Meteora

Nu metal pop kings Linkin Park return to action with a brand new album - the follow-up to their 13-million selling debut 'Hybrid Theory'. Once again produced by Don Gilman, this time in conjunction with the band themselves, 'Meteora' takes the blueprint established on 'Hybrid Theory' and adds extra depth and colour with the addition of live strings, live piano, elaborate digital effects and rusted samples. The writing of 'Meteora' commenced upon the band'sbus during Ozzfest 2001 and developed at their home studio in Los Angeles as well as at NRG (North Hollywood) and Soundtrack Studios (New York). The recording process was notably meticulous with dual-vocalists Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda spending three months recording vocals alone, obsessively re-writing parts along the way. The meticulous approach was worth the effort, as 'Meteora' clearly demonstrates. First single 'Somewhere I Belong' provides such evidence, withemphatic melodies tied to Linkin Park's solid blend of granite riffs and hard-edged beats. Elsewhere tracks such as 'Easier To Run' and 'Breaking The Habit' exhibit a variety of influences and convey a range of influences that demonstrate Linkin Park's progression since 'Hybrid Theory'.