It may be too cynical to assume Hybrid Theory changed its name to Linkin
Park in order to appear right next to Limp Bizkit in your local record
bin. But rock-rap workouts like "One Step Closer" and "Papercut" do make
Linkin Park a comfortable fit with Fred Durst and his ilk. Producer Don
Gilmore (Pearl Jam, Lit, Eve 6) and twin vocal threats Chester Bennington
and Mike Shinoda serve up industrial-strength rap and rock melodicism
with equal aplomb on this woulda-been-self-titled debut effort. "Points
of Authority" aims to sound like Trent Reznor wanking it up with Lars and
company, whereas guitarist Brad Delson's Edge-y harmonics help "In the
End" and "Pushing Me Away" evoke a dark romanticism akin to A Perfect
Circle. Curiously, the band gets by with no bass player, while sample-happy
DJ Joseph Hahn's step into the spotlight on the instrumental "Cure for the
Itch" suggests a potential for eclecticism that could help Linkin Park
outlive its seemingly transient genre.