Brainstorming!!!!

Well this is not exactly the brainstorming "Wise men" in the world would agree to.....like i gave a fuck if they dint agree...Al rite coming to the point.....Its crazy how a 'freaky' brain works when facing different situations....These r nothin more than crazy thots popin out of nowhere when my head's on the verge of breakdown....So al u critics dont expect ethics....

[The material may contain stuff not suitable for certain masses...if u think u r one among them betr get ur ass outta here....No offense u guys this is pure nonsense....]

1. Never lie to someone who trusts U.... Never trust someone who lies to U....

2. Get paid for work in weekdays....Get laid for work at weekends....(conditions apply....lol)

3. It depends on what U give to life.....that what U get back from it....needless to say "what goes around....comes around"....n If u think u r being cheated on dont be shocked..... ;)

4. Life is a rhythmic combination of "Joys and Sorrows"......."Gains and Losses"......"Success and Failure"......It only depends on what we wish to carry along....

An Optimist is inspired by his success.....Pessimist is withdrawn to his failures......But a WINNER is someone who learns from his failure and builds on his success........

5. Every single step you take is a New Beginning...... Every single word you quote is a New Story.......

6. The most difficult phase in life is not when you are not understood but when you cant understand yourself.....

7. When the cupid strikes thrice...... shoot it!!!!.....Thats wise.....

8. There are 2 things that confuse me...... I wonder which among the 2 is worse....

"I HATE TO LOVE YOU"

or

"I LOVE TO HATE YOU"


To Be Continued.....

GoodBye Again

I'm on the outside looking in

What do I see

So much of this left to begin

Where would I be

Out on the outside looking in

Cover me through this night




I guess I don't know what's left to say

Hear me out

All of the dreams of yesterday

Keep breaking me down

What's on the outside

Can you say?

Or am I getting carried away?




It's in your mind

It's in your eyes

So it's goodbye again

It's way past time

For one last try

So it's goodbye again




Goodbye again

I'm getting on

What's the use?

You know how I get

I can't decide which is the truth

At least not yet

I got the feeling that it's you

What can be said alone in this room?

And now...






Who wants you now?

Maybe somebody else

I'll wait around

Maybe you'll forget

you were never here

Maybe forget

You were ever,

Never, here




I'm on the outside looking down

What do I see?

So much of this cold in the ground

Where would I be?

Out on the outside looking down

Cover me before you go




You're falling out

I'm falling in

So it's goodbye again

It's way past time

For one last try

So it's goodbye

Again

A Promise

U Promised Me A Star but forgot Me in the dust…… is this what it means “ To make a promise”

U Promised Me forever but that Moment dint last ever….. is this what it means “ To make a promise”

U Promised to be Friends for Life time but all I have is Memories about that time….. is this what it means “ To make a promise”

U Promised not to Leave me ever and I have been chasin you like forever….. is this what it means “ To make a promise”

A Promise is a promise when its meant to be kept….. or is Promise is a promise when its meant to be left…..

Cos ever since I have seen u “make a promise” ……… I just cant figure out……What it means “ To make a promise”

Accidental Engineer [Part 1]

Accidental Engineer

Breaking The Ice

Take a long stride back into time….. Precisely 4 years….. I see myself at the entrance of a dream.

With gauntlet, strong and steady, I was all set for the journey. This sounds more like an allegory of an epic hero setting out an arduous path to conquer all odds to reach his goals……

Engineering, what I thought would be the ‘Proving Grounds’ for millions of dream catchers and achievers……..turned out to be a ‘Bucket full of crabs’. Uncertain and unsure, trying to surpass each other…..Where are they going…. NOWWHERE!!!!!

Almost four years into this ‘so-called’ professional field of engineering……. Couldn’t find one engineer among the breed I have been with. Blindfolded from the world which rides on proficiency and efficiency….. We are nothing but zombies in this land of professionalism.

Getting Killed By The Questions Like A Cancer

It’s like standing at the foot of a huge mountain….. Aiming to get to the peak…. BUT HOW?.... its not just the path that matters but there millions and millions of the other questions that pierce through the thin air shot right onto you…..

Its not the hard workers ground down here, it’s a smart man’s game. Now that’s how I define “Engineering”…..

Getting to the basics…. The first thing that can say, considering my past experience is…. “EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF”. No that’s how it goes….. You can never say when you get backstabbed or double crossed…. You won’t even know it just happens…. Buts it’s done yet….

WHO???.....WHAT???.....WHEN???.....WHERE???.....WHY???................................HOW??????...........

And it just won’t stop. It comes back over and over again….Time after time…. But its fun… Confused??....Well I’ll explain….Its like drinking beer……First you don’t like it’s taste…but later on you are like “ hey can I have some more”……

Minutes to Midnight (album)

Minutes to Midnight is Linkin Park's upcoming third studio album, scheduled for release worldwide on May 14, 2007, and May 15 for the United States and Canada

Meaning

The title is a reference to the Doomsday Clock, where "Minutes to Midnight" is a measure of the proximity of the world to nuclear destruction. At the time of the title's announcement, the clock stood at 5 minutes to midnight. Mike Shinoda has explained that the album has various meanings:
“ Don't take that at face value. There are layers of meaning, most are metaphoric...It’s definitely a reference to the doomsday clock—the Apocalypse—a metaphor for death and rebirth, but it could also be applied to the music industry, sort of tongue-in-cheek.

Release

The album was delayed multiple times, first scheduled for summer 2006, then fall 2006, then early 2007, and now May 14, 2007 worldwide with the North American release the day after. In an interview in September 2006, Shinoda explained, "When songs are pouring out you don't ever want to stop that. We already have over 100 roughs for songs. We've narrowed it down since but we're not ready to commit to those yet." From the early demo sessions, "QWERTY", which was rumored to be on Minutes to Midnight, has appeared on the Linkin Park Underground v6.0 CD on December 5, 2006 in both live and studio demo versions. The song has now been confirmed as a B-Side track and will not be included on Minutes to Midnight.
"This was a year-and-a-half long process of really hard work and experimentation in the studio that yielded about 150 rough songs," guitarist Brad Delson told Billboard.com. "Not only is this album incredibly diverse, but the depth of the material is really strong."
The first single, "What I've Done", was released on April 2, 2007, and debuted at number one on the U.S. Modern Rock chart.
"Given Up", "What I've Done" and "No More Sorrow" made their live debut on April 28, 2007 in Berlin, Germany. These three tracks will also be played on AOL Sessions on May 7, 2007.
Full released versions of "What I've Done", "Given Up", and "No More Sorrow" have been leaked onto the internet. On May 3, 2007, a 1 minute clip of "Bleed It Out" was leaked onto P2P sharing files and the internet.

Song Meanings

Song Information/Descriptions

01. Wake -

"This is an intro track that starts the album - you can hear a needle going down on a record and I think it sets a tone for what's to come." -- Mike - "To begin their long awaited album, Linkin Park choose to gently set the wheels in motion rather than forcefully kick-starting lively music which fans have come to expect. Instead, they present a slow, short intro track with a synth-heavy melody and a nice building ambiance, which gradually increases in volume." -- Kudos Magazine

02. Given Up

- "We had a really bad song called 'Fire In The City' - the chorus actually had the words 'fire in the city' on it! Mike was the only person who liked it. Rather than just scrap the song, we mined it for any good parts. I took the bassline and the drums and built weird sounds around it, which eventually became this song. Chester's screaming: 'What the fuck is wrong with me? Put me out of my fucking misery!' so without explaining exactly what the song is about, it's pretty clear he's not happy." -- Brad - 'A heavy punk song' -- TERAZ ROCK - "The smoothness is soon thrown out the window however when the scratchy turntable sound of this second track transforms into a gargantuan heavy rock riff. This is possibly the most in-your-face song on the entire record – the punk rock style drumbeats are brash, the guitars thrash and Chester Bennington sings his lungs out. When it reaches the bridge, he goes from singing to screaming the line, “You put me out of my misery” over and over again. It’s heated, emotional and enjoyable, but the track definitely feels like it’s missing a certain something." -- Kudos Magazine

03. Leave Out All The Rest -

"We knew this was going to be a single from the very beginning, so we worked really hard on making sure it had some great lyrics. I'm singing 'Pretending someone else can save me from myself' during it because it's supposed to feel like an apology letter, as though I'm moving on but I want people to remember the good things and not the bad things. A lot of the song is about humility." -- Chester - "A really moody, almost electronic-based song. Lyrically, I can definitively say this is our strongest record, and in particular, this song I really connect to personally. I think it's a really touching song." -- Brad - "From one extreme to another, three tracks in and we’re presented with a ballad. It’s very listenable pop rock with tranquil vocals and dominant bass guitar. It seems odd to position such a slow-paced tune so early into the album but it’s radio friendly style is bound to be popular with many. The piece of music does end rather abruptly though and you may be left wanting more." -- Kudos Magazine - Alternate title: When My Time Comes

04. Bleed It Out

- "I wrote the lyrics to this about a hundreed times. It's always frustrating as a lyricist to come in with a new version that you spent hours on and have the band tell you that it's not yet there. In one case they listened to my lyrics for 30 seconds and told me to start over again. That was pretty hard. It felt like I was bringing in lyrics, getting punched in the face and then going back to the drawing board. When it finally came together I said to the band, 'I don't think anyone but us could have made a song like this'. It's fucking bizarre death-party-rap-hoedown!" -- Mike - "Motown drums, almost '80s rock guitar, rapping and an early hip-hop influence in terms of how it was recorded. I think it will be really fun to play live." -- Brad - "This is much more like the Linkin Park we’re used to hearing. Mike Shinoda starts off with a casual rap before trading off with Chester and some insightful lyrics, “I bring it out, bring it in deeper just to throw it away.” The song’s structure revolves around four simple chords with screaming vocals leading up to the catchy chorus. Piano adds an extra dimension to the track but overall it’s a little repetitive and flat, ending abruptly again. Saying that, we can see this being released as a successful single in the future." -- Kudos Magazine

05. Shadow Of The Day

- "This was probably the most difficult arrangment to nail. It sounded very derivative at first but then we kept kept replacing different elements on it. We put an acoustic guitar on it, then an electric banjo and then a marimba. It's definitely one of the best songs we've written." -- Brad - 'Sounds like classic, old U2' -- TERAZ ROCK - "Possibly the most listener friendly song on ‘Minutes To Midnight,’ the style is very soft yet clear with both vocals and bass taking a poppy turn. Percussion comes across clear and dominant, but overall the song remains average in terms of technicality. It seems to offer nothing more than a break-up in the record, but its dreamy nature is quite certain to be a hit with the fans." -- Kudos Magazine

06. What I've Done -

The first single from Minutes To Midnight. - A video, directed by band turntablist Joseph Hahn, was recently shot in the California desert. - "Joe came up to Mike and I and asked us to take the whole idea of Minutes to Midnight and apply that to how the band has changed. So, in a way, it's us saying goodbye to how we used to be" ... "right away, you'll notice that the band sounds different: The drums are much more raw, the guitars are more raw and the vocals aren't tripled. It's just us out there ... and that's how Rick wanted it. Basically he told us, 'If it sounds like it could've been on the first two records, then we're not going to work on it.'" -- Chester - "On the other albums, Brad and I started every song together [separately]. But this was the only song that we wrote together and was the last one we finished. We wanted a song that encapsulated the feel of the whole record and I think this is that song. You're going to get something different out of every time you listen to it." -- Mike - "Generally a hit from the moment it is played, ‘What I’ve Done’ soars with a catchy chorus and likeable verses, before developing into a brilliant bridge and climatic ending. A gentle guitar solo midway adds depth and versatility before another welcome chorus. The haunting piano and synthetic drums combine to create a fantastic addition to Linkin Park’s third album and a perfect choice for their first single." -- Kudos Magazine

07. Hands Held High -

"Rick [Rubin] said to us that, if something sounded like it needed rapping, then we should try singing and vice versa. That’s why this song has rapping on it." -- Mike - "The marching drumbeat and simple melody is an ideal backdrop to Shinoda’s poetic rapping and it has certainly developed in the space of two previous albums and his hip-hip focused side project Fort Minor. Again, Chester’s melodic singing comes in later but the central theme of the song does seem to be soldier’s homecoming in the aftermath of war. Maybe it was written to get those arms flailing lighters around at rock festivals. Either way, it’s still an impressive track." -- Kudos Magazine

08. No More Sorrow -

"This is probably the heaviest song on the album. It was initially called ‘EBow Idea’. Rick told Brad that he should use an EBow [guitar effect] on a different song. When he went in to work on that, he got frustrated and came up with the opening for this." -- Rob - "I think this is the record you should listen to on headphones because you’ll hear different things, this is a song that shows there is depth to this record." -- Chester - "Opening up with a creeping lead guitar, ‘No More Sorrow’ rocks heads with a deep double-bass drumming intro switching over to a simple paradiddle on the snare. Definitely the best chorus of the album so far, with an enigmatic riff and emotional shouting from Bennington. The tune flows naturally with a heavy bridge followed by a modulation and even higher pitched screaming. There’s no DJ elements to this song and it has to be said that some of the vocals and drumming becomes repetitive fast – even more noticeable is the fact that the band don’t seem to be stretching themselves in terms of song writing techniques." -- Kudos Magazine

09. Valentine's Day -

"It’s definitely one of the poppier songs on the album. We have to be very careful sometimes that we don’t lose the integrity of what we’re doing – we’re a very dark band and we like it like that. We talk about uncomfortable things and try to make you comfortable with that. We tried to do that here in a more poppy song and I really like that aspect of the album." -- Chester - "After a somewhat depressive two minutes of ballad-laden lyrics and slow-moving guitars, it finally kicks in with another extremely infective hook and harmonious backing vocals. “On a Valentines day” is passionately sung with interesting vocals spoken over the top, before annoyingly ending abruptly and letting the song down." -- Kudos Magazine

10. In Between -

Mike sings lead vocals on a Linkin Park song for the first time. - "I knew that Mike should really sing this song. I tried it once, I did a good job, but it just didn’t have the power of Mike’s performance because he really believed what he was singing. Whatever it is that the fucker is apologising for on this track, he’s fucking serious! It comes from the most sincere and heartfelt place." -- Chester - "If there’s a point in the album where it’s easy to see that the songs are starting to lose their flair, this is it. Those sweetly spoken vocals are back once again alongside grainy drumbeats, but without any differences in tempo there’s nothing exciting here. It’s peaceful, but there’s no denying this is a weak ballad track amongst Linkin Park’s repertoire of excellence." -- Kudos Magazine

11. In Pieces -

Includes a guitar solo. - "I got divorced recently and that was very difficult. I also got remarried so there was a big contrast in my life. For a while I couldn’t be completely happy with the new life I was starting and I couldn’t end the last one. This is a song about all of that. The music has a kind of reggae vibe to it, almost. It’s really cool watching how the song goes from that, through pop and emerges as a full-on rock song at the end." -- Chester - "Thankfully, faith is restored with quite simply the highlight of the album. This is soft yet rhythmic with synthetic drumming you can’t fail to be taken in by. The stirring piano and powerful bass proves to be a winning combination for the band – with vocals at their best only boosting the song further. Another build up after a few minutes adds more magic to the piece, with sweet sounds and eventually more heavily distorted guitars, minus screaming. The song slows down and ends dramatically with a simple beat and ska-style guitar plucking." -- Kudos Magazine

12. The Little Things Give You Away -

Over six minutes in length. - Includes a guitar solo. - "The song of which I'm probably most proud that we've ever done." -- Brad - "It's an epic song, but it's also kind of delicate in a lot of ways. There's a great guitar riff that comes in acoustically, and the words really say a lot. And I think that they'll touch people in a way Linkin Park haven't touched people before. And there's a breakdown that's my favorite moment on the record. It's beautiful and timeless-sounding, with this great synth sound" ... "and Brad breaks into this beautiful solo and it just builds and builds and builds until it breaks down into this a cappella section. It's a huge explosion of sound, over six minutes long, and it's truly, completely amazing. And I can't wait for people to hear it." -- Chester - "This is our favourite song on the record. It’s the biggest statement that we’ve ever made. Nothing could go after it as everything would get eclipsed by it. The thing that really makes it is the guitar solo." -- Brad - "Brad has always avoided solos because he doesn’t like to show off. But when he played that solo, though, it was one of the most emotional moments we’ve recorded. It says what the lyrics are saying without any words." -- Mike - "Acoustic guitar and Linkin Park in the same sentence? You better believe it. One last ballad, with those great mechanical style drums and melodic vocals from Chester rounds ‘Minutes To Midnight’ off fruitfully. When the bass cuts in, the song hits another dimension before ending a reasonably decent record." -- Kudos Magazin

Sound

In a recent interview with Chester Bennington it is explained that the nu metal sound from their previous albums is completely gone. He also stated that the new album is a mix of punk, classic rock, and hip-hop beats.

"Rick has brought more of a stripped down, classic-rock and hip-hop kind of feel."

"This time around, Mike Shinoda is singing a lot more. It may seem like he's not on the record, but he's doing a lot of the harmonies. He also sings a couple of songs alone. "We're presenting ourselves in a different way."

"Minutes to Midnight is composed of sounds made by a practically Arcade Fire-esque array of instruments including banjos, marimbas and vintage guitars and amps." -- Rolling Stone

"We have put more into the new album than anything we have ever done before." -- Phoenix

"A breakthrough in the development of the band's sound." -- Mike

"This was a year-and-a-half long process of really hard work and experimentation in the studio that yielded about 150 rough songs ... Not only is this album incredibly diverse, but the depth of the material is really strong." -- Brad

"They really are reinventing themselves. It doesn't sound like rap-rock. There's very strong songwriting. I've heard guys in the band say that it transcends everything they've done before, like it puts them in a whole different light in their minds, and they really like that. It's very melodic. It's a progressive record." -- Rick Rubin

"People have always tried to lump us in with the whole rap/rock stereotype, but we don’t intentionally want to be part of that scene. We’ve always had our own personality and I think it really shows on this record." -- Mike

"We wrote in new ways and used instruments and equipment we hadn’t experimented with, from vintage guitars and amps to mellotron to Rick Rubin’s original 808 drum machine he used on the Beastie Boys’ first record." -- Mike

"No, not emo. also, not rap rock, not nu metal, not metal, not punk, not scene, not hip hop, not classic rock, not polka, not any other lame label." -- Mike

"We've ventured into different musical territory. There aren't a lot of big, heavy, banging guitars. We've been focusing more on musical layers and textures." -- Chester

"There's more soul behind what we're doing now. This music has more heart and a much deeper feel to it." -- Phoenix

"There's more vulnerability and colour in the way I'm singing now." -- Chester

Track listing

1."Wake" - 1:40
2."Given Up" - 3:10
3."Leave Out All The Rest" - 3:18
4."Bleed It Out" - 2:54
5."Shadow of the Day" - 4:50
6."What I've Done" - 3:25
7."Hands Held High" - 3:53
8."No More Sorrow" - 3:38
9."Valentine's Day" - 3:15
10."In Between" - 3:14
11."In Pieces" - 3:37
12."The Little Things Give You Away" - 6:23

Trivia

Mike Shinoda will perform rap vocals on only two tracks this time, "Bleed It Out" and "Hands Held High". This is a significant decrease compared to previous albums. The rap vocals on the album are reportedly much closer styled to Mike Shinoda's side project Fort Minor than his traditional Linkin Park verses.
The cover photo was taken at the Salton Sea.
This will be Linkin Park's longest studio album to date, with a total of 43:17 minutes.
This will be the first Linkin Park album that features all band members on the cover, to be co-produced by Mike Shinoda, to contain guitar solos from Brad Delson, to receive a parental advisory logo (excluding Collision Course, the mash-up album with Jay-Z) and where Mike Shinoda sings lead vocals for a full length track ("In Between"), rather than rapping.
So far, 3 of the songs of the album got leaked on to the internet, Given up and No more sorrow, and most recenlty Bleed it out.

LINKIN PARK

Linkin Park is a band from Agoura Hills, California. They achieved mainstream success in 2000 with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which has since sold well over fifteen million copies.[2] The band’s following studio album, Meteora also garnered success, topping the Billboard 200’s album charts in 2003.[3] The band’s latest album, Minutes to Midnight, is slated to be released internationally on May 14, 2007 and on May 15, 2007 in the United States


Background information
Origin
Agoura Hills, California, USA

Genre(s)
Alternative rock Nu metal Rapcore

Years active
1996–present

Label(s)
Warner Bros. RecordsMachine Shop Recordings

Associatedacts
Fort MinorDead By SunriseGrey DazeRelative Degree

Website
www.linkinpark.com

Members
Chester Bennington
Joe Hahn
Mike Shinoda
Brad Delson
Rob Bourdon
Dave "Phoenix" Farrell

Former members
Scott Koziol (Stand-in)
Kyle Christener (Stand-in)
Mark Wakefield

CHESTER

Name : Chester (Chazy Chaz) Bennington

D.O.B. : March 20, 1976

Instrument : Vocals

Gear :

- Audio Technica Wireless Mics

- Yamaha SPX 990

- Takamine guitars

-VS/Matix action figure steelo

MIKE

Name : Mike Shinoda

D.O.B. : February 11, 1977

Instrument : Vocals, Beats + Samples, Keyboards, Guitar

Gear :(on stage)

- Audio Technica wireless mic

- PRS guitars

- Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier heads

- Mesa Boogie cabinets(studio)

- Digidesign Protools software & hardware

- Anteres software

- Waves software

- Emagic hardware

- Roland keyboard modules

- AKAI S-900 & MPC 2000 samplers

BRAD

Name : Brad Delson

D.O.B. : December 1, 1977

Instrument : Guitar

Gear :

- Ibanez guitars

- PRS guitars

- Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier heads

- Mesa Boogie cabinets

- D'Addario strings (10XL)

- Boss Pedal effects

- D'Addario cables

- Dunlop picks (.83)

- Shure wireless

ROB

Name : Rob Bourdon

D.O.B. : January 20, 1979

Instrument : Drums

Gear :

- Gretsch kit

- Gibraltar Hardware

- Zildjian cymbals

- Remo heads

- Vater sticks

- Rane headphone amp

- Alesis DM-5 drum module

- Shure E-1 in-ear monitors

- D-drum trigger pads

JOE

Name : Joe Hahn

D.O.B. : March 15, 1977

Instrument : Turntables, Samples, Beats, & Sounds

Gear :

- Motor-driven Turntables

- Rane TTM 54 DJ mixer

- AKAI MPC 2000

- Emagic Logic Audio

- Various effects

- Shure M44-7 needles

- Custom-made vinyl

PHOENIX

Name : David Michel Farrell (Phoenix)

D.O.B. : February 8, 1977

Instrument : Bass

Gear :

- Ernie Ball Music Man Sting Ray basses

- Ampeg SVT Classic heads

- Ampeg SVT Classic cabinets

- Dean Markley Blue Steel strings

- Dunlop Picks (.88)

- DBX 160 compressor

- Monster cables

- Sans Amp

- Boss pedals

- Whirlwind direct boxes

- Shure wireless

Who are they? - Time for some introductions.
Old-school hip-hop, traditional classic rock, and spooling electronic vibes were the initial factors behind the building of the alternative metal quintet, Linkin Park. The band's southern Californian musical roots were also an underlying basis, for drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, and MC/vocalist Mike Shinoda formed a tight friendship while still in high school. Shortly after graduation, art student and DJ Joseph Hahn hooked up with bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Shinoda for the band, Xero. Hybrid Theory came later, but the band opted on the name Linkin Park when singer Chester Bennington was the last piece added to the band in 1999.
Soon the band became a noticeable face at the Whisky as well as favorites in and around Los Angeles. Zomba Music's Jeff Blue was one of the few who didn't turn the band down for a contract at the turn of the millennium - Linkin Park signed to Warner Bros. after being turned down three times in late 1999 and got to work on their debut album. Taking a piece from their past, they named the album Hybrid Theory. It was released in fall 2000 and it showcased their likes for fellow alternative acts such as the Deftones, the Roots, Aphex Twin, and Nine Inch Nails. The Dust Brothers also collaborated on the record, as well as producer Don Gilmore (Pearl Jam, Eve 6, Tracy Bonham).
Singles such as "Crawling" and "One Step Closer" were massive radio hits and video favorites among the TRL crowd on MTV. Joint tours with Family Values and the Project: Revolution Tour with Cypress Hill led the band to play 324 shows in 2001. Linkin Park was in demand. Come January 2002, Hybrid Theory received three Grammy nominations for "Best Rock Album" and "Best New Artist." A month later, Linkin Park walked away with an award for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for "Crawling." They spent the remainder of the year hold up in the studio, again working with Gillmore, recording a follow-up to their eight times platinum debut Hybrid Theory.
Linkin Park's sophomore effort Meteora was released in March 2003; the first single "Somewhere I Belong" was an instant hit. The second annual Projekt Revolution tour got underway in spring 2003 with Linkin Park joining Mudvayne, Xzibit and Blindside; Summer Sanitarium dates with Metallica, Limp Bizkit, Mudvayne and the Deftones followed in July and August.

How did they meet?

- Xero was formed in 1996 by Mike and Brad.
- Xero was made up of: Mike, Brad, Joe, Rob, Phoenix and Mark.
- Mark left the band before they were called "Hybrid Theory" because things didn't work out, but he has always been a really good friend of theirs. - Mark is now Taproot's manager.
- The guys played around for fun and started getting attention from friends. So they set up a show at LA's Whisky and got signed to Zomba Music Publishing their 1st show. They were with the bands: System of a Down and SX-10.
- They started getting serious from there but "labels weren't really catching on" so they changed a few things and were looking for a new singer. About 2 yrs later or so Chester joined the band. That's when they changed their name to "Hybrid Theory".
- Chester had previously been in the band Grey Daze which had done pretty well and had some offers...so he met Mike and the guys through mutual friends in the industry. They met through their law firm Miniet Phelps and Phelps.
- The firm told "xero" that they had a guy in Phoenix (Chester) who might be good for the job and sent Chester a demo. He was asked to sing/make up something to the demo.
- He really wanted the job so he went to a recording studio to do it professionally. Within 3 days he had finished recording it.The guys were surprised when Chester called and said he was done and would fly to South California because it was his birthday. He supposedly left people at his party or birthday and worked on the tape. They asked to hear the tape over the phone first. Once they heard it,they were blown away and told him to fly over.
- Once Chester was in the band, they focused on making demos and used their connections at Zomba to get their demos out to people who would listen.
- Eventually after a buzz started, Warner Brothers was interested and signed them to their label. Then "Hybrid Theory" changed their name to "Linkin Park" to avoid legal hassles with another band who had the same name.
- They chose "Linkin Park" because Chester used to drive by Lincoln Park in Santa Monica, CA (which was a middle class neighborhood where lots of homeless people hung out) after practice and it grabbed his attention & the guys in the band liked how it sounded. They changed the spelling so that they could buy the domain; lincolnpark.com was already taken and too expensive to buy. They also think it's cool because there are so many Lincoln Parks that everywhere they play people think they are a local band.
- Also while Phoenix was with the band when they were "Xero" he left the band at some point to tour with another band Snax. He is not the bassist on the Hybrid Theory ep, Kyle Christner was bass. Once Phoenix finished up w/ the Snax tour he came back as a permanent member of Linkin Park. Kyle is now in the band NoseDive. So basically Phoenix was the bassist for "Xero", Kyle was the bassist for "Hybrid Theory" and Scott was just a temporary bassist for linkin park until Phoenix came back. (Scott can be seen in the 'One Step Closer' video).

Band history

Early years
Originally consisting of three close high school friends from Agoura High School, Linkin Park’s foundation was anchored by Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, and Rob Bourdon. After graduating from high school, the Agoura Hills natives later began to take their musical interests more seriously, recruiting Joe Hahn, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, and Mark Wakefield to perform in their band, then titled Xero. Though limited in resources, the band began recording and producing songs within Shinoda’s make-shift bedroom studio in 1996. Tensions and frustration within the band began to increase after the band failed to land a record deal. The lack of success and stalemate in progress prompted Wakefield, at that time the band’s vocalist, to leave the band in search for other projects.Later, Farrell would also leave the band in order to tour with Tasty Snax and other bands.
After spending a considerable time searching for Wakefield’s surrogate, Xero, now known as Hybrid Theory, recruited Arizonian vocalist Chester Bennington. Jeff Blue, the vice president of Zomba Music, referred Bennington to the band in March 1999. Bennington, formerly of Grey Daze, became a standout among applicants for his unique and vivid singing style. The newborn chemistry between Shinoda and Bennington helped revive the band, inciting them to work on new material. The band’s renaissance culminated with a change in name; from Hybrid Theory, the band changed their name to Linkin Park, a play and homage to Santa Monica’s Lincoln Park. However, despite these changes, the band still struggled to sign a record deal. After facing numerous rejections from several major record labels, Linkin Park turned to Jeff Blue for additional help. After failing to catch Warner Bros. Records on three previous reviews, Jeff Blue, now the vice president of Warner Bros. Records, helped the band sign a deal with the company in 1999. Now aside with Warner Bros. Records, the band released their breakthrough album, Hybrid Theory, the following year.

Breakthrough success
Linkin Park released Hybrid Theory on October 24, 2000. The album, which represented nearly half a decade’s worth of the band’s work, was edited and polished by music producer Don Gilmore. Hybrid Theory was well received by music fans; The band sold more than 4.8 million records during its debut year, while singles such as Crawling and One Step Closer established themselves as staples among Alternative Rock radio playlists during the year. Additionally, other singles from the album were featured in movies such as Dracula 2000, Little Nicky, and Valentine. Hybrid Theory was also nominated for three Grammy Awards, including best new artist, best rock album, and best hard rock performance (for Crawling). MTV also awarded the band their Best Rock Video and Best Direction awards for In the End. Through the winning of the Grammy for best hard rock performance, and for Best Rock Album, Hybrid Theory’s overall success had catapulted the band into the mainstream's attention.
During this time, Linkin Park received many invitations to perform with many recognized tours and concerts including Ozzfest, Family Values Tour and KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas. The band also formed their own tour, Projekt Revolution, which featured other notable artists such as, Cypress Hill, Adema, and Snoop Dogg. Within a year’s stretch, Linkin Park had performed at over 320 concerts. The experiences and performances of the precocious band were documented in their first DVD, Frat Party at the Pankake Festival, which debuted in November 2001. Now reunited with former bassist Dave Farrell, the band began work on a remix album, dubbed Reanimation, which would include works from Hybrid Theory and Hybrid Theory EP. The album debuted on July 30, 2002, featuring the likes of Black Thought, Jonathan Davis, Aaron Lewis, and many others. Reanimation claimed the second spot on the Billboard 200, and sold nearly 270,000 copies during its debut week.

Meteora debuts
Following the success of Hybrid Theory and Reanimation, Linkin Park spent a significant amount of time touring around United States. The band began to work on new material amidst the saturated schedule, spending a sliver of their free time in their tour bus' studio. The band officially announced the production of a new studio album in December 2002, revealing their new work was inspired by Meteora, a historic monastery in Greece. Meteora featured a mixture of the band's previous nu-metal and rapcore styles with newer innovative effects, including the induction of a Japanese Flute and other instruments. Eponymous to Meteora, the Linkin Park's sophomore album debuted on March 25, 2003, instantly earning worldwide recognition.
Meteora sold more than 800,000 copies during its first week, and ranked as the best selling album on the Billboard charts. Music videos for some of the album's singles, including Somewhere I Belong, Breaking the Habit, Faint and Numb, received significant radio attention. Eventually, Meteora sold nearly three million copies by October 2003. The album's success allowed Linkin Park to form another Projekt Revolution, which featured other bands and artists including, Mudvayne, Blindside, and Xzibit. Additionally, Metallica, a famed heavy metal group, invited Linkin Park to play at the Summer Sanitarium Tour 2003, which included well-known acts such as Limp Bizkit, Mudvayne and Deftones. The band released an album and DVD, entitled Live in Texas, which consisted of audio and video tracks of some of the band's performances in Texas during the tour.


Bennington appears on the band's behalf at MTV Asia Aid
Meteora also earned the band additional awards and honors. The band won MTV's awards for Best Rock Video (Somewhere I Belong), Viewer's Choice Award (Breaking the Habit). Linkin Park also received significant recognition during the 2004 Radio Music Awards, winning the Artist of the Year and Song of the Year (Numb) awards. Although Meteora was not nearly as successful as Hybrid Theory, it was the third best selling album in America during 2003. The band spent the first few months of 2004 touring around the world, first with the third Projeckt Revolution tour, and later several European concerts.

Walking this Road.....

A Start..... Tracing my footsteps on this new tracks...... Hope I dont slip or stumble.....