Project Revolution
The debut that launched Linkin Park into mainstream popularity with four hit singles and 32 million copies sold worldwide.
Hybrid Theory is the debut studio album by the American rock band Linkin Park, released on October 24, 2000, by Warner Bros. Records. Recorded at NRG Recordings in North Hollywood, California, and produced by Don Gilmore, the album's lyrical themes deal with problems lead vocalist Chester Bennington experienced during his adolescence, including drug abuse and the constant fighting and eventual divorce of his parents. Hybrid Theory takes its title from the previous name of the band as well as the concepts of music theory and combining different styles. It is also the band's only album in which bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell does not play, though he was credited as a band member and was a songwriter on two tracks.
Quick Facts
- Music Festival Name
- Projekt Revolution
- Location
- 2002–2008 (North America) / 2008 • 2011 (Europe)
- Years Active
- 2002–2008 · 2011
- Genre
- Alternative metal · nu metal · metalcore · heavy metal · hip hop · post-hardcore · alternative rock
- Founders
- Linkin Park
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
High school friends Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson and Rob Bourdon formed the rap rock band Xero in 1996. After their graduation, they recruited Joe Hahn, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Mark Wakefield to perform in the band. The band began recording and producing songs within Shinoda's makeshift bedroom studio in 1996, resulting in a four-track demo album, entitled Xero, released in November 1997. Delson introduced the band to Jeff Blue, the vice president of A&R for Zomba Music, who took interest but did not produce a record deal. After watching a Xero performance in 1998, Blue believed the band needed a different vocalist. Frustrated with the lack of label success, Wakefield and Farrell left the band. Blue recommended Arizona-based vocalist Chester Bennington, formerly of Grey Daze. Blue called Bennington on March 20, 1999, his 23rd birthday, and sent him tapes of Xero's unreleased recordings the following day. Bennington wrote and recorded new vocals over the instrumentals and sent the tapes back to Blue. By March 23, Bennington was in Los Angeles auditioning for Xero. The band auditioned numerous people for the vocalist job, with Shinoda later admitting the group's visual impression of Bennington initially led to concerns about his image, though Bennington clearly was the best performer among the candidates. As Delson recalls, "[Bennington] really was kind of the final piece of the puzzle [...] We didn't see anything close to his talent in anybody else." After Bennington officially got the job, the five members renamed the band Hybrid Theory. Bassist Kyle Christner was then recruited on a temporary basis. The band with these members released the self-titled EP Hybrid Theory. Through a street team, the EP was mainly promoted through internet chat-rooms and forums. In October 1999, Christner left the group. The vacancy was filled by Scott Koziol and Ian Hornbeck, who alongside Delson all contributed bass tracks for the band's recordings. Still unsigned, the band once again turned to Blue, who by that point had left Zomba and had become vice president of Warner Bros. Records; by November 1999, the band had been signed to a contract. The band changed their name again, deciding on "Linkin Park."
Reader's Guide
The album eventually produced four singles. "One Step Closer," the album's second track and first single, was gradually recorded in increments after Linkin Park struggled with "Runaway," and features a guitar riff and electronic percussion in the introduction transitioning into a bridge with distortion-heavy guitars and aggressive drums. It is also famous for the "Shut up when I'm talkin' to you!" refrain screamed by Bennington one minute and 48 seconds into the song. The music video for "One Step Closer" was shot in a Los Angeles subway and became an instant hit, eventually receiving heavy rotation on MTV and other music television networks. Stand-in bassist Scott Koziol is shown performing with the band in the video. The second single was "Crawling," which Bennington described as "about feeling like I had no control over myself in terms of drugs and alcohol." "Papercut" was the album's third single, and its lyrics describe paranoia. The music video for "Papercut" features the band performing in a hallway opposite a completely dark room on the walls of which are scribbled the song's lyrics. Various supernatural themes are present in the video, and special effects are used to create eerie renditions, such as the "stretching" of Shinoda's fingers and the "melting" of Bourdon's face. The fourth and final single to come from Hybrid Theory was "In the End," released on October 9, 2001. The song prominently features a signature piano riff performed by Shinoda. His rapping also dominates the verses of the song and is later joined by Bennington's vocals in the chorus. The music video for "In the End" was shot at various stops along the 2001 Ozzfest tour and was directed by Nathan "Karma" Cox and the band's DJ Joe Hahn, who would go on to direct many of Linkin Park's future videos (the two also directed the music video for "Papercut"). Although the background for the "In the End" video was filmed in a California desert, the band itself performed on a studio stage in Los Angeles, with prominent CGI effects and compositing being used to create the finished version. Performing on a studio stage allowed Hahn and Cox to set off water pipes above the stage near the end and drench the band. The music video won the Best Rock Video award at the 2002 MTV Video Music Awards. "Points of Authority," the fourth track on the album, was not released as an official single. However, a music video was filmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Project Revolution Tour?
This event acted as the main stage presentation for Linkin Park's record, A Thousand Suns. It took place globally during 2010 and 2011 before officially concluding.
How did the show style differ from earlier concerts?
The band adopted a unified visual style that reflected the complex story within the music instead of standard rock energy. They prioritized atmospheric immersion to create a unique sonic journey on stage.
Which album was supported by this tour?
Performances were built around an immersive experience through the landscapes found on A Thousand Suns. It functioned as the central live vehicle for that specific concept album release.
Where did Linkin Park perform during Project Revolution?
The group played shows across major regions including North America and Europe. These locations helped establish the era as a key moment in their career timeline.
Why do fans consider this tour significant?
It marked a major shift in how the band presented themselves to audiences worldwide. The production focused on experimental sounds rather than traditional nu-metal spectacles.
More in Tours & Concerts
Elsewhere in Linkin Park
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