March 29, 2024

New Fury Media

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Mike Shinoda confirms Linkin Park is planning a special 20th anniversary release for ‘Hybrid Theory’, working on new music

One of the 5 highest-selling albums since the dawn of the new millennium, Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory has earned its place as one of the most important rock albums of the last 20 years. Full of youthful charisma and including zero profanity (which was a strong catalyst for their all-encompassing appeal), there’s plenty of reasons why it succeeded. Right place, right time? Perhaps. Timeless music? That’s more like it.

Earlier this year, the band mentioned they’ll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of said record all year long, with stories, memorabilia, and plenty of stories to go along with it. And according to Mike Shinoda, that’s not all – Linkin Park is also planning a special 20th anniversary release for the influential record. as well. In fact, this is all happening while the band is working on new music.

In a new interview with Dan Really Likes Wine (which was livestreamed on Facebook), bassist Phoenix Farrell discussed where the band is at as far as creating new music in the wake of vocalist Chester Bennington’s 2017 death:

“For us, with the band, we’ve been kinda writing and doing that before this all started. So casually at this point, we’re doing Zoom meetings to eat lunch together and say, ‘Hi’. But we’re not able to get together and write or do that whole bit. So [we’re] working at home a little bit, working up ideas…. I’ve been playing a lot of drums, just to do something new – I’ve been doing that for the last year, year and a half, and purposely making as much noise as possible to create my own space in the house.”

We pretty much know that tidbit of information already as per discussions with the remaining members of Linkin Park the past few years, so that’s not particularly surprising. What is interesting, though, is that apparently Linkin Park are going forward with some sort of HT 20th anniversary release.

In a recent livestream where Shinoda hosted a lengthy Q&A session with fans (including, notably, discussing why collaborations with Eminem never happened), Shinoda discussed the likelihood of Hybrid Theory seeing a special release (in addition to the year-long celebration). Shout out to Linkin Park Live for transcribing everything.

“This year is the 20 year anniversary of Hybrid Theory. And we are doing a release for it and a celebration for it with the band and the fans. All of us have had to go back and watch stuff from that era. It is the cringiest stuff… I can’t believe the things we were saying between songs. I was like “who is this guy?” Chester was talking like a wrestler, it was insane. I remember talking to Chester four or five years ago and we would argue about who was the most embarrassing person. But at the time, that was the shit. That’s what we did.”

Perhaps a recording of one of the band’s earliest shows? A 20th anniversary re-release with commentary and the like? That would certainly be exciting. Whatever it is, we’re here for it.

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