By the time Meteora came out it had been 3 years since I had outgrown Linkin Park and had a more “refined” taste in music and I couldn’t listen to this casual shit anymore, and yet I was curious about the release…why? I don’t know maybe because Hybrid Theory made me into a metal head and was my first favorite band not to mention got me into music as my newest passion and gone were the days of being a “hardcore” gamer. I remember finding fake Meteora songs on p2p napster clones and I finally got to listen to their first single and I eventually got to listen to the whole cd after it came out…and well it was more Linkin Park like the first album, I didn’t hate it, I thought it was good but it was also something I had outgrown and was now into other bands. A long time has passed since then and I think it’s time to listen back to Linkin Park’s Meteora.
Foreword I hate these random tracks that serve no purpose and don’t really add to the mood, in this case it leads nicely to the next song so whatever but still pointless. Don’t Stay And this is as generic and safe as you can get, it’s definitely Linking Park but what else does it have that sets it apart? Nothing really.
We now have the first single Somewhere I Belong of not only their second album but the album that came out after they became huge. The song is a strong contender and deserving of that spot, it is indeed new Linkin Park and it’s good. I remember watching the making of of the music video on MTV. The music video is rather weird and random but you know I gotta give them credit for this weird blending of imagery. Random japanese easter eggs because fuck it why not? Gundam Wing model kits and monk like things that are random? Are they in a painting with those spider buffalo elephants? That’s pretty damn cool that they were able to do what they wanted in it in their dream music video.
Lying From You I think most of my memories of this song are from early YouTube circa 2006 in some crappy AMV someone made likely of Terra of Teen Titans, and by crappy I mean god damn awesome, I was in my late teens to be enjoying this video likely edited by a 13 year old, I wish I could find it but you have to realize it’s a bit difficult to find videos AMV Linkin Park Teen Titans videos from 2006. Not a bad song even if a bit too linky parky near the end. Hit The Floor is a weird neat filler song which you could expect from a nu-metal release but nothing out of this world. Easier to Run is another rather safe Linkin Park song and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Faint was one of those songs that my previous angsty self thought was a cool song regardless of what negative stigma liking it would’ve given me back in 2003. It’s energetic and not much to it besides that but well it hit the right chords. Linkin Park really were the king of music videos and this silhouettes and blinding lights were just damn awesome, in fact the ending where they’re playing in a random destroyed building dents the otherwise great video. Figure 09 is just another fillerish song that isn’t as strong.
Breaking the Habit is not just an good song that I had no problem praising even back in the day but the music video was the one that made me realize Linkin Park just knew how to make them better than anyone else. I really think it is up there in my top 5 music videos ever made. The song isn’t even one of the greatest but the style of everything just oozes style.
From the Inside is a song I didn’t remember this was a single let alone have a music video, hell if I didn’t know otherwise I would’ve thought it was from nu Linkin Park albums and not from this sophomore release. It’s a bit boring and the music video isn’t much better and better fitting for a Michael Jackson one. Too bad since the intro to the song had showed promise. Nobody’s listening helps things out by doing something different even if not the most loved song. Session also starts out promising but it’s just a transition but a great one.
We finish off with Numb a song so overplayed that I had never even watched the music video and it’s a good song but damn was it so overplayed that It’s hard to judge it o its own. The video doesn’t do a great job at the tortured high school kid and it’s been done much better in other music videos including theirs but I do like that Chester has his blonde highlights once again, I never knew he revisited that 2000 era look. Why are they even playing in a church?
Can we talk a little about the cover of Meteora? I personally consider the blue special edition as the definitive version of it even if he sepia one seems to be used as the official one, I just like blue better and it helps hide the graffiti guy I care nothing for. Overall the album is pretty solid and while not as great as their debut album did it’s a solid release. It’s mostly the same sound and it has some classic tracks.
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