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Rating: Before becoming actual clowns, champions of the most fake and commercial nu-metal, Linkin Park were called Hybrid Theory (conveniently the name of their first real album), and they were a decent group somewhere between crossover and hip-hop. Nothing to do with masterpieces like "Rage Against the Machine," "Angel Dust," or "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" (of course, heaven forbid), but there was at least a minimum of artistic depth. The group was formed by the union of Xero with singer Chester Bennington. The only testimony under the name Hybrid Theory will be this very EP, released in 1999.
The lineup is almost identical to the LP sextet, with the only difference being that the role of the bassist is still vacant (Phoenix will join in 2000), and thus the bass is played on some tracks by guitarist Brad Delson and, on others, by a friend of the group, Kyle Christener. The rest of the band consists of rapper Mike Shinoda, drummer Rob Bourdon, and DJ Joseph Hahn, plus the aforementioned Chester.
The task of opening the work is entrusted to " Carousel," which presents everything that characterizes the LP sound: verses dominated by electronic inserts and rapping and choruses with prominent guitar riffs and scream-like growls (Is that all, you might think? Well, yes, what did you expect?). Practically every song that Linkin Park will write in the future will be a (small) variation on this theme. After a mini instrumental of 40 seconds played by Mr. Hahn, "Technique," we come to the best track of the EP, "Step Up." The psychedelic-like verses, thanks to guitar and piano arpeggios and never-so-varied drumming, contrast with the typical chorus, which is quite enjoyable. Maybe it's because there’s no sign of Bennington (except for a few seconds of background chorus), but I quite like this track. "And One," on the other hand, is entirely entrusted to Chester, apart from some pressing and satisfying rap parts, and the sound returns to the typical LP coordinates, although the central melodic interlude and the electronic finale make it quite varied.
The only track that will be picked up later is "High Voltage," a 100% hip-hop track, made interesting by the chorus sung by a robotic voice, and by the effects used by Mr. Hahn, which make the overall atmosphere of the track somewhat eerie. The last track, "Part of Me," is another engaging track full of rhythm changes (from rapped verses to the hard chorus that stops for a hypnotic guitar arpeggio) that extends beyond the 4 minutes of the actual song, into another 4 unnecessary minutes where a single electronic sound is reiterated and, striking the tenth minute, launches into an instrumental dominated by electronic drums and keyboards.
In short, it may not be a perfect work, but neither is it rubbish like the 2 albums released so far by Linkin Park.
RATING = 6.5
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Carousel (03:00)
She can't hide no matter how hard she tries
Her secret disguised behind the lies
And at night she cries away her pride
With eyes shut tight
Staring at her inside
All her friends know why she can't sleep at night
All her family asking if she's alright
All she wants to do is get rid of this hell
Well all shes gotta do is stop kidding herself
She can only fool herself for so long
She can only fool herself for so long
She can only fool herself for so long
(I'm too weak to face me)
I never know just why you run
So far away, far away from me
I never know just why you run
So far away, far away from me
When it comes to how to live his life he can't be told
Says he's got it all under control
Thinks he knows its not a problem he's stuck with
But in reality
It'd be a problem to just quit
An addict and he can't hold the reins
The pain is worse 'cause his friends have it the same
Tries to slow down the problem he's got
But cant get off the carousel until he makes it stop
He can only fool himself for so long
He can only fool himself for so long
He can only fool himself for so long
(I'm too weak to face me)
I never know just why you run
So far away, far away from me
I never know just why you run
So far away, far away from me
Fly with me upon the wings i gave you
Try to be closer to me I'll save you
Fly with me upon the wings i gave you
Try to be closer to me I'll save you
I never know just why you run
So far away, far away from me
I never know just why you run
So far away, far away from me
05 High Voltage (03:30)
Just do something to tell you who I am, ya know?
Chorus x2
It's high voltage you can't shake the shock
Because nobody wants it to stop, check it out
It's high voltage you can't shake the shock
Because nobody wants it to stop, check it out
I've been digging in the crates
Ever since I was living in space
Before the rat race
Before monkeys had human traits
Mastered numerology
And bigbang theology
Performed lobotomies
With telekinetic psychology
Invented the mic
So I could start blessin it
And chincheckin kids to make my point
Like an impressionist
Many men have tried to shake us
But I'll twist my cords
Through double helixes
And show them what I'm made of
I buckle knees like leg braces
Cast the spell of instrumental-ness
And all of the emcees that hate us
So try on
Leave you without a shoulder to cry on
From now to infinity
Let icons be bygones
I fire bomb
Ghostly notes haunt this
I've tried threats
But moved on to a promise
I stomp shit
With or without an accomplice
Mix media
The stamp of approval is on this
Chorus
Akira
Put a kink in the backbones
Of clones with microphones
Never satisfy my rhyme jones
Spraying bright day
Over what you might say
Blood type krylon technicolor type A
On highways write with road rage
On pages of wind
And cages of tin
That bounce all around
Surround sound
Devouring the scene
Subliminal gangrene paintings
Overall the same things
Sing song karaoke copy madness
Break bones verbally
With sticks and stone tactics
Fourth dimension
Combat convention
Write rhymes at ease
While the tracks stand at attention
Attention
Meant to put you away
With the pencil, pistol, official
16 line rhyme missile
While you risk your all
I pick out of your flaws
Spin, rah blah blah blah
You can say you saw
Chorus 8X
This production has been brought to you courtesy of
Mixed Media
Akira
Mr. Hahn
And
Hybrid Theory...
06 Part of Me (03:50)
Part of me won't go away
Everyday reminded how much I hate it
Weighted against the consequences
Can't live without it so it's senseless
Wanna cut it out of my soul
And just live with a gaping hole
Take control of my life
And wash out all the burnt taste
I made the problems in the first place
Hang my head low cause it's part of me
You hardly see right next to the heart of me
Hurting me, the routine scar
New cuts cover where the old ones are
And I'm sick of this
I can't stand the sandpaper thoughts that grate on my sanity
I rather not even be then the man
that's staring in the mirror through me
Cut myself free willingly
Stop just what's killing me
Cut myself free willingly
Stop just what's killing me
Cut myself free willingly
Stop just what's killing me
Cut myself free willingly
Stop just what's killing me
I feel it everyday
I feel I made my way
I feel it swell up inside, swell up inside
Swallowing me
(freedom can be frightening if you've never felt it)
Once it's been dealt with you
feel like you've been touched by something angelic
And then melted down into a pool of peace
Cease to be the animal you used to be
Remove the broken parts you know were wrong
And feel the calm when the problem's all gone
And then you start to see another piece of yourself
that you can't let be
And that reason will last fight to free yourself
Take it to the depths of the bottom of the well
And now you know you can choose
to lose the part in your heart
Where your insides bruise
You can live if you're willing to
Put a stop to just what's killing you
Cut myself free willingly
Stop just what's killing me
Cut myself free willingly
Stop just what's killing me
Cut myself free willingly
Stop just what's killing me
Cut myself free willingly
Stop just what's killing me
I feel it everyday
I feel I made my way
I feel it swell up inside, swell up inside
Swallowing me
Alive in me, inside of me, a part of me screams away silently
This part of me won't go away, part of me won't go away
Everywhere I look around I see how everyone aught to be
Every time I see myself
there's always something wrong with me
I feel it everyday
I feel I made my way
I feel it swell up inside, swell up inside
Swallowing me
I feel it everyday
I feel I made my way
I feel it swell up inside, swell up inside
Swallowing me
I feel it swell up inside, swell up inside, swallowing me
I feel it swell up inside, swell up inside, swallowing me
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