Meteora

Perhaps if the cut-n-paste remix record Reanimation hadnt appeared as a stopgap measure in the summer of 2002, Linkin Parks second record, Meteora, would merely have been seen as a continuation of their 2000 debut, Hybrid Theory, instead of a retreat to familiar ground. Then again, Reanimation wasnt much more than a way to buy time (along with maybe a little credibility), so its unfair to say that its dabbling in electronica and hip-hop truly pointed toward a new direction for the group, but it did provide a more interesting listening experience than Meteora, which is nothing more and nothing less than a Hybrid Theory part two. Which isnt to say that Linkin Park didnt put any effort into the record, since it does demonstrate that the group does stand apart from the pack by having the foresight to smash all nu-metal trademarks -- buzzing guitars, lumbering rhythms, angsty screaming, buried scratching, rapped verses -- into one accessible sound which suggests hooks instead of offering them. More importantly, the group has discipline and editing skills, keeping this record at a tight 36 minutes and 41 seconds, a move that makes it considerably more listenable than its peers and, by extension, more powerful, since they know where to focus their energy, something that many nu-metal bands simply do not. Meteora does deliver on the most basic level -- it gives the fans what they want, and it does so with energy and without fuss. Its also without surprises, either, which again gives the album a static feeling -- suggesting not a holding pattern for the band, but rather the limits of their chosen genre, which remains so stylistically rigid and formulaic that even with a band who follows the blueprint well, like Linkin Park, it winds up sounding a little samey and insular. Since this is only their second go-round, this is hardly a fatal flaw, but the similarity of Meteora to Hybrid Theory does not only raise the question of where do they go from here, but whether there is a place for them to go at all. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

このスケール、圧巻である。俗世の喧騒から逃れて一気に天上界へと登り詰めてしまったような、ある種の神々しさが漂う。そりゃ無理もない。リンキン・パークは〈時代性〉を伝えるバンドではなく、〈音楽そのもの〉を創造するクリエイター集団だからだ。われわれを未知の世界へと誘う約40分のロック・ワールドが展開する待望の新作。そこにはハリウッド映画顔負けの興奮、そして迫力がある。鋭い技巧と自由な作風。プロトゥールズを駆使した精度の高い演出の数々は、以前にも増してハラハラ・ドキドキの連続で一寸の無駄もない。課外活動で培ったラップ・スキルはより洗練され、強引な駆け引きに頼らないフットワークの軽さを見せつける。完璧なエンターテイメントであり、全世界で1,500万枚を売り上げた前作を凌ぐのは確実。しかも、ちゃんと音楽に6人の情熱と魂が刻まれてるところが凄い。
bounce (C)トリプル永地