"Meteora" CD by Linkin Park

by Marcel Anders (03/03) Not much new: on their long-awaited second album, the Californians move on the well-known field between metal riffs and spherical interludes, ecstatic screaming and melodic rap. Either electronic or acoustical, either with breakbeats or with strings - contrasts that have long become the band's trademarks. Consequently, less the 12 songs are what is new in "Meteora" but rather the lyrics saying a lot about the problems of the band with their sudden success. We recognise the impulse for calm and security, for seclusion and isolation. A looking glass for the tensions that come automatically if something gets too fast and too big. The consequences of this development reflect in "Meteora". On the one hand, they have to please the record company and the fans, on the other hand they want to progress. But there is little space for that. Consequently, the six chose the safe way, not only with the first single, "Somewhere I Belong" bearing strong a resemblance of "Crawling", but also with the majority of the material that could easily could have been called "Hybrid Theory 2". No real surprise - but let's be honest: did you expect that?