[Contest Entry #1] |
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Written By : Marc Hybrid Theory: Thorns of a Rose Before I begin, one might question why the title is "Thorns of a Rose." Well, the answer is simple. I believe thorns were placed on roses in order to enhance the fragrance of the flower itself. This type of philosophy proves in many sectors of art, and the groundbreaking debut of Linkin Park's "Hybrid Theory" is no exception. As each track progresses, you aren't just hearing the music anymore. Listening to some tracks, you begin to feel it: all the anger, all the frustration that the band seems to project when they shout, yet during the other tracks, you feel the beauty and creativity that they are obviously made of as their melodic voices and instrumentals mesh together perfectly. Kinda like peanut butter and jelly, or milk and cookies. You know pretty darn well they taste good separately, but put together, they're compared to no other. Now, in order to conserve space, I'll only talk about the songs which really stood out. Immediately upon listening to the first song on this impressive CD, you, just like I did, will believe it was put there for a purpose, to be used as a precautionary (for lack of a better word) to enter the world of Linkin Park. The first few beats as the song started already put a smile on my face while the guitar that followed it shortly-after actually managed to send a small shiver down my spine. When Rob began ripping up on those drums, though, I knew I found something worthwhile. Shinoda's wicked rhymes began spinning and spinning around me, if that makes any sense, and soon brought me into this place full of mistrust and fear. My head began to bob up and down, but nothing prepared me for Chester belting out such an awesome chorus. This continued until the song reached 2:05 when my jaw pretty much dropped. Definitely the "sum up our style song" in my eyes. Did I make a bad decision buying this album? Of course not. Still recovering from the first masterpiece which really REALLY ruled, I then jacked up the volume when I read that "One Step Closer" (the breath-taker song) was track number 2. As embarassing as this may sound, I began doing the "robot," moving every second and a half as the drums just blasted out of my speakers. An interesting experience. Hell, I haven't even gotten to the chorus yet. So as Chester began shouting, I leaped out of my chair and started jumping and twirling, kind of like when a little kid opens a present during his birthday and finds a dog/bike/satanic artifact wrapped up in Mervyn's wrapping paper. Oh man, this review's maturity has gone down the crapper, but I'm just so hyped. I _am_ listening to it right now, so I have a reason to. Research, I guess. Okay okay, so the rage began to explode and I was there jumping and twirling like a moron, when Mr. Bennington proceeded to tell me to shut up. And so I did. Hey, I'm not going to defy a guy who has devil horns. :-) "Points of Authority" is one of those songs that makes me wanna go to my 6th grade school bully and shout, "Hey Elizabeth Anderson, ya ugly bitch, you want my money?!?! Huh? Well come and take it! I dare ya!" You know what I mean, it has this certain message that pretty much tells you to stand up for yourself when someone torments you because they were tormented themselves. Now THIS is what I'm talking about... this is the "punch Elizabeth Anderson right in her fat, pimply nose" song. A very angry song that I thought could start any party (or any riot, at least) as soon as Chester and Mike pick up their mics. I also noticed that that this was one of Rob's most agressive songs, while Brad sounded like he pretty much leveled his kit. The last thirty seconds was all Joe, though. Mr. Hahn definitely shows what he can do here, but is it his best? Oh dear lord no, this is just the beginning. Hey now, is it just me, or does the piano piece at the beginning of "In The End" sound a lot like a piece from Resident Evil 2? Oh well, guess it's just me. The piano here was a grrrrrr-eat touch while Chester perfectly introduces Mike into the mix. To me, this is most likely the relaxation song, the song that I can probably go to sleep to (falling asleep to One Step Closer is fairly difficult... I've tried). The instrumentals in this awesome song are definitely at their best, and whoever was ticklin' the ivory deserves a mad prop of respect. However, the thing that really made this song so memorable is Chester's singing about 2:09 into the track as if he's talking to that one person who's made him feel so insignificant, yet later you get the notion that Chester/Mike is going to get through this, and that's pretty much what makes a song a great song: when you feel like you're part of it. "Folks, we have a very special guest for you tonight. I'd like to introduce... Mr. HAAAHHHHNNNN!" Fucking unbelievable. If I couldn't thank this guy enough for what he did on the previous songs, he goes on to create "Cure for the Itch." Holy hell, could this dude get any better? Personally, I think Joe could whup on DJ Lethal on his worst day, and I'm talkin' a massacre here. Seriously, "Let's hear it for the great Mr. Hahn," they weren't kidding when they said great. Call me biased, but all my favorite DJ's are Asian, and being Asian myself, I think this is a landmark. The only thing I see wrong on this track is I thought it should've been longer, but I guess that's just me. Onto track 12, "Pushing Me Away," quite possibly my favorite song (thought it's fairly difficult to pick a fave when every track is the bizzomb). This struck me as the best-written song of the bunch because while it holds some sentimental value for myself, it also is the one that makes me think the most. This song and me just... I dunno... connect, and that's what I love about songs. I mean, that "Macarena" song wasn't exactly a tear-jerker and "Livin' La Vida Loca" was just a different way for me to cook eggs (Hey-- that Ricky Martin guy's on again, that means it's been fifteen minutes! Put those damn eggs on the plate!). I believe this song belonged to Brad musically, as the drumming was probably the most memorable part of the song. Like I said, probably my favorite. So in conclusion: Linkin Park, in their debut CD, "Hybrid Theory" deserves so much praise and exposure right now that there's really no question as to whether or not these guys'll stay cool. Every song is phenomenal in its own special way and I love the fact that through all their disappointment and anger in their songs, they have the balls to NOT take the easy way out and scream like morons every chance they get. There's too many bands like that right now who shout the most idiotic lyrics but are somehow treated like musical visionaries; but just wait, when LP gets their dues, with all their angry (yet intelligent) thorns, they'll be the best smelling rose in the whole f'n garden. |