In 1998, Chester Bennington (ex Grey Daze) joined Xero and became Hybrid Theory. After a first eponymous EP, the sextet is forced to change its name because of issues with an obscure Welsh electro band. Thus Linkin Park was born, offering its first album in 2000 with the support of the Warner label. Following the defection of his bassist (Dave Farrell), the parts of this instrument are mainly played by guitarist Brad Delson, as well as by Ian Hornbeck and Scott Koziol who lend a hand on a few tracks. If the formula proposed by Linkin Park may seem already used by other bands (Korn, Limp Bizkit, Deftones...), it will nevertheless benefit from a strong exposure from Warner and contains enough personal elements to explain the tidal wave that this opus will cause.
Indeed, the formation led by Mike Shinoda is based on the balance of a double sing provided by his leader for the rapped parts, and by Chester Bennington who shows a rather impressive palette. Whether pop, metal, whispered or screamed, the singer's parts are extremely effective and offer a remarkable variety of emotions. The lyrics are often profound and intelligent, avoiding pitying the fate of their performer, despite the fact that he is marked by life. Whether it is paranoia ('Papercut'), child abuse ('Crawling') or failure and betrayal ('In The End'), feelings are translated by the power of the song letting out its contagious rage or offering hymnic and unstoppable choruses ('Points Of Authority').
Most of the titles are based on a common model alternating rapped verses and choruses sung with screams that are strategically placed. The guitars are heavy and saturated, the rhythm is surgical and Joe Hahn enriches the whole with his samples and scratches. However, at no time does the slightest linearity come to the fore thanks to the variety of ambiences and intensities. The devastating power worthy of a Rage Against The Machine ('One Step Closer', 'Forgotten') alternates with more pop-metal and melodic tracks ('In The End', 'Pushing Me Away') or other outright heavy ('With You'). 'By Myself' or 'A Place For My Head' are more rap-metal while 'Cure The Itch' offers a beneficial break with its aerial and urban instrumental composed of samples and scratches.
From his first opus, Linkin Park offers a varied and flawless work that will become essential for all nu-metal lovers, but not only. With its energy, efficiency, unstoppable melodies and choruses, its variety and its contagiously emotional vocals, "Hybrid Theory" will take its authors to the top. This deserved success will unfortunately and probably happen too quickly and will not be managed by the members of the band who will no longer know what to do between attempts at commercial capitalization, populist misguidedness and personal tragedies. There remains this monument that it would be a shame to hide behind the chaotic continuation of the American band's career.