Linkin Park - One of Today's Best Rock Bands
Linkin Park in Cape Town
In November 2012 after waiting 10 years for them to come to South Africa, they finally made it!
Here's my Linkin Park experience.
When most people hear about Linkin Park, I'm sure some of the first things that come to mind are the tattoos, the piercings, the purple and orange hair and Chester screaming his lungs out on stage. These are just a few parts of what make up this phenomenal rock band - one of the greatest bands in music history.
I was first introduced to them back in 2001. I was in my final year of high school, going through a lot - everything you'd expect a normal 18-year old girl to be going through, and this band provided me with solace through many of those rather interesting days.
There's nothing quite like turning on Linkin Park at full volume. Somehow, after blasting out a couple of their songs, everything seemed much better. Don't get me wrong - I appreciate good music, loud music - just so long as it has words that actually mean something, and the band members can sing and not just scream for the sake of screaming.
Linkin Park has transformed the way people look at rock music in general. What they've brought to the music industry over the past decade and more, is artistic brilliance to say the least.
Not only are they able to belt out the high notes as they do in Crawling, but they're able to get down and emotional and show off their softer vocals in songs like My December.
If you've never heard their music, I'd like to introduce them to you with the following song below: New Divide, taken off the soundtrack from The Transformers.
The theme song from the movie, Transformers
Who Are Linkin Park?
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills in California. They were formed in 1996, but the band officially rose to International fame after the success and fame of their first album, Hybrid Theory.
What I love about this band is the fact that they are so talented - they don't feel the need to scream every single song out to call themselves a rock band. Listen to their music, listen to at least 10 of their songs from different albums and you will find that their music and singing ability spans a wide range of vocal capabilities.
One of my favourite and one of their first songs I heard play on the radio was "Crawling". It's filled with such emotion, it's loud and it's raw. A total opposite to one of their more recent and mellower songs played over the years, "My December".
These two songs alone demonstrate why Linkin Park is one of the world's greatest bands in music history.
Albums
Year
| Album
|
---|---|
2000
| Hybrid Theory
|
2003
| Meteora
|
2007
| Minutes to Midnight
|
2010
| A Thousand Suns
|
2012
| Living Things
|
Linkin Park Facts
- Linkin Park was formed by three high school friends; Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon, and Brad Delson
- After graduating, the three recruited Joe Hahn and Mark Wakefield to perform in their band
- The first name of the band was Xero
- Two of the band members left, and lead vocalist Chester Bennington joined the band in 1999
- The band changed the name from Xero to Hybrid Theory, and soon after finalized the name to Linkin Park, paying homage to Santa Monica's Lincoln Park
- Their breakthrough album, Hybrid Theory was released in October 2000, selling more than 3.8 million copies during its first year
- Linkin Park have won two Grammy's - one for Crawling, the other for Numb/Encore with Jay-Z
- Joe and Mike designed the album cover for Hybrid Theory. (Both attended Pasadena Art College of Design)
- The song "My December" was recorded in Nashville, the country's music capital of the world
- Their influences include Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, The Roots and Aphex Twin
- Warner Brothers rejected the band 3 times before the finally agreed to sign them
My Favourite Linkin Park Song...
More facts...
- Brad kept his hair purple throughout high school
- Chester and his wife at the time, Samantha had their wedding rings tattooed on their fingers
- Chester's first band's name was Gray Daze
- Mike's side project is Fort Minor
- Chester has a side band called "Dead by Sunrise", formally known as "Snow White Tan"
- Lead vocalist, Chester was born in 1976
- Mike's full name is Michael Kenji Shinoda
- Chester has four children
Linkin Park Give Back...
- In January 2010, Linkin Park released a song entitled "Not Alone" as part of a compilation from Music for Relief called Download to Donate for Haiti in support of the Haiti Earthquake crisis.
- The song was officially released as a music video on their homepage in February 2010.
- In January 2011, an updated version of Download to Donate for Haiti was launched, with more songs available to be downloaded.
- Linkin Park released Keaton Hashimoto's remix of "The Catalyst" from the "Linkin Park featuring YOU" contest.
- Mike designed two t-shirts, in which all proceeds go towards Music for Relief to help the victims of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami natural disasters.
- Music for Relief released Download to Donate: Tsunami Relief Japan, another compilation of songs.
- All proceeds from these sales go towards Save the Children.