Linkin Park is responsible for ushering in a new generation of metal
Even though nu-metal might have been intimidating to casual rock fans, most could sing songs like “In the End” and “One Step Closer “
But if you only look at Linkin Park’s hits, you’re missing the big picture
Throughout Linkin Park’s history, they’ve gone extremely heavy, from their nu-metal days to the kind of thoughtful art-alt they put on towards the end of their run
Songs like “Numb” might be a good place to start, but these songs show the band’s teeth a bit more
To the casual fan or newcomer, this is what Linkin Park sounds like at its heaviest
Linkin Park are releasing the 20th anniversary edition of Meteora soon
Linkin Park hit the ground running when they released Hybrid Theory
Although songs like “In the End” and “Crawling” earned the record Diamond status, “A Place For My Head” earned them the respect of nu-metal fans
Although not as heavy as Korn or Deftones, the riff is crushingly played on Brad Delson’s detuned guitar
When the whole band breaks down, Chester Bennington lets out one of his best screams, yelling at the naysayers to go away
Even though he might be talking to the voices in his own head, the band behind him is a better adrenaline booster than any recipe
Aside from their hits, Linkin Park played like they had everything to prove
When you look through Hybrid Theory’s tracklist, some of the biggest songs appear at the beginning of the album
Even though “One Step Closer” may have been heavy to kick things off, “By Myself” opens the second half with a bang
The LP always had a futuristic vibe to their sound, and Delson’s guitar feedback sounds like a malfunctioning robot combined with Bennington’s screams
While the original chorus works well, the beauty is in the details as Mike Shinoda sings about his loneliness with only a soft piano pad behind him
After watching Linkin Park on MTV, you decide to pick up a copy of Meteora
And after the sound of breaking glass comes “Don’t Stay” to change your world
Although the LPs were previously known as a heavy band, the 7-string guitar on this track was something different
Unlike the digital sounds of their debut, the guitar tone is something straight out of Korn’s playbook
While the band is still nursing their anger, this song points the finger at everyone in their lives who need to leave them alone
The hybrid theory would have made them superstars, but Linkin Park wasn’t going to go pop that easily
A good half of Linkin Park’s songs are directed inward
Although “Breaking the Habit” and “Numb” were introspective moments on Meteora, “Hit the Floor” is a song where they are assaulted from start to finish
Even in the softer moments, Delson’s guitar sounds like it’s covered in mud before layers of distortion appear
While you can sing along to most of the band’s pop hits, the main hook of this song is Bennington’s screaming vocals
This is also Joe Hahn’s heaviest production on record as the beats stutter all the way to the end before you have time to know what hit you
Minutes to Midnight marked a pretty significant change for Linkin Park
That being said, “Given Up” started the album off on a ferocious note
After a thick guitar riff, Bennington goes into the chorus with all guns blazing
After laying into the chorus, the record’s heaviest moment comes in the breakdown
With a riff that could have been written by Slayer, Delson unleashes walls of guitar before Bennington gives us a scream for the ages
Clocking in at 17 seconds, Bennington’s superhuman endurance on this note is one of the greatest moments in metal history
This is also the clearest set of lyrics in the discussion, as Bennington talks about how lost he feels and wanting to throw it all away
It’s easy to run away from your problems, but Bennington is trying to get over himself
Although the album suffered from odd interludes, “Wretches and Kings” is a perfect blend of electronica and metal
Since the band was trying to capture the sound of Armageddon, Shinoda is the rebel in the street as he calls out the government leaders who led to nuclear weapons
Although the typical songs thrive on great guitar solos, the best solo in the discussion comes from Joe Hahn
No guitar would have been a metal close, but Linkin Park wasn’t trying to repeat the formula
After conquering non-metal, they didn’t even need guitars to sound heavy
Most Things Alive was a soft reboot of the classic Linkin Park sound
“Lies Greed Misery” helps integrate the electronic elements that brought people on board with Hybrid Theory
After respecting the DAWs on the last disc, this song is a mixture of organic and artificial instruments
Cutting bits of sound from guitars and synths, the band creates a stuttering beat that keeps the listener on their toes
The song goes in a surprisingly heavy direction, with Bennington screaming the chorus before the rest of the band crash into the final chorus
The band comes in, delivers the goods, and is out before you know it
But “Victimized” is one of his greatest performances at just under two minutes
Linkin Park always likes to flex their creative muscles and this is the closest they’ve come to creating a hardcore punk song
Every drum fill is sharp as hell, giving us the closest thing to an explosive beat Linkin Park has ever gotten
Bennington matches Bourdon’s intensity here as he barks the lyrics like he’s in front of American Nightmare
Despite Living Things being a crash course, the band weren’t afraid to get heavy when they wanted to
Mike Shinoda mentioned that rock lost its balls in the 2010s and The Hunting Party wanted to bring those balls back
While every Linkin Park album has a great flow, “Keys to the Kingdom” is one of the best openers they’ve ever done, as Bennington roars to life before the band breaks down on the lyrics
Compared to previous Linkin Park projects, this song is a showcase for Delson’s guitar skills, getting a little flashy here and there and even outshining a few guest guitarists like Tom Morello
For anyone who got on board with Hybrid Theory, this is the next step if you’re looking for something harder
Linkin Park wasn’t going to bring metal back on their own
In addition to his own bangers, Daron Malakian guested on Rebellion and contributed his own System of a Down song to the LP
With Bennington and Shinoda both singing on it, System’s imprints are everywhere, from the blasted guitars to the weird rhythm of the riff that gets your feet tapping on the speakers
Despite a different tone of voice, Bennington’s chorus wouldn’t feel out of place sung by Serj Tankian
And while System of a Down won’t be releasing albums for a while, this is the closest listeners will get to the Toxicity days
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This was Chester Bennington’s favorite Linkin Park song