— singer Chester Bennington, MC Mike Shinoda, guitarist Brad Delson, drummer Rob Bourdon and DJ Joseph Hahn

.........Well first of all, I would like to say that "rapcore" will never go away. It is a genre that is rapidly growing and is virtually unstoppable. If you are tired of Fred Durst's attitude and cursing, please, give Linkin Park a try. The rap/rock band featured two vocalists who continued to awe the crowd with their awesome range of sound and creative contrast that they brought to their music. Very energetic and continuously hype, this is a band that knows how to work a crowd and leave them wanting more enough to run to the merch booth and purchase a CD and T-shirt. The band consists of five members: southern California fivesome — singer Chester Bennington, MC Mike Shinoda, guitarist Brad Delson, drummer Rob Bourdon and DJ Joseph Hahn. Hahn spins records, samples, and even does a little of the backing vocals. I really hate to compare bands but, if I had to explain how Linkin Park sounds, just mix Limp Bizkit and Incubus together and you have Linkin Park. "Hybrid Theory" is a great CD. In my opinion, I think "Papercut" and "In The End" are the best tracks on this disc. "One Step Closer" is also a great track and radio stations across the country are playing it. There is a video for it and it is really good. Both Mike, and singer Chester write equally intriguing lyrics and manage to exchange turns on the mic quite effectively; but the fact that every aspect of this band is blended so well together.

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.....This band has depth, diversity and originality for any fan of emo, alternative or even hardcore who has an open mind towards talented music. Ever song is a gem, and there are maybe 8 possible singles. Their first single, 'One Step Closer', is very short and too the point, while other songs carry on almost like a novel at times, telling a story of one's life, a life that I can very much relate to, maybe that's why I have became so close to this album. Tracks such as 'With You', 'Crawling', 'Runaway', 'Forgotten' and 'Papercut' are all well beyond average, and on the level of exceptional in my book, but it's songs like 'By Myself' and 'A Place for My head' and 'In The End' that really showcase how good these guys are. Mike Shinoda is what you would call an "emcee." He is the rapper in the band. His lyrics and vocals flow well within the rest of the music.Bringing elements of incubus and Deftones to the vocal platform, and adding a single guitar player, a drummer, and one of the best DJ's ever, Mr.Hahn. If you ever get the chance to see Linkin Park perform, I advise you to do so. Their music is expressive as well as aggressive. They really get the crowd going at their shows. This band is going places.

By Randy Cohen