Linkin Park: Meteora

image from Linkinpark.com

Media: CD / Album
Price: $30
Reviewed by Jei

The boys are back! this time the Linkin Park crew have gone less rock and more cool. Greeted with a drool-worthy album cover, Linkin Park delivers once again, an album worth purchasing. I'm an avid LP fan, especially right after their first album, Hyrid Theory soared through the charts, but honestly, from a first listen to Meteora, I was shocked to find out that the album only goes for about 38mins. With a first listen, doubts increased as all the tracks all sounded familiar. So pissed withed their efforts, I chucked the album away and came back to it 4 months later.

By golly, if you listen to it more then once, the tracks will become distinctive taking notice of the magnificent sampling and melodies that will haunt you for the rest of the week. Even the intro is satisfying, disguised as some random sound, it soon picks up a beat and whips the listener back into the dark realms of Linkin Park. The scratching is brilliant, which even encourages you to "air-scratch" at some during some tracks. The compositions are very rock heavy, although not has heavy and headache-inducing like Hybrid Theory, it’s just enough to get you up and screaming at the top of your lungs. Staying true to LP’s distinctive style is the “cutting” that occurs in every single track. Whether it’ll be the stutter of the voice sample or simple repetition of sections of a track that is harmoniously backed by the kicks and snares, it’ll be ear-candy for you all. Although the tracks all feature guitars at some point, there themes and moods are all somewhat different. Tracks like “Don’t stay” and "Faint" will get you up and jumping like a rock star while "From the inside" is like a guitar-like ballad taking you deeper into the realms of LP.

Making a return is the instrumental track at the end. Different from the somewhat comical track which was heavy on the scratching, this time it is a more eerie track. "Session" as it is called, begins with a very moody sound sample which then kicks into beat. Fantastically the track finishes with a scratch frenzy.

LP: Meteora is also an enhanced CD, which features interviews, exclusive access to web-based media and an interview behind the art of the album. Sounds cool in theory, but kinda gives the album an implication that its to make up for the lack of tracks. Still, it’s a brilliant album.

Final word? Well listeners beware, the tracks are quite short, but are compensated by the brilliance that goes into every track. Simply they’re all beautiful tracks. If you loved the overplayed track that was “Numb”, then you’ll love the album. “Numb” was just a teaser, so please yourself and go buy the album. Or at least buy it for the album cover, cuz’ its freaking cool.

This is definitely my favourite album of 2003, beating J Timberlake by a tad bit.

9/10

Super cool tracks: intro / Don’t Stay / Hit the floor / Easier to run / Faint / Breaking the habit / From the inside / Session / Numb (that’s 9 / 13 mad-ass tracks!!)