11.01.2001 Goldsmith College

[felipeintheend]

11.01.2001 London, England, Goldsmith College, European Promo

 

''The poplite backlash has well and truly arrived. In refreshing contrast to the manufactured likes of Ms Spears, Steps ad infinitum, nu-metal is snarling it's way to the fore and challenging the synthetic saccharin hit-makers. And now, joining a prestigious list that includes art-rockers At The Drive-In, stoners Queens of the Stone Age and the originators of this genre, Limp Bizkit, is the Californian quintet Linkin Park.

You can tell they rate themselves among such a grouping too, the set is presented in a typically Californian manner, laid back, not too cocky but self-assured. Somehow they mix their nonchalance with aggression as they rage through the set. It's a collection from the new album, 'Hybrid Theory' (the band's original name until they found out someone else had already used it), and you can tell why they gave it that name. It's a mix of hip-hop, electronica and rock all smashed together. As Chester Bennington snarls out the lyrics, Mike Shinoda steps foward to rap Zac de la Rocha style and DJ Joseph Hahn cuts and mixes. It's an awesome blend.

'Runaway' has a the same juddering rap punctuating the verse, but there's a hint of the melody-making talents of Green Day and we lose the electronica in an oblivion of nu-metal rawk-outs. As the night progresses, the electic influences of the band are revealed. Seeing on paper that they cite Deftones and Nine Inch Nails alongside Aphex Twin and The Roots doesn't make sense but the melodic 'Crawling' and electrified new single 'One Step Closer' (currently causing a riot on Stateside radio stations) make the previously unfeasible amalgam come to life.

It's not just crossing genres that gives Linkin Park the edge in the nu-metal stakes. They aren't content to just adopt all that is good from the genre - the rage, the noise, searing vocals, thrashing guitars - with samples and mixing, Shinoda's raps, the whole, multi-faceted sound they create, Linkin Park are breaking barriers in what is still a fledgling genre.

 

Linkin Park are gonna be huge.

 

Quote from: http://web.archive.org/web/20010417212203/...eviews17328.asp

 

 

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