Linkin Park biography

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Mini Biography - Linkin Park

Linkin Park must have been designed in a laboratory as the consummate rap-metal band: the angry vocals, the headbanging guitar, the renegades-of-funk rhythm section, the DJ scratching between verses, the baggy pants, the gratuitous use of the letter K. Although they got lumped in with bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park sang sensitive songs about the secret life of boys, hitting a nerve in the audience with their brotherly compassion: Hybrid Theory was the biggest seller of 2001. Brad Delson's flash guitar, Mike Shinoda's low-key rapping, and Chester Bennington's Freddie Mercury-has-risen-from-the-grave vocals fused into intensely emotional teen angst. "In the End," their biggest and best hit, was really the flip side of Limp Bizkit's "Nookie," the cry of an embattled young dude who finds out the hard way that nice guys have girl troubles, too, just like the Fred Dursts of the world.

Meteora sucked a few last drops from the rap-metal formula. The quickie Live in Texas followed the strategy, "Give the people as much as they can stand of what they want." The remix album Reanimation featured underground hip-hop producers such as Kutmasta Kurt, X-ecutioners, Dilated Peoples' Evidence, and the excellently named Jewbacca. Guest vocalists include rockers such as Korn's Jonathan Davis and Staind's Aaron Lewis, as well as indie rappers such as Aceyalone, Rasco, Planet Asia, and Jurassic 5's Chali 2na. (ROB SHEFFIELD)

From 2004's The New Rolling Stone Album Guide

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