Linkin Park’s 20th anniversary edition of Meteora, which releases on April 7th, is a victory lap in musical form. It’s the story of a band who had to withstand the pressure of following up the biggest album of 2001 – in any genre. Yes, Hybrid Theory was that popular, emerging at basically the perfect time in the music industry. Undoubtedly, it had a huge impact on people of many ages and personalities, but especially those who were teenagers or young adults at the time of its initial release in 2003. While the anniversary edition will likely connect with many for nostalgic purposes alone (nostalgia does sell, after all), this is an important release for anyone with even a passing interest in the band.
There’s plenty of tracks on this release that prove that even Linkin Park’s unreleased material had star power. There’s lead single “Lost”, for instance. While it bears some similarities from a songwriting perspective to massive single “Numb”, the track undoubtedly would’ve been a hit at any point in the last 20+ years. There’s a reason why its huge chorus propelled it to the top of the rock charts on a worldwide basis, actually ending up as one of the band’s most anticipated tracks in their existence. There’s also the more aggressive “Fighting Myself” as well as “Healing Foot”, the latter of which could be considered a bridge between Meteora and 2007’s Minutes To Midnight. At least in terms of where they were headed musically at the time.
Those aren’t the only highlights, of course. “More The Victim” likely would’ve been a big hit, and the demos of both the emotive “Easier To Run” and “Lying From You” differ from their original versions enough to matter from an instrumental perspective. Notably, many of the songs hint at some very interesting directions Meteora could have gone in, with lots of pop and electronic influences abounding more than their music already conveyed. You also have “Massive”, whose mix of alternative metal, pop, and electronic influences definitely bear some interesting influences. Seriously, turn the song to the 2:05 mark and the sharpness of the guitars will probably remind you of some serious Adrenaline // Around The Fur vibes. It’s a huge compliment, as Linkin Park’s influence from Deftones always loomed large in their early years.
Coming to digital streaming services April 7 for Linkin Park’s #Meteora20:
– Meteora
– Live in Texas* (full show, first time ever)
– Nottingham 2003* (full show, first time ever)
– LPU Rarities*
– Live Rarities*
– Lost Demos**first time on streaming platforms pic.twitter.com/7BNGsOQORW
— Linkin Park Live (@LPLive) April 6, 2023
Meteora arrived at basically the perfect time for many audiophiles. Trying to make sense of a changing world around them and even within themselves, Meteora conveyed and captured the panic and uncertainty that many of their fans were experiencing. And from a strictly musical perspective, the band’s attempts at experimentation rolled over well for their career that’s followed to this day. Not all of those experiments made the cut, of course, but even these lost demos are worth listening to as they showcased a band that was continuing to explode on a global scale. Vital, really.
