This! + 100000000000000
Hybrid Theory is just more "honnest" to me. ATS is a great record, but like Mike have said, while writing it, they tried to be the opposite of what they used to be. Something like "if we felt we had to go right, then we should probably go left". And, personnaly, I can feel that in the music. For exemple, the guitar in Irridescent (2nd verse) has not the LP-vibe in it, and I'm almost sure it didn't came out naturally. I can even picture Mike saying "No traditionnal LP guitar....so what about putting U2-style guitar on that song?
Anyway, HT is my favorite album ever. I can't be objective if I say it's LP's best