Linkin Park - Meteora (2003)^{Release ID: 4472}

Linkin Park's second studio album, released in 2003, comes at a time when nu metal, which the band helped popularize at the turn of the century, was in full decline. Fed up with the repetitive song structures, whiny lyrics and image-pandering "pop bands", fans were either drifting away from the fad, or moving on to pastures heavier. But 'Meteora' ensures that the genre would go out with a huge bang.

The band were all in their early twenties when their 2000 debut album, 'Hybrid Theory', made them one of the biggest acts on the planet. And three years later, you can see how they've matured as songwriters. While the music and lyrical themes are similar as before, there's just something in the songs that sound more polished and refined.

Taking the "less is more" mentality to the limit, the band have really hit their stride with their sound. Most of the songs barely hit the three minute mark, and the arrangements are almost identical in each track. But the Californian six-piece do it with such gusto that it's hard not to be impressed. In particular, vocalists Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda have formed a duo that has become instantly recognizable, with both men's respective styles complimenting each other perfectly.

Highlights include 'Somewhere I Belong', 'From the Inside', 'Faint', 'Breaking the Habit', 'Don't Stay' and 'Easier to Run'. And of course, there's the absolute monster hit 'Numb', that has remained one of the bands most popular tracks. Even the unusual hip hop-inspired 'Nobody's Listening' is catchy, and really highlights the chemistry between the two singers.

While 'Hybrid Theory' had some absolute bangers, it also had its fair share of fillers. Which is where 'Meteora' is an improvement, in that it's a lot more consistent with a lot of really strong tracks. In fact, my only real complaint is that some of the songs could have been a bit longer. Regardless, 'Meteora' is a fantastic album that gave nu metal one last shot at showing the world what it was capable of, and sales in excess of 25 million copies says that they did the genre proud.

Nu-metal is a subgenre that I have criticized quite extensively in the past and it is clear to see why. For starters, much of the appeal of this music is towards adolescent teenager who want to rage at their parents because they didn't receive their allowance money for the week. And it helped harbor in the next "Kyle" generation. You know the meme; the guy who just drank five tall cans of Monster Energy and punches holes into drywall. That's the image of nu-metal for me.

And for a while, Linkin Park fit into that mold as well. This L.A. based group had the DJ scratching as well as Mike Shinoda's rapping vocals. And they were etched together with some very sticky hooks from Chester Bennington as he flip-flopped between clean singing and harsh screams. The debut record Hybrid Theory is one of the highest selling heavy metal albums of all time, but it still felt very amateurish. Songs like "One Step Closer" and "Papercut" felt a lot like lyrics you might read in a thirteen year old private diary. Some hooks were fine, and the anger felt justified, but even today, it is not an album I want to visit more than I have to.

In 2003, the band decided to grow up and create what I still view as the best display of nu-metal that I have ever heard. This album felt like it came from a place of wanting and perhaps desperation. Is it catered to a younger, immature audience? Of course it is. But the stickiness of the melodies and the greater attention to maturity was promising, even if the growth ended up taking this group to questionable places and, unfortunately, led to this bands demise.

One thing that Linkin Park were impeccable at was creating mammoth hooks. Whether it be the titanic "Faint", or the more subdued "Somewhere I Belong" or "From The Inside", this record sticks with you. But where they managed to improve dramatically from Hybrid Theory to Meteora is the control. For one, the guitars sound much better during the album's more restrained moments, while still being able to pack a huge punch the way that they did on Hybrid Theory's most intense moments. Chester has a dynamic vocal range as his melodic singing during "Breaking The Habit" and especially "Numb" are far more controlled, before he enters into the heights of his vocal ranges during the choruses. And heck, even the DJ scratches and other synth effects don't feel as intrusive or bloated as the debut's most contentious moments. 

Lyrically, there isn't much to say. Linkin Park were still nu-metal and the occasional screams of Chester on "Lying From You" and "Faint" are just what a thirteen year old me would have wanted, as opposed to the constant barking of a Corey Taylor in Slipknot. But this album is far less angry and more introspective and almost existential. There are themes of resentment towards a partner on "From The Inside" and "Numb", while "Breaking the Habit" and "Easier to Run" see our protagonist in a very bad place. A character that desperately needs help from someone, even though they feel like no one is there to support them. It is quite haunting to think about these lyrics when the fate of Chester Bennington was created in large part because of these thoughts of alienation and loneliness. 

As I said off the top, nu-metal has a bad reputation and most of it is deserved. Linkin Park's biggest sin is that they became the prototypical next generation of nu-metal in the early 2000s, and their music was inescapable. I don't know how many others are going to feel the same way about Meteora as I do, and I am willing to accept that; it is a very timely piece after all. But this album is the apex of what nu-metal was. The rap-rock crossover was never stronger than this, going so far as to call on Jay-Z with the Encore tapes just a year later. This is a part of me that I will never be able to be rid of, and I'm glad it was this instead of something else.