At the turn of the 21st century, as nu-metal neared its peak in mainstream popularity, the next generation of bands began to emerge, influenced by that scene's unhinged anger, pummeling metallic riffs, and hip-hop flourish. Of those groups, Californian crew
Linkin Park
rose to the top of the pack with their boundary-busting approach to the genre, which they debuted on their first effort,
Hybrid Theory
. Released in late 2000, the album took the basics of rap-metal fusion, discarded the lug-headed posturing and cartoonish profanity, and expanded its scope to include atmospheric electronics, a pop-savvy attention to hooks, and confessional lyrics that balanced angst with vulnerability. Anchored by the effortless interplay between throat-shredding vocalist
Chester Bennington
and emcee
Mike Shinoda
, the sextet also featured the talents of guitarist
Brad Delson
, bassist
Dave "Phoenix" Farrell
, drummer
Rob Bourdon
, and programmer/DJ
Joe Hahn
, the behind-the-scenes wizard on the turntables (who has his own moment to shine on "Cure for the Itch"). Together, they crafted a taut set of deviously catchy and relatable anthems that quickly connected them to a legion of fans who craved more emotional depth in their heavy music. On breakthrough single "One Step Closer," a seething
Bennington
showcased his wide range -- which whips from a pained whisper to a feral roar -- as
Hahn
wildly scratched and scrubbed on the turntables, mimicking the turmoil and angst in
's lyrics. "By Myself" and "A Place for My Head" operate on a similar level, unleashing
's bloody shrieks upon
Shinoda
's aggressive rhymes and a band united as a fine-tuned melodic unit. Later, on "Points of Authority," atop
's explosive effects,
's rage hits another peak, confronting the one who sexually abused him as a child. Such heavy lyrical content forms the core of
, creating a cathartic outlet for those who can relate to struggling with addiction (the Grammy-winning "Crawling"), paranoia ("Papercut"), failed relationships ("Pushing Me Away," "In the End"), and much more. The combination of emotional bloodletting and gifted songwriting resonated with the public, and
was soon an international, diamond-certified smash, catapulting
to worldwide fame. However, before becoming one of the most beloved bands of the 2000s and 2010s, they were a group of hungry unknowns who sought to try something new with their hybrid approach to genre and human emotion. ~ Neil Z. Yeung