The term "oversaturation" is about as common among music executives as the word "surrender" was to Napoleon. If the A&R leaders sign one more "nu-metal" (aka Korn) band, the count will be at one more than I can handle. Enter Linkin Park.
Linkin Park
Hybrid Theory
Warner Bros.
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From the suburbs of L.A., this quintet makes Elvis Costello look like James Brown. Not like that stopped the record company from pouring enough green behind this band to make them the buzz of the week. The logic is obvious.
Linkin Park's debut album, Hybrid Theory, is, in fact, the perfect theorized hybrid of everything going on in the genre today -- from Deftones harmonies to Papa Roach screams to 311 breakdowns. One track sounds like P.O.D., the next like Limp Bizkit and the next like (hed)pe.
The first single, "One Step Closer," and "Crawling" both have the potential to be major-radio cash cows. Amidst the rest of the tracks is a collection of random filler, albeit strong filler.
The band takes an interesting approach to its lineup -- one member, Brad Delson, is responsible for both guitar and bass (which would be interesting to see live), leaving two members, Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington, to concentrate on vocals. But this approach is ineffective, as Bennington's vocals dominate most of the tracks, thankfully leaving very little room for Shinoda's corny white boy emcee comments.
The band would've been better off sticking with one versatile vocalist and instead finding a bass player who can groove as well as Limp Bizkit's Sam Rivers or the Deftones' Chi Cheng. As it stands, Hybrid Theory is too far-removed from the "rap" feel of the rap-rock genre, instead unsuccessfully attempting to supplement the groove with electronic blips and a tired emcee.
With more pressure to succeed on the major level than Powerman 5000 or Dope, Linkin Park can expect a long, hard road of touring ahead, especially given the nature of bands like this to only begin selling albums after months and months touring with better-supported and better-paid acts.
