Really? I've never heard about the hate, most people within my various social groups growing up have greatly appreciated the album (or have at least had no problems digesting it):-?

Either way, completely agree with you! To me, this album demonstrated just how much potential Linkin Park had as a band if they ever were to choose to lean into Tech Rock, the whole album just screams "Cyberpunk!" to me.

Speaks volumes about Mike Shinoda's finesse in establishing musical aesthetics as well, very cinematic!

[–] Stillwater@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I remember when it came out there was a lot of "why didn't you make new songs" sentiment. Even though I liked the tracks I agreed. Hybrid Theory was the biggest breakthrough album of the genre and instead of a real follow-up all we got was remixes?? It seemed like they were trying to milk more money out of the first album instead of "being creative" enough to make new music. It took another few years before Meteora came out.

[–] latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Interesting perspective, to me it entirely justified the separate and self-standing release:-?

It was an entirely different take and vision. Granted, it's almost exclusively old stuff, per se, but it's so transformative, that I'd say they can't even be called remixes. If you'll allow a vidya related parallel, they're to Hybrid Theory as Enderal is to Skyrim - same elements, completely different ethos.

Not even Shinoda's reinterpretation of Depeche Mode's Enjoy The Silence is this transformative, and I think it's due to his familiarity with the material he was using.

Edit: something just hit me, one could look at it not as a Linkin Park release, but as a Mike Shinoda release. My reasoning for this is thinking back to the days when they went as Xero and they just started recording their demos (Rhinestone, for instance), Mike Shinoda's "quirkiness" is singificantly more evident, as he was the main creative voice shaping the sound.

Linkin Park themselves matured as a whole with Meteora, I'd argue, as Hybrid Theory still featured a lot of variability with the aesthetics, and their sound is very specifically not what we got in Reanimation.

[–] Stillwater@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 month ago

Totally, this was kind of a new approach at the time, and the expectation then was that we'd get a new album of new songs.

[–] jay@mbin.zerojay.com 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Really, really love this particular version of the song so very much. One of my personal favorites.

[–] latenightnoir@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 month ago

While I don't know your specifics, I do understand what you mean. Glad to have brought it in!