Linkin Park "Meteora" Album

	Title: Meteora Format: Album Label: Warner Brothers Released: 2003-03-25
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Tracklisting & Lyrics

Reviews

Perhaps if the cut-'n'-paste remix record hadn't appeared as a stopgap measure in the summer of 2002, Linkin Park's second record, , would merely have been seen as a continuation of their 2000 debut, , instead of a retreat to familiar ground. Then again, wasn't much more than a way to buy time (along with maybe a little credibility), so it's unfair to say that its dabbling in electronica and hip-hop truly pointed toward a new direction for the group, but it did provide a more interesting listening experience than , which is nothing more and nothing less than a part two. Which isn't to say that Linkin Park didn't put any effort into the record, since it does demonstrate that the group does stand apart from the pack by having the foresight to smash all nu-metal trademarks -- buzzing guitars, lumbering rhythms, angsty screaming, buried scratching, rapped verses -- into one accessible sound which suggests hooks instead of offering them. More importantly, the group has discipline and editing skills, keeping this record at a tight 36 minutes and 41 seconds, a move that makes it considerably more listenable than its peers and, by extension, more powerful, since they know where to focus their energy, something that many nu-metal bands simply do not. (It must be said that there will surely be consumers out there that will question paying a $19.99 retail for a 36-minute-and-41-second record, though some may prefer getting a tight, listenable record at that price instead of a meandering 70-minute mess.) So, it must be said that does deliver on the most basic level -- it gives the fans what they want, and it does so with energy and without fuss. It's also without surprises, either, which again gives the album a static feeling -- suggesting not a holding pattern for the band, but rather the limits of their chosen genre, which remains so stylistically rigid and formulaic that even with a band who follows the blueprint well, like Linkin Park, it winds up sounding a little samey and insular. Since this is only their second go-round, this is hardly a fatal flaw, but the similarity of to does not only raise the question of where do they go from here, but whether there is a place for them to go at all. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide.

Linkin Park’s second studio effort (not counting the 2002 remix album Reanimation) overflows with glossy production values and Big Rock oomph, fully embracing the pop instincts of their Hybrid Theory debut. For many, Theory sounded inexcusably corporate, from its too-timely rap-rock sound to the long list of product endorsements included in the liner notes. Meteora will only amplify those complaints, but this album is actually truer to the band’s nature. It’s still impossible not to hear strains of Limp Bizkit, Korn, Rage Against the Machine, and the like. None of those acts, howeve, would try something as blatantly anthemic as "Easier to Run," which would sound fine to a Def Leppard fan, or as borderline danceable as "Breaking the Habit" and "Session." Linkin Park is what Trent Reznor was always afraid of becoming, but if you ever wished he would drop the pretenses and just make a hair-metal record, you'll find Meteora to your liking. ~Matthew Cooke, Amazon.com.

Frustrated? Electronic gadgets don't work. When you hit them they still don't work. You get into stupid arguments with stupid people about stupid things.
That's where Linkin Park come in. The shout "Stay away from me!" on the first track on their new album. You know exactly how they feel. They are angry and insecure and clever and great.
Hybrid Theory was the best rock album of the past three years. It was also the best selling album in the world in 2001. A tightly controlled montage of hooks, riffs, dodgy rapping, roaring, sweet singing, noises and scratching, ruthlessly edited into classic songs. Sixteen year olds going through hormone hell loved it. So did their dads.
It's therefore no surprise that Meteora doesn't live up to its predecessor. The riffs, hooks and shouting are all present and correct. But the first four songs all sound the same and the guitars don't cut through as they should.
But then "Easier To Run" comes along. It's gorgeous: a wonderful sad power ballad, and will surely become a huge hit single. After that every track gets better. "Faint", built around a driving string sample, is the first song to really break sweat and get your head shaking. "Breaking The Habit" is a paranoid version of Don Henley's "The Boys Of Summer": a very good thing. "Nobody's Listening" is strong, confident rap metal. "Numb" is bitter-sweet and beautiful and ends the album on a high. The best of these songs are powerful, emotional, disciplined and impressive.
I'm not supposed to like this album. I'm 43 not 16. But although it's patchy, there are still moments which move me to tears.
There are two possible explanations. Either I'm emotionally retarded. Or Linkin Park make great music. ~Nick Reynolds, BBC.