Melodic nü-metal
"I want to heal/I want to feel what I thought was never real/I want to let go of the pain I've held so long/(Erase all the pain 'til it's gone)/I want to heal/I want to feel like I'm close to something real/I want to find something I've wanted all along/Somewhere I belong"
— from "Somewhere I Belong"
Though the nü–metal sound is quickly becoming passé and tired with its blend of powerhouse guitars, catchy melodies, hip–hop rap, and passionate singing/screaming, Linkin Park is still packing a punch with their audience. They certainly didn't pioneer the genre, yet their debut, The Hybrid Theory, became the best–selling album of 2001. Most people expected the band's long–awaited follow–up to do well, but no one expected Meteora to sell more than 800,000 copies in its first week, topping the Billboard album sales chart en route to going platinum.
Linkin Park's popularity stems not only from their solid, hook–filled sound, but also because of their passion, optimism, and search for spiritual truths. The band has toured with P.O.D. and Project 86, prompting many to wonder if Linkin Park has some tie to Christianity. In an interview with Shoutweb, lead emcee and vocalist Mike Shinoda revealed that he "was raised in a really, really liberal Protestant church. Two of the guys are Jewish. [Sample master] Joe [Hahn] was raised in a little more conservative Christian church and [lead vocalist] Chester Bennington has his own really unique views on religion. In general, we are all over the place."
Since Mike writes most of the lyrics with Chester, it's not surprising then that spiritual themes show up. Like their debut, …
Source: Christianity Today Most Read