My Top 3 Albums
- A Thousand Suns
- Hybrid Theory
- Meteora
A Thousand Suns is a 2010 album about nuclear bombs and humanity being the architect of its own destruction. It features quotes from figures such as J Robert Oppenheimer, leader of the Manhattan Project that lead to the bombing of Japan in WW2. My favorite song from A Thousand Suns has to be Blackout, because it is unique as a two-part song, with the first part being rageful and the latter being calm. It is one of the few songs where Mike Shinoda shows off his singing abilities (he normally raps) and his vocals are very ethereal making a great contrast to Chester's screams. In general this is a great album because it has a distinct sound and when you listen to the album in order, you understand the vision or the story being communicated. It is not just a collection of songs.
Hybrid Theory (2000) is the very first album by Linkin Park and still one of the best. It is many fans' favorite. I love this album because it has three classics (Papercut, Crawling, and In The End). Papercut is my favorite track, and I used to listen to it on my walk home from middle school. The lines "The sun goes down / I feel the light betray me" are very poetic and I often think about them.
Meteora (2003) is the second ever album from Linkin Park. My favorite song from Meteora often changes, but right now it is Somewhere I belong. I relate to that song's themes of alienation and not feeling real. To be honest, I often confuse Meteora with Hybrid Theory because I mostly listen to Linkin Park by songs and not by album, except for with A Thousand Suns. Apparently critics say it has a similar sound to Hybrid Theory so that could be why. These first two albums do a great job of establishing Linkin Park's sound.
Linkin Park Members
- Chester Bennington (Lead Singer 1999 - 2017)
- Emily Armstrong (Lead Singer 2023 - present)
- Mike Shinoda (Secondary Vocalist, Rapper, Co-founder 1996 - present)
- Brad Delson (Lead Guitar, Co-founder)
- Joe Hahn (Synthesizers)
- Dave "Phoenix" Farrell (Bass)
- Rob Bourdon (Drums, Co-founder)
It is often said by fans that Chester Bennington sings like an angel full of rage and I most definitely agree. I think in that respect he is similar to Rob Halford of Judas Priest. He sings from the heart, having experienced a traumatic and abusive childhood. His singing and the lyrics he co-wrote were so powerful to fans because while they didn't shy away from traumatic and emotional topics, in their fierceness they served as a testament to his strength and will and this inspired. Unfortunately, Chester Bennington succumbed to depression and committed suicide in 2017, possibly influenced by the death of his friend Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Audioslave.
Emily Armstrong is the new lead singer for Linkin Park and instrumental to the band's revival. I think it is smart of the band to not tread old ground with another male vocalist because Chester Bennington is so celebrated and revered by fans. This way, Linkin Park can survive with a new identity and not as an imitation of the past. I listened to Linkin Park's new album From Zero with her and I am not sure what I think. I prefer Chester Bennington, but there was one song I thought was pretty good (Stained). It might be too early to see where the band goes, but I'm just glad I can possibly see them tour.
Mike Shinoda along with Chester Bennington is too in nearly every Linkin Park song as a rapper. Shinoda is also the songwriter and a producer on Linkin Park, and plays the rhythm guitar and keyboard.