent nu metal record. Way overplayed back in the day which is probably why I never listened to it.
Linkin Park. chido
nice to go back to and relive. great album
oh yeah. deep cuts were great after only hearing the hits
7.5/10
4/5. It is clear they took influence from previous rock bands while incorporating their own style. A good building on the genre.
RIP Chester Bennington. Favourite Songs: Papercut, One Step Closer, Crawling, In The End Least Favourite Songs: Forgotten, Cure for the Itch.
So much hate in the top comments but this came about to fill a hole for a lot of kids… I didn’t give it much attention at the time but it got big for a reason. Listening now it is a bit gimmicky, but what other debut album isn’t, at least somewhat. IMO Linkin Park got better with time, but this is a solid debut. 3.75/5
Pretty solid
Bring out the angsty middle schooler in me
Another instance of me being so happy to be born when I was, I don’t think I would be as open or receptive to how beautiful this album is if I were much older. The amount of sonic textures and different things happening on each song is amazing. BT-style stutter edits of Chester Bennington & Mike Shinodas voices. The heavy guitar powerchords. All sorts of bitcrush, lowpass and highpass filters. It’s all perfectly busy and full. Both “Crawling” & “In The End” are generational anthems with iconic choruses and lead melodies. “Forgotten” is my deep cut pick on the record. “Cure For The Itch” is incredible because it sounds like it for sure was made for the matrix movie, in a very earnest, cool way. “High Voltage” is a sweet bonus track, notable both for how it talks about what the numetal wave was experiencing in its newness at the time, and also admittedly being a bit campy. And that brings me to my only pitfall of this record - how campy, angsty, and slightly cringy it can be. I totally get it! Those things haven’t deterred me from enjoying the hell out of it, but I get it if that puts up a wall for you. Chester Bennington had such a one-of-a-kind voice, and he had it from the very start. Say what you will about Mike Shinoda’s whiteboy style of rapping, but the two for each other like a glove, such a perfect dynamic. A most respectful 4/5 stars
Solid all the way through, heavy hip hip influence while managing to define a new(ish) genre.
Actually think I enjoyed it more this time than when I was 18 with my criminal damage jeans and new rocks
Nostalgic it reminds me of old times
4/5
I TRIED SO HARD to dislike this album. BUT IN THE END, IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER that I tried, because this album was quite good. Good punk album, would rate 4.5 stars if I could. :)
Certified classic, didn't age poorly
It's a teenage angst classic. hasn't lost it's power.
It starts with one thing... Nu Metal hasn't aged well, Linkin Park (2000–2017) moved beyond it with every subsequent release, so how does one accurately review this? 21 year old me LOVED THE SHIT out of this back in the day, but 21 year old me LOVED THE SHIT out of Limp Bizkit too, 46 year old me tried to listen to this through that modern day prism and found myself almost angry at myself for doing so. I was reminded of all the derogatory "nu metal boy band" reviews this album got on release, and apparently still get on this site, when people should be celebrating the band no one thought would amount to shit overcoming record label odds and selling 16M copies of their debut album... No one does that anymore, and it was only 25 years ago. But in the end, it doesn't really matter... The band we know died with Chester Bennington, and the greatness they deserved was only really bestowed posthumously. This isn't their best work, but this is a great album.
vannak jo trackek de nem a vibeom a linkin park
Wow, I did not expect to like that! I kind of rolled my eyes when this came up, but the songs are so darn energetic and catchy. I wouldn’t mind if some of these start showing up on my Spotify playlists.
Apparently One Step Closer is about his manager having too much creative input into the band. I've had similar feelings towards my colleagues
The lyrics are incredibly cheesy, but the singing style is low-key iconic. Specifically, the little bits of rap, and the transition from singing to screaming. The sound itself is also pretty iconic, the heavily produced sounds, and the guitars distorted to Hell and back. I think you can't really talk about music in the early 2000s without at least mentioning Linkin Park, for better or worse. I think there's two ways to think about this album, its longevity and its immediate impact. I don't think album has aged particularly well, and I think it will continue to age poorly, but it was such an important album to when it came out. Generally, people feel one way or the other about Linkin Park and trying to balance those two perspectives in a ranking is really hard to do. Favorite Song(s): Crawling, In the End, A Place for My Head
I shouldn't like Linkin PArk - but I do!
Catchy yet real emotions
I thought they were contrived and cheesy when they came out......but so what!? Their songs rock. Top tier workout music.
Some songs I knew but didn't know they were on this album like one step closer and crawling. In the end is the obvious highlight though. A pretty sklid album especially if you're into this style of music!
Now we're talkin. I didn't really listen to them growing up, but I've come to like their stuff more, especially their newest album
I can't pretend I listen to this type of music very often now, but it's still good, bar a couple of really shouty ones on side 2. I remember it seemed genuinely cool, different and exciting at the time. I also remember two 8 yr old boys in my class, back then, who thought it was brilliant, and one of them was still playing guitar in a band last time I checked, which is cool. I don't know if LP originated the idea of rap + rock vocals interplaying with each other, but it works really well and definitely had impact. In The End still sounds great. As I write this, they've recently resurrected with a female singer in place of poor Chester. Maybe I should check them out anew.
Best album of all time in it's genre.
I’ve never been the biggest fan of Linkin Park. I think their music is good, but never lived up to the hype for me. This album kind of matches those feelings. Some good songs, and a lot of songs that sounded the same throughout. I get why people love them, but just not really for me.
when you compare Linkin Park and their debut album to many of their nu metal contemporaries, it's clear that they had a unique approach to combining metal and hip hop. founding member Mike Shinoda's study of the rap game as an MC, producer and scratcher is on full display across all 12 tracks of the aptly-titled Hybrid Theory; the more electronic flourishes and glitches strewn across the tracklist add a lot to the presentation. Rob Bourdon's drumming is suitably funky, but with an unmistakably metallic attack. and, of course, Chester Bennington is the full package as far as a metal frontman goes; he can sing like an angel, but his screams communicate a ton of intensity. (all the old reviews from metal uncs about how this album is supposedly "fake" or "immature" are very confusing to me.) Shinoda's presence as a vocalist is somewhat underwhelming; his rapping is easily the weakest link of the band, but I don't think it ever flat-out ruins any of these songs. it's probably not fair to compare him with Bennington, but it's hard not to when they share so much space. occasionally, I find that the songs themselves are structured in ways that kneecap their potential. I think the chorus of "Crawling" would hit a lot harder if the song didn't start with it; "By Myself" opens with one of Brad Delson's heaviest riffs, then immediately goes into a quiet Shinoda bit; "A Place for My Head" appends a Shinoda rap to the final breakdown where Bennington's screams by themselves were more than enough to carry the song to the finish line. my friend (and LP superfan) Cas pointed out that, while the band were undeniably their own creative force (and an intriguing one at that!), they were also businessmen working for Warner, one of the most major of all major labels. so, from time to time, a decision gets made that I get the feeling was not the band's own. I'd love to hear a more uninhibited version of this sound. light 7/10.
Really enjoyed it - great tunes and lyrics - nice memories of being a teen :) thx!
Listen again: yes Favourite track: Points of Authority No skip album: no 9/10
I still have "One Step Closer" on CD single. #339 on my all time Last.fm artists but I reckon I played this album more than a few times pre-scrobble era
El disco es realmente muy bueno. No lo tenía tan escuchado y me sorprendió. Con razón tanta repercusión. Nunca será mi estilo de música pero toca reconocer.
I owe my then 15 year old self that much
This was the peak of rap rock (nu-metal?). Sounds dated, but still kind of holds up.
# Album Name: Hybrid Theory # Artist: Linkin Park # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: I didnt mind a bit of Nu-metal as a kid. I felt hybrid theory really tipped it into the mainstream. This album was being played everywhere. And i mean everywhere. Imo, its problem linkin park at their best. The album has aged to my old ears. Definitely feels "of the time". Or at least to me. Some of the style has aged badly. The singles were strong on this album but theres also other tracks which are good too - P.o.A, Runaway, By myself. Overall, a good listen. Takes me back. Much prefer this to the later linkin park stuff. I'd give this a low 4. # Top Tunes: Papercut / OSC / Crawling # Would I listen to it again? Yes
Very strong. Only a few skips for me. Some absolute classics
I always thought these guys were overrated. I know the “hits” but was glad to listen to the full collection. Nu Metal that were as big as Metallica at one point. That’s when I was kinda lost on Metallica. But this was better than I expected. I fully expected to give an average 3 stars but I can see rounding up here. Sad story about lead vocalist Chester.
first time heard in full 3,5-4 round up to 4
Fun to revisit this one. A time capsule, for sure.
Very nostalgic, will always have strong memories associated with this one. Makes me think of friends and times gone by. Good.
275/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
• 4/5 • apex of the nu-metal/rap rock heyday; not my favorite genre, but great in moderation
看到这个封面直接头皮发麻，中学的回忆，金属入门
I have listened to this album loads of times. It's a classic, no bad songs.
NU METAL CLASSIC, IGNORE THE OLD HEADS MOANING BECAUSE ITS NOT ELVIS. THIS ALBUMS INFLUENCE CAN NOT BE UNDERSTATED. 4/5
Man, this album feels nostalgic. Not that it has to rely on nostalgia for it to be good in my opinion. Chester's voice is still one of the greatest, and the whole album is feel with some great riffs and electronic textures.
Hits me right in the nostalgia.
I know Linkin park gets a lot of criticism but this album probably got a lot of people into heavier music. Has a few pretty good songs as well
This is an interesting album. I'd heard almost every song on it, but had never listened to them together. Overall, it's really solid. I'll never be a big fan of nu metal, since it is objectively the worst subgenre to ever become popular, but the music is good overall, the rapping is surprisingly good, and the whinyness of the lyrics is tolerable. This is one of those albums that I feel like I had to go on a long musical journey to really appreciate, since I rejected anything related to this genre when it was popular, so perhaps the real hero here is me 4/5
honestly? it goes.
I was an angst-fueled, recently 17 year old when Linkin Park debuted with this masterpiece at the start of my junior year of high school. I had the CD on constant repeat and my parents hated it, but I didn't care, because unlike mom and dad, LP understood my pain. These days, I lack that teen rage and angst and looking at the rest of the reviews on here, a lot of the people are in the same boat. That said, I'm happy to overlook some of the cringe lyrics and fairly dated nu-metal sound and give it an extra star for the nostalgia it brought me listening to this album for the first time in probably close to 20 years.
Coming of age classic for me
Not my favourite Linkin Park album, but in the end it doesn't even matter...
rating system for future reference: 5--> perfect, more than 4 fav songs, on repeat 4--> at least 1 favorite, very good but not top tier 3--> no favorites but still good, will probably listen to again, not anything special but generally good 2--> subjectively bad, boring, not worth the time, mediocre 1-->Abomination, offensively bad
When I was 13/14, I got into nu-metal for a while, with Limp Bizkit and Papa Roach being favourites. Lots of my friends were into Linkin Park, but for whatever reason I never spent much time with this album. A couple of years later, I thought nu-metal was tragic and I never looked back without embarrassment. I remember getting dragged to see Linkin Park at a festival one time, and I felt they were deeply uncool. Now I'm middle-aged and beyond embarrassment: I doubt I would enjoy Limp Bizkit or Papa Roach... but damn, Hybrid Theory is a solid album. The clean, simple, medium-heavy riffs and rhythms are solid throughout. Song structure and album pacing are enjoyable. The minor elements of hip-hop are nice, and could maybe be a bit more pronounced. The vocalist is good, although some elements of the delivery and lyrics are screaming "adolescent first relationship angst" (I guess it is to be expected). Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised. I probably would have enjoyed this even more in 2001 if I had given it a fair chance. 4*
I can be persuaded to enjoy some Linkin park
Somehow better than I remember it growing up. It dwindles the slightest bit a lot the end but still great overall
Honestly a great album. What Linkin Park did to mix hip hop and commercial metal music is an interesting feat and still are bangers
If evoking a physical reaction is an indicator of an album's worth, this would be a 5. I listened while going for a run and each catchy hook or riff gave me a boost of energy. S/O to Collision Course which arguably does this even better and features the best parts of this album. About the sweet spot of heaviness in rock that I enjoy. Memberberry-evoking and sing/rap-a-long as it might be, the content is objectively hackneyed, of a time, and not infinitely listenable, especially some of the latter songs.
Enjoyed it
Linkin Park goes way harder than I remember! While they don't Reach RATM levels of awesome, they far surpass the Limp Bizkit space I had consigned them.
An album I grew up with. Crawling, In The End, One Step Closer... Solid album, still a good listen
meteora is my life album from the second half of my 8th grade to now, because everything on it are somehow all self-doubt teen angst anthem. hybrid theory is similar. i like the whole album a fucking lot, especially "in the end", because it's just so suitable for high schoolers. sorry, boomers. i'd like to give it a 4 instead of a fucking 1. 4/5
Childhood classic. Between 3 and 4
Some of these are still bangers!
Listened to this while playing Anachrony. It's a long game...so this is the second album I've listened to and still don't know if I'm winning or losing. So I took a deep breath in before starting the album because I thought "oh great...a Linkin Park album." I'm kind of shocked by how much of the album I was totally familiar with, and the stuff I didn't know was still pretty great.
Iconic sound. LP hit a vein of gold and then milked it for all it was worth. This album was for all those angsty teens existing without normalized therapy and proper mental health awareness. Hits like a greatest hits album.
I am not a big metal fan. Not even really much of a hard rock fan really. So at first I was like "asch, a heavy metal album." I was wrong. This is sometimes hard rock, but often a hybrid of numerous genres, hip-hop, electronica, rap... and it works really really well. Extra shout out that this was a debut album! I was actually kind of blown away by how good this actually is. I had been judging a book by its cover and got caught out. I am glad I did! Worth a listen? Absolutely!
a childhood classic
Good album! Not my usual genre but this has to be one of the best rap/rock albums. 4/5!
This one was formative for me so it's going to be a bit biased. Even though the sound is dated and nu metal is a meme, the album holds up. 4/5
If you would have asked me five years ago to listen to this album and write a review of it, I probably wouldn’t have even listened to it. Instead, I would have just written a diatribe about how Linkin Park is for trailer park losers, and how all their music is shit. Thankfully, I’ve grown a bit as a person, and thanks to undertaking this project, I’m going to give this album a fair shake, even though Linkin Park is not really my jam. To further soften my attitude towards Linkin Park, the newest episode of 60 Songs That Explain the 90’s: The 2000’s covered “In the End,” which really gave me a better appreciation for this album. As a teenager, I honestly liked Linkin Park (I owned Reanimation), so I know a handful of songs on this album. However, at some point in the later part of my time in high school, the popular consensus was that Linkin Park was lame, and as someone who was desperate to be liked and accepted, I abandoned my like for them. I guess it’s time for Linkin Park to try to earn some redemption with me, now that it’s been over twenty years. I’m ready to go one step closer (and hopefully not break)! This album was much better than I would have ever thought. Yes, it’s not really my style, but I think it’s really well done, and I think it would be foolish to discount the fact that this album sold over 12 million copies in the States. The overall sound is incredibly catchy, and I especially enjoyed how the electronic elements were used throughout the album. While the lyrics are a little too ‘teen angst’ for my taste, I did enjoy Mike Shinoda’s rapping swapping out with Chester Bennington’s signing. I don’t know how Chester would go between screaming and singing like that; if I were to try to scream like that, I’d last about thirty seconds before my throat would be irreparably damaged. As far as the individual songs go, the songs that had heavier use of electronic elements were my favorites: “Papercut,” “Crawling,” and “Runaway” were the best songs on the album in my opinion. The rest of the songs ranged from ‘fine’ to ‘pretty good,’ and there wasn’t really anything that I found to be too off-putting. Some songs did feel a bit like filler, and the sound did get a bit repetitive at times, but the members of Linkin Park have some pretty decent musical chops, and they know how to write catchy songs. This isn’t the type of album that I’d come back to, but I still think it’s pretty good, and I definitely prefer it to a lot of the other hard rock albums from this era that I’ve reviewed so far.
an undisputed nu-metal classic full of angst, tasteful albeit, at times, still conventional production, as well as highly passionate lyricism and vocal work. while some of the deep cuts falter a bit by sticking to the formula, they're still solid songs, plus they're easy to forgive due to how many all-timers this record has spawned.
I think this was my first time ever listening to them, and I can really see that bands like Smash Into Pieces were heavily inspired by them lol. But I really enjoyed it
Why the hell do I like this album so much? I could easily chalk it up to being a child of the 2000s and call it a day, but there’s something more here, from the massive glitchy production to the killer riffs to the legitimate hooks permeating almost every song. Linkin Park are very easy to mock, but I will stand by this forever as a genuinely good album. Best song: With You
This album goes so hard. I remember blasting this in my room as an angsty teen. RIP Chester.
I am baffled that Hybrid Theory was Linkin Park's debut album. Their mastery level is sky high. I mean, Linkin Park went hard in every song and don't let up the whole album. Their usage of using alternative with metal and rap made their music so accessible. And their lyrics are so descriptive--perfect for an angry teenager perhaps, but descriptive nevertheless.
Nu-metal: a sort of cross between metal and hip hop. It's. ery good and has clearly been very influential. 'In the end' is a standout, but it's all pretty good. Not what I'd normally listen to, but uneniably an important album.
11/18/24. I've listened to this album countless times! Will always be a Linkin Park fan as I grew up with them, and some unforgettable tracks on this one.
I hate to say this, but I rather liked the album. Still not sure why I HAVE to listen to it though.
Hybrid Theory - Linkin Park 76/100 , (Official Rating: 7.6/10) Posted on, “Album of the Year," "Rate Your Music" and “ MJ’s Album Reviews.” Official Ranking of the Year: Genre: Nu Metal, Artist: Linkin Park Date: 11/14/24. “Without the help from Bennington and Shinoda, this album would have sounded like your typical Nu Metal album, however those fast pace lyrics from Mike and power defining vocals from Bennington help shape the albums craft into something unique or special.”
not having half stars is annoying
Linkin Park to me are a mashup of punk and rap although the young generation may think different. I had to listen to this album when my son was a teenager so yes I love it.
Great album, full of bangers.
Decent
Fuck yeah
Liked it very much. 8/10
This is so cathartic. Insanely heavy riffs with record scratches, rapping and soaring vocals. (Plus the screaming. I never used to like stuff like that but the screaming was really hitting today.) I didn’t listen to Linkin Park much as a teenager. I know the big songs off this album (they’re still great) but most of this was new for me. It’s fantastic. Just one banger after another fueled by powerful, earnest emotions.
Power album, if perhaps a little bit too homogeneous. 8/10
Throwback Thursday Review: Linkin Park: Hybrid Theory (2000) Genres: Nu Metal, Alternative Metal, Alternative Rock For the most part, Nu Metal is a genre I have a hard time getting into. I only think Korn is OK, and the less I have to hear Limp Bizkit the better. But Linkin Park is one band that I've changed my opinion in recent years. After Chester Bennington's death, I checked out Hybrid Theory to see if my opinion changed. Hearing the album "Amends" that Grey Daze released in 2020 also made me reevaluate the band. I'd also heard that after "Meteora", they pretty much dropped the Nu Metal sound. All right, enough rambling. This is a great debut. Chester's vocals are great for the angst, and I like Mike Shinoda's rapping, especially on "One Step Closer" and one of the band's most famous songs, "In the End". Best songs: "Papercut", "One Step Closer" "Runaway", " In the End"
Lots of nostalgic bangers on this one.
I obviously know Hybrid Theory inside out and back to front and all of that, hard to believe it's nearly 25 years old because I remember listening to it as a teenager and I've listened to most of it regularly ever since. This whole 1001 albums endeavour has always been a bit weird because you try to be objective about evaluating a lot of stuff you've not heard before alongside a load of stuff you have and, in a lot of those cases your preferences conflict with conventional wisdom about what's good and what's bad. Nu-metal got a terrible rap (lol) in general, mostly deserved, but I was into it for a little while and maybe more importantly it then shaped my listening habits by exploring other genres around it and finding a whole load of stuff in the metal/rock/hardcore genre that makes up the core of what I've listened to for a long time ever since, so this is pretty influential for me in isolation. I think Linkin Park also showed they had the chops to become a whole lot more diverse than others in the genre, not just collabs with Jay-Z or whatever, but the maturity of their sound and their themes separated them from the likes of Limp Bizkit, who they were kinda tied at the hip with for a while because of when they broke through. Chester Bennington was also one of the better vocalists of the 2000s of course. Anyway, the album is pretty strong, Chester and Mike bouncing off each other's vocal stylings on top of heavy, meaty riffs with enough from Joe Hahn to make it interesting but not stupidly OTT with the turntabling, and proper emotion in the execution which I've mentioned for a fuckton of albums on this list as a decisive factor for me, I need to feel something in a song for it to grab me. When I was 15/16 With You and In The End were probably my favourite songs; the latter has become sort of timeless but as time has gone on I've grown to really like Pushing Me Away and Forgotten at the back end of the album, both tracks which were easily forgotten when this launched/was big because the front of the album is loaded with three big singles. It's definitely not flawless, it's a little overproduced and it's definitely lyrically...simplistic compared to Meteora/Minutes To Midnight certainly and then obviously everything that came after, but it's still a real favourite of mine. I do prefer Meteora by comparison and I'd give that 5/5 if it got on here, it doesn't, and while I'm tempted to give this 5/5 for just how much I've listened to it, I'll give it a very high 4/5. As a side note it's still super weird to me that Emily Armstrong is now their lead singer, not because of her replacing Chester or whatever, but because for 6-7 years or so I've been a big fan of Dead Sara that pretty much nobody else I know listened to, I saw them in London a coupla years ago in a crowd of 150 in a tiny pub in Haggerston and had a whale of a time but now she's fronting one of the most recognisable groups in the world. Mad.
Can't review this one fairly, one of the first albums I got without guidance from my dad. Asked for it for Christmas, my parents bought it for me on behalf of my grandma (who refused to buy it due to the 'explicit lyrics' stamp on the CD case) and then made sure in my thank you letter to her I only referred to it as 'the CD you got me'... Know it almost off by heart, bit rusty on some of the ropier songs in the second half but otherwise word perfect. I definitely prefer some of the versions they did on their remix album (W>th_You in particular a big improvement), but this still hits for me, and I can look past most of the over production (though Cure For The Itch made me cringe a bit even as a ten year old listening to it for the first time). 4/5.
some huge tracks and I actually preferred it with age
This was probably a 5* to me when I was 13 years old.
Love
Why does this hold up so well.
Nu metal with a twist....
good but not mine today
80 albums in. Finally, a kind-of rock album. Much better than I was expecting. Reminds me of early 2000s Evans Blue.
Pretty classic
before: VERY curious!! while listening: I did like every song, but it wasn’t extraordinary. all the songs sounded quite the same, except of ‘Cure For The Itch’
Featuring some good songs, some were a bit noisy
el meo corte
I hadnt listened to this for years and it came back and put a smile on my face. Yes it was sacrilegious to some to take metal and water it down with pop, rap and some scratching but they do it well, they gave an outlet for anger for a nice middle class generation and it's stood the test of time.
a lot of bangers here. Do I really like Linkin Park?
I tend to shit on LP more than I praise them, but it's mainly because their music was everywhere in the early 2000s. Now that I've had a respite from them for a while, it was refreshing to hear. 3.5/5
Another album of my high school and college years.
I quite like this! I like how it goes from quiet guitar to rap (with no bitches or hoes) to the yellscreamy scratchy opera-industrial chorus. I like the introspective and emotional subject matter of the songs too. Great for yelling along with.
I know this is a bit teenage angsty and all that but I still really like it. I can shout along with all the lyrics and it’s quite cathartic. It’s heavy but also melodic which suits me
I still love this album. 4.5
A lot of nostalgia carrying these tracks. 4.2 stars
Some all time great songs with some ok songs
I know this is an important album from many people's youth. I was 25-26 when it came out, so I missed that by a few years, so I can't connect a lot to the angst, but I can still hear the appeal. It feels like the right amount of anger expressed at the world without feeling too antisocial. I could listen to this again. Favorite track: One Step Closer
I miss early 2000's unashamed edge. They actually thought this shit was unironically cool back then. AND THEY WERE RIGHT. (8 year old me thought so)
Liked more than expected, album still sounds fresh and relevant 24 years later but a bit repetitive. Favorite tracks - cure for the itch, runaway, a place for my head
Nu metal was a bit of an unwanted guest back in my peak music TV watching era in the early 2000s and at the time I had no time for linkin park either especially with the weird MC shit and all the remixes however having a chance to look back objectively without a teenage strop on I can say this album was very good and there's a reason why these were so popular rather than say papa roach or something truly awful
Knew the hits. The other songs were good. My only complaint was that the whole album sounded like one continuous track.
La energía y persistencia.
Great album. Loved it. Appreciated the history behind the album
Not the biggest fan of this type of music. But can't deny the musicianship.
Good
Listening back now, it doesn't quite hit the same as it did when I was 11 - but gosh darn its pretty close!
Angsty
did someone say: the resurgence of my emo phase?
09.04.24 | Listened on the train from Malaga to Madrid | Nostalgic, angsty, has the right amount of dissonance while still flowing well
At face vale I enjoyed this but I do get some of the criticisms. Will give them the benefit of the doubt.
Loved it. Great album, surprisingly no one noticed how troubled Chester really was. RIP
Love linkin park I think I prefer Meteora tho
Nostalgia does a lot of the heavy lifting here, but I was the prime age to enjoy this when it came out and I still do.
The music, by which I mean the guitar, etc, is an interesting mix of different styles. It fits in well with the era by being heavy at points, has that alternative to metal vibe, mixes in some scratching and other stylistic elements. The singing, however, is a different matter. The whole one guy singing, then one guy screaming angrily, then singing again, back and forth, then the guy singing holding a note while the other guy screams a line over him thing is ok, kinda cool even. Once or twice. A whole album of it gets rather old. It’s still a good album, and even lyrically it has times it works well. Sometimes they’re even a little off that script. On a side note, I’ve never really been able to get too into Linkin Park because I saw them in concert shortly after this album came out and before they got really big. They headlined a concert with Cypress Hill opening. That was the mistake. Cypress Hill hit the stage like a storm and had an amazing show. Total energy. I’m not even a big fan, but it was great. At one point B Real (I think, this was almost 25 years ago) threw off his hat and dove into the crowd. Linkin Park came out and did a decent show. Had t I not just seen Cypress Hill I would have probably thought they were really good even. But comparatively, it was pretty tame. For the energy of the album, it wasn’t up to par. Then one of the singers interacted with the crowd too. But he got carried by a security guy so he could high five the front row. One of the lamest things I’ve ever seen in a rock show. Especially after your opening act just crowd surfed. Haven’t been able to think of them anyway since. But, trying to be objective, this is I suppose a pretty solid album and I guess I’ll round up to a 4.
I never really listened to this when it was new. A lot of my friends did and really liked it. I of course knew a few of the songs, mostly the hits that were on the radio at that time. What I did find interesting though, is that listening now in 2024 it sounds so generic, but thinking back on it, it's only generic now because so many other bands imitated them. I definitely give them credit for being innovative.
A lot of hard, nice songs. Strange, cool, hard, soft, ...
This is a bit of a hard one to rate. I know this album well, it helped me get through a dark time in my life. Listening to it now with quite a few more years under my belt, well I'm hearing it differently. The production isn't the greatest, over compressed and processed to the point of absurdity. But that begs the question - would this album have gotten so big if it was done better? Even though it's far from perfect I'm giving it an extra point for nostalgia.
I know rap rock is polarizing, and I definitely don’t love it, but Linkin Park is the exception for me. That conclusion is fully aided and abetted by a healthy dose of nostalgia. This album in particular reminds me of taking my mom’s ipod on road trips, as well as going on LP binges after seeing the Transformers movies. Those movies may be dogshit, but like Twilight, they still managed some decent spots on their soundtracks.
Det er kæmpe bangers fra ende til anden, og var i fast rotation på min CD afspiller i starten af det nye årtusinde. Man kan (med rette?) beskylde Linkin Park for at være en one trick pony. Det er samme opskrift der går igen og igen: power chords, scatching, breakdowns og vekselvirkning mellem Chester der synger melodisk, rap fra ham den anden og så Chester der skriger sin sjæl ud. Men hold nu kæft hvor virker det bare. I den (hellige?) tre-enighed af Nu-Metal bands var Limp Bizkit the jock, Korn var de mærkelige outcasts mens Linkin Park må betegnes som den indadvendte loner fyldt af (selv)had. Det skyldes nok ikke mindst Chesters lyriske univers. Det kan godt blive lidt meget i længden at høre om hvor trist, såret og sur han er. Men når humøret er til det er det også et fantastisk outlet at lytte til. Nogle dage er det lige det album man har brug for. Andre dage er det alt for meget. Måske fordi det er små barnligt i sin tilgang til verdenen. Hele albummet har en umodenhed over sig og måske det derfor passede så godt til mig da det kom ud, men også hvorfor jeg er vokset fra albummet nu. En ting er dog sikkert: det her er kæmpe gateway-metal.
I forgot what a strong debut album this was, and I don’t know that I have ever listened all the way through as one offering. “Crawling” is my fav track and a timeless guttural punch that more than holds up over two decades later. This band and others such as Limp Bizcut blurred the traditional lines between rap, metal and grunge which was an interesting turn in the late 90’s/ early 00’s. Several other strong hits on this one and it is a cohesive play through. Very strong 4. 4.25/5
This album was a gut punch then, and surprisingly still has some solid moments 20+ years later. Most songs sound pretty similar in tone and feel, but their short n sweet length inevitably doesn’t really detract from an overall homogenized sound. Obvious standouts like the ubiquitous “In The End” put these guys in a class of their own unlike other cheesy nu metal acts like Limp Bizkit or Papa Roach, etc. Rating up due to ingenuity and influence.
Whooo…this is hitting in some of my formative music years so def getting some nostalgia cred. You know I was cruising around as a senior in high school blasting this out of my red ford tempo. No sound system so pretty cool listening to this again on some nicer speakers and hearing how deep and industrial and awesome the guitar is. God damn, the screams! RIP Chester. Don’t suffer in silence…please talk to someone if you need help 🙏
Angsty high school Eric is very pleased with this nostalgia bomb. 3.75/5
A classic album of my teenage years, though I much prefer Reanimation. It's just fun. Yes, your brain would rot if you only listened to 2000s nu-metal, but it's ok to have it every once in a while.
Whoa, lots of hate for this one! All I can say is I didn't have therapy in high school, but I did have this album, and it's one that helped me process and cope with some complicated emotions. I enjoyed listening to this one again, and I think it still holds up.
Overall this isn't so much my thing. Too angsty for me. I understand there's a lot to be pissed off and sad about in the world. They kind of sound like a cross between Limp Bizkit and Incubus but they sound better than either of them.
He was really going through it. I hate that he had a childhood that messed him up so badly, but he made some pretty kickass music from his trauma. These songs are deeply emotional and angry, and the anger is kind of beautiful. A lot of the songs sound pretty similar and almost formulaic, but I really like how they’re composed. A little more variety would’ve been cool though, and I needed a break after a first listen. I like a lot of the songs individually, but listening to the whole album at once got pretty depressing. It’s a heavy one. RIP to another tortured soul.
Great album
Takes me back to being 10 years old and watching cringey anime AMVs. Hard to listen with fresh ears to an album that is so evocative of a time in my life, but I tried and actually enjoyed this album quite a lot.
Absolute fire from start til finish. Been trying to find an excuse to listen to this album for a while and I'm quite happy I did. Chesters screams are fantastic too.
4 stars Fav: Papercut, One Step Closer Least: N/A
No puedo creer que había pasado tanto tiempo sin escuchar a linkin park. Realmente me gustó
Pretty damn good for the first time of listening!
I love this album because I used to listen to it a lot when I was a preteen. 4/5
I know the album quite well having heard it a lot when it was released. Still sounds pretty good on re-listen. It's a bit emo but probably the best album I've heard that came out of the nu-metal thing in the early 2000's. Gets a higher score probably for the sheer nostalgia value.
Podoba mi się. LP kojarzy mi się z Matrixem, więc to ciepłe wspomnienia. Utwory są jednocześnie melancholijne i mocne, uderzają w uczucia. 4/5
Loved this album in high school and I still love it
4.1/5 listened 4x + bonus tracks. loved this when first released and been a while, but still a great album.
Loved this is my early 20s and still a great listen now. 4 stars for the sake of nostalgia.
Game-changer in the genre, high school for me so seminal.
Good stuff
This album marked a massive change in rock production to come. Sure the name Hybrid Theory could mean many things referring to the many genres represented here but to me it was the hybrid of a rock band and the newest (at that time) pro recording technology. Producer Don Gilmore and team utilized everything Pro Tools had to offer. Beat Detective and Sound Replacer are heavily used here on drummer Rob Bourdon getting that almost programmed sound on the drums. Autotune was already an industry standard at this time and is used tastefully here. All the boy band vocal stutter edits are all over this album too. The guitar mutes that are perfectly aligned on the grid, along with all the synths, samplers, drum programming, all of this gives it such an electronic feel. Yet because of all the human elements involved it still has an organic feel too. Sure these plug ins and editing techniques were available for years but they were never used so extensively on a rock/metal record until this album. If you don’t realize what an impact this album had, listen to newer alternative metal/metalcore bands like Bring Me The Horizon or Architechs and you will hear every one of the elements I just listed as well as many sonic similarities, minus the rapping. 25 years later and this album still reverberates in the contemporary respective genres. I put this album on today with every intention of dragging it through the mud given the negative connotation of the rap metal element that is now so divisive basically becoming the disco of my generation. But I couldn’t do it, this album was ground breaking on so many levels and the amount of work that was put into these songs is undeniable and if you listen with an open mind you’ll hear it’s relevance today. 4.5
I never thought I would be listening to this one again. I gave it several spins when it came out. I had a really cool experience with them I'll never forget. I saw them play in Birmingham before they were really big, and I met them afterward. My friends and I got on their tour bus and we played Playstation. At one point, Chester picked up an acoustic guitar and started playing Alice in Chains, and I did the harmonies with him. He did the Stayley parts, of course. It was really fun. A few months later, they were huge. This album was good when it came out. I'm a big fan of turntables, so I like that aspect of it. I kinda just stopped listening to them after this album. Not sure if it was it was a phase, or my tastes changed. I like Forgotten.
I have kind of an odd relationship with rap rock. RHCP is one of my favorite all time bands yet upon hearing Limp Bizkit for the first few times, I thought they were pure silliness apart from the bass, guitar and drums. Alright I'll say it Fred kills the whole band once he opens his mouth. 'Biloxxxiiii hewwwww'!!!!! I think rap rock can be done in an obnoxious,.corny or silly way, or it can be done in an energetic, thoughtful and genuine way. RHCP, RATM, 311, (early) Deftones, Dial 7, and Two Skinnee J's make the cool list for me and Kid Rock, Papa Roach, and Limp Bizkit mostly make the bleh list for me. Linkin Park seemed to have an almost cult following when they broke. At the time I didn't dislike them, but then I wasn't a super fan either. Listening to this album all these years later I have to say they make the cool guys list. I feel like a lot of thought was put in to this musically to meld the hip hop and rock parts together. The vocal arrangements have to be synched up right to have a good effect. I didn't know much about Chester until his passing but his lyrical content seem to reveal an unstable home life as a child maybe? 'Cure For the Itch' is a masterpiece and if that's Mr. Han really scratching then hats off to him for performing original hip hop. A few of these other songs were absolutely played to death on the radio, which funnily enough made it easy for me to kind of tune them out as background noise. Giving this a focused listen I have to say I like a lot of what I hear.
Haven't listened to much Nu metal, but I really enjoyed this one. More than I thought I would honestly. The only song I knew ahead of time was "In the End", which I like. But there was a lot of good, intense stuff.
:')
While I don't think it's their best record, Linkin Park has such a unique and powerful sound that can't be found anywhere else. Their music as a whole influences so much, and a lot of that can be found right here. They do a fantastic job of sewing real emotions into their songs and it stands tall to this day. Favorites were Crawling, In The End, and A Place for my Head
Clássico!
Day 37 of listening to 1001 albums, one album at a time. Linkin Park will I think always have a pretty big impact on music as whole for bring Rap Metal to the mainstream. Hybrid Theory is a pretty wonderful display of this band. While I don’t think the entire is as solid as it could be it’s still a good album that shows this interesting sound for the 2000s. It a pretty dark approach for a first album and I have to respect while this album is a bit mainstream it is at its core an album with some heavy topics. I liked it and it’s cool to see Linkin Parks beginnings.
From their few hits I knew this was exactly as I expected. I like their sound, but I have to admit they do give off im14andthisisdeep vibes. Stand-out: One Step Closer
https://1001albumsgenerator.com/dhiruxo?bokachoda=madarchod That remind me of my favorite number, 262144 First of all, it is 218. How cool are the powers of 2? Everyone loves powers of 2, am I right? Secondly, the square root of 2^6^2^1^4^4 is 262144. What a cool and interesting self referential number! I love 262144 so much
So much angst. I love this band, and in the end shows the promise they had, but it’s definitely still raw and unfinished. Definitely fun to listen to, but far from being great.
I missed the Linkin Park train growing up, was never really a fan, but the music brings me right back to my pre-adolescent angst years anyway. In The End will probably stay with me forever, it's so quotable.
Great record, a staple of 00s rock with a very consistently good tracklist. For a record as heavy as this one, the pop sensibility present in the writing makes some very instantaneously catchy songs. There are a lot of cool things overall about it, from Bennington's stellar performances to Shinoda's clever rapping to the very influentially diverse beats that pull from classic trip hop grooves as much as it does industrial and heavy metal stuff.
a wonder start point for a band. this have so much rage and sadness, but u can canalize all of this with music. thank u god for make me live in the same period of linkin park. top 3: one step closer, points of authority, a place for my head
Takes me back for sure.
Maybe it’s the nostalgia talking but I doubt it - this album slaps. The four singles are massive and a couple of the album cuts are amazing as well (particularly A Place for my Head and Forgotten). A lot of nu-metal/rap-rock has aged horribly but this one really stands out as a rare example of it holding up (alongside System, early Slipknot, some Korn and… yeah, not that much else) Cure for the Itch is by far the worst track with its very amateurish turntabling - ‘80s records from Public Enemy, De La Soul and Beastie Boys sound so much better, and by the time Hybrid Theory came out we were getting incredibly futuristic electronic cuts from Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk and The Avalanches amongst others, so this is the one moment where it feels awkwardly dated. Fortunately the album sticks the landing with Pushing Me Away, which is quite heartfelt compared to the generally more aggressive sound on here, and points to the more diverse direction Linkin Park would explore in their next few albums
This album is my guilty pleasure!! I loved this album so much when it was first released, and loved it almost as much listening to it again. Cheesy, teenage angst combined with awesome musical hooks and loads of shout/singing. Those guitars have so much compression applied, I’m surprised they are not synths!!
Linkin Park wasn't a "religious experience" for me like it seemed to be for a lot of other boys at my elementary school, but I still liked their hits and recognized them from the Transformers movies and stuff. This is good and I think it kinda set off nu-metal
So frustrating how the whole thing is so consistently 4.4 stars. Never gets near enough the benefit of the doubt 5 star which can sometimes come with that level of consistency.
So torn on this one. Chester had the voice of a generation, and probably still would if he were alive. But Mike Shinoda... he's just the worst. He doesn't have the presence that Chester did and it's so painfully apparent.
Nu metal alternativo. Un megahit. Un 4.
Surprisingly effective for getting work done. Everything except the occasional random scream is great.
Doesn't quite hit me in the right brain centres but good as it is
Enjoyed it more than I thought. Can’t believe it’s 25 years old. Nostalgic kinda.
Like...........I grew up listening to this so it sounds familiar/good, but, I can see why people would hate it. Like it or not it did change music
I could listen to this regularly. I don’t think it’s great though, more of a guilty pleasure at that point in my life
already listened
- This takes me back. The first album that I essentially know back-to-front because I listened to it so much as a pre-teen/teenager. (Thanks for the lack of explicit lyrics, LP...otherwise, my mom would have never let me buy this album.) - Nü metal may have burned out as quickly as it rocketed skyward, but I have such a soft spot in my heart for it. And Linkin Park was its peak. Other metal groups were more sophisticated (Nine Inch Nails, System of a Down) and others were more hardcore (Slipknot, Korn), but LP was easily the most far-reaching for most of a decade. - Linkin Park's soundscapes are legitimately fascinating. Such a cool mix of guitars, electronics, percussion, record-scratches, and industrial effects. And the vocals are similarly a group effort...Shinoda and Bennington are both essential to each track. - Love every song (except for maybe "By Myself"). Even "Cure for the Itch" has grown on me over time. -RIP Chester. You meant a lot to a young me.
Hello, high school. A fun trip back in time.
Throwback jams.
I read Chester Bennington's Wikipedia page before listening, so I could put the lyrics in better context. I almost wish I hadn't because it made listening that much harder, especially knowing he eventually took his own life. That said, I was 14 when this came out and so I knew probably half the songs from just their saturation in pop culture over the years. I didn't care for Linkin Park when they were popular, but I can't deny how catchy the singles are. RIP Chester Bennington.
Didn't think I'd like it that much, but actually decent despite being very much of the 2000s style
I've never gone out of my way to listen to Linkin Park, but it was good! I liked "Crawling" and would likely listen to the album again.
A friend of mine said I look like Chester so I made sure to give this a listen. About 1 and a half times. I like the lyrics but the sound is audible depression.
Genre-defining record!!
Yes! I’d never attempted a full Linkin Park album. I liked some singles but considered them a bit young for me when they landed. It never felt clever enough, as if such things matter - especially to a Blink 182 fan but whatever. It’s funny to think where we draw lines and where we don’t. Anyhow, going back to this was excellent. I enjoyed every moment of this record and will be returning to it in coming weeks.
I gotta say I’ve kinda taken a 180 on this since it came out when I was in high school. A lot about it is certainly dumb, but it’s also kinda awesome. Much of the song composition and arrangement is really tight and some of Chester’s vocal performances are absolutely gripping. Still not something I’d reach for on the reg, but I appreciate it way more than I did back in the day.
Enjoyed more than I thought I would
A 2000's Classic! It's so good to hear Chester's voice again. It's huge for a first album. In The End is an imortal song!
Man this was actually fun. If I had owned this album at age 10 I would have made it my entire personality.
still holds up. transported me back to high school.
Pretty good album although some of the songs are too edgy for my taste. Although this is a 4, it is close to being a 5 but just misses the mark. This is because there are a few songs I would skip on next hearing. Overall, great stuff and a great introduction to Linkin Park
One of the first albums that ever clicked with me and it had a huge influence on my early taste. Excellent blend of hip hop and metal. Scratching has never been so welcome! Listened to: in a shuttle to Antigua. Favorite tracks: Papercut, By Myself, Forgotten
Ne mogu ovom dat manje od četiri. Skoro pa savršen tinejdžerski album
Great album. Chesters vocals steal the show and just work with the crazy screaming rap/dude. Banging singles came from it. My standout track is ‘Pushing Me Away’.
As I hate the whole Metal ethos, (there's just something wrong with metal fans, everything they do seems exaggerated, from just walking, breathing, reacting to things, speaking, not to mention their clothing, the list is endless) I didn't expect to like this sort of thing. Nu-Metal seemed to buck that awful attitude thing by producing halfway decent tunes. I really liked the singles and bought the album. It's a shame the whole scene was short lived and Metal came back.... I love the whole genre mash ups going on. The Perfect example is 'Crawling'. So just to piss off purist Metal knobs, I'll give this a 4.
Good rock
I actually liked it, though not to listen to continuously. It's part rap, part metal -- and actually, a lot of fun.
Good listen. Bonus points for the memes made along the way
Nostalgíuplata hjá Axel. Mér finnst þetta ennþá drullufínt. Gott í gymmið, bílinn og stundum með vinnu. Betra en hitt Nu-Metal shittið sem var í gangi á sama tíma.
Во-первых эти ревью никто никогда не прочитает, поэтому почему бы не облить гавном местный контингент? Топ десять ревью - все единицы? Это когда ты типа Энтони Фантано в своей голове, но мнения строишь только на топ-500 роллинг стоунз? Или это когда тебе вот уже тридцать один, и ты вспоминаешь эту глупую прическу и кольца на каждом пальце в тринадцать, и не можешь не кринжевать, но во всём виноваты Линкин Парк, а не те ребята из старших классов, под которых ты так активно косил, или может твой собственный вкус, который к тому же не стал лучше за почти двадцать лет и ты всё так же истекаешь слюной по каждому релизу [здесь место для вашего любимого артиста, который вообще-то не очень хорош уже давно, а потенциально никогда хорошим и не был, как, судя по всему, Линкин Парк для людей на данной платформе]? С другой стороны, мне наконец понятно, почему альбомы групп типа Pearl Jam и Alice In Chains так ценятся на рюмах и вот тут: это музыка, которую ревьюверы, видимо, слушали в свои десять с половиной лет, и но теперь не могут адекватно оценить как искусство, но как артефакт из того неуловимого, потерянного прошлого. И ТЕМ НЕ МЕНЕЕ. Единица альбому Гибрид Сеори - как? Я тут не так давно проходил Джастина Тимберлейка - и там такого не было. Тексты возможно кринж, но не настолько, чтобы закатывать глаза от каждой строчки. Подача - анмачтд в моей книге, Честер Беннингтон ар ай пи. Музыка - как ни что другое в моменте, и удивительно неплохо сейчас, когда вообще говоря ню-метал сдох и давно сгнил, и о нем даже не то что бы вспоминают (я смотрю на тебя, Корн-и). Ну и хиты, наконец, хиты, да? In The End оверплейд до смерти, соглашусь, но делает ли популярность Мона Лизы саму картину сколько-то хуже? (дойти до сравнений In The End из всех вещей с Мона Лизой - это абсолютный пик моего мьюзик критикства). Crawling, One Step Closer - отличные песни. Лучшая песня - In The End.
Props for the accessibility of the songs. Way catchier than expected and I really liked the soundscapes and arrangements. The screeching “rage vocals” wore a bit thin but I think mainly because it became a rap/metal cliche that’s a bit played out today, but pretty innovative here considering the times.
When it came out, I didn’t like this album. As a huge grunge person, as the mainstream converted to nu metal, I liked each iteration less and less. But over the years, I’ve come to appreciate this album. It’s not an all time favorite, but I think it’s a very solid effort and Chester Bennington stood the test of time - unfortunately to a tragic end. Overall I’d say it’s a 3.5 for me but rounding up.
Albums released around this time were in my music collection for reasons we won't talk about. So I'm familiar with this album and vividly recall loading it up on my MP3 player while working (painting). The vibe is really consistent and the layers of different vocals and other instrument tracks really keeps your brain busy. There's no possibility of getting bored. That speaks to the really consistent quality here with some major bops mixed in (Crawling, In The End). If I'm going to call out some slightly weaker inclusions for me, I would point to By Myself, and Cure for the Itch. No real hidden gems to speak of because the whole album is mostly gems.
yes, only 4
es isch seviday. papercut isch huere linkin park fangt mit rap ah und chli electro shit und heavy gitis. one stwp closer isch rech heftig s macht afoch wiiter. with you eigentlich au. chester beeeeltet. points of authority groovet zimli? schono nice. find d scratches und glitches chömed nöd immer glich guet det her. s machts au bitz veraltet. crawling isch scho fast e meme. ah und de shit isch huere loudness war mastering shit. find crawling chli ermürbend. runaway. cool es bon jovi cover??? by myself chli ruhiger. synthpads cute. merci es het huere viel glöscht. ha mega guets züg gschriebe ich schwör. in the end isch geil. en ort für min chopf. song heisst afoch hals. bass riff isch geil. uh jetz wird gflüsteret isch das nine inch nails? ok etz schreieds wieder entscheided eu echt. forgotten chli normaleri rock vocals. cure for the itch isch meh en interlude? findi nöd so de hammer. pushing me away findi etz au nöd soooo geil aber ich glaub da git e vieri.
This album was the soundtrack of my sophomore year of college. Nu-metal, but stands above most other acts of the genre and may be the best of the genre. Still definitely bro-metal. This is their best work IMO, as their Meteora just didn't resonate the same way for me. RIP Chester.
Well, they’re clearly cross about something but the serious point is that this a debut of some substance and there is definitely a time and a place for rap-metal. In that regard, this is a fine album most notably through its blending of anger and melody.
Notable tracks: Most of it lol
It's no wonder Linkin Park became a huge hit right from the start. This album is a juggernaut with the hits & then some. Great listen.
Certainly a monumental title for 2000s pop metal. It had a significant influence on how mainstream listeners saw metal bands at the time and left a lasting impression on the genre.
An absolute SNORTER of an album! Genuinely not a duff track on it! And to think, for a few years when they started, me and my mates would mock them as they were a rock band that didn’t do swearing! The folly of youth my friends, the folly of youth.
The nostalgia hits real hard with this one... I think I grew up solely on this album and College Dropout. It didn't quick keep it's shine after these 20 years like CD did, but still a really fun listen for me. One of the reviews mentioned on Wikipedia criticized it's 'boilderplate-aggro lyrics' which I think sums up my problem with it. Also, a few tracks are clearly much more superior to the other handfull. 7/10
I've always liked a bit of Linkin Park. I remember nu-metal getting a bit of a bad rep around the early 2000s but these tunes are steeped in emotion. There's also some innovative turntable work and elements of hip-hop here too. RIP Chester
It was a glimpse into what was becoming new rock. The leap from grunge, at the time, formed the direction of rock. This album really took what made grunge popular and brought in some rap in some tracks. Can't forget "In The End" as a perfect summation of the album as a whole. The guitar riffs throughout the album feel dirty and crisp at the same time. Great album, and lots of memories from this one.
So edgy, still fun tho
Pretty solid sad songs
Excelente 1er álbum de Linkin.
Well here it is...the very first non-Christian album I ever bought, and if memory serves correctly, the very first album I ever really fell in love with. When you're a kid, music that you discover on your own, with no connection to your parents' taste, helps you take shape as a person. I still remember it as this magic feeling. This album had a transformative power over me. I tried out for the fourth grade talent show singing to In the End...I didn't make it. It was also taboo because I had to buy the album behind my parents' backs. They didn't know I had the CD until years later. I kept it discretely hidden behind a Newsboys album in my big ass carrying case filled with Tooth & Nail and worship records. Because of all that, I have a really hard time critiquing this album fairly. I haven't listed to it fully in nearly 20 years, and hearing it today I understand it's rage-core for preteens, but it's special to me in a way I'm eternal grateful for. And to be even more honest, it's pretty DAMN catchy. Maybe it's a guilty pleasure, maybe not. Who knows? Everything's made up and the points don't matter. SHUT UP WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU
I only wish I was cool enough to listen to this album when it came out -- when I was two.
Whew! This one washed over me like a tidal wave of joy, and to have this as my first album for this listening project grace my ears, was an exciting bonus. On repeat much for me in the early to mid 2000s, the well timed rap elements, visual lyrics, and heavy elemental sound for me was, and still is, a pleasant, very fun and certainly rewarding musical surprise to my body and soul. The bands dedication to their craft is evident and still appreciated. Thanks! ****
Its fine. I knew this album already. Linkin Park was good. I don't feel like they changed the musical world or anything tho.
Not bad. I took it for Lynyrd Skynyrd at first, so didn't expect metal. But I did enjoy it a bit.
Surprisingly the first time I've listened to the whole thing I think. Didn't really resonate as much for me as a kid as similar groups, I think it would easily be a 5 with some nostalgia factor. I don't see running it every day in 2024 though.
I think that this was a little too much 2000s energy for me LOL, but I really appreciate how this album (and other Linkin Park music) influenced albums I really enjoy. I can especially tell that early Avril Lavigne took some inspiration from Linkin Park, but I think she did it better than them.
this was good maybe a bit too much angst for my taste though
Solid album, has some great bangers, but it hasn't aged to best. 7/10
he’s so dramatic <3 5/7 - pushing me away
4 songs in, 8/10 so far. Cure for the Itch is my favorite one; it's instrumental. With You is my second favorite; the vocals are really nice. I feel like a lot of songs sound the same I would describe it as Dystopian Grunge. (Nu Metal- heavy metal that combines elements of other genres of music) Linkin Park combines heavy metal with hip hop. Listening to the last song now, will keep the 8/10 rating. Vocals are nice throughout, instrumentals are great.
It's been a long time since I listened to this album. While I've previously brushed it off as goofy and somewhat cringe, I've now reached a point where I find its heart-on-its-sleeve earnestness charming. Admittedly, nostalgia is working in its favor, but the songs remain catchy, the breakdowns still make me nod my head, and I can still recall most of the lyrics two decades later.
A classic from my youth! Papercut and Points of Authority are my standout tracks. Forgotten and Cure for the Itch probably the low point of the album.
Good album.
3.5
Great album.