Review Summary: An alteration to perfection
After releasing the smashing hit
Hybrid Theory, Linkin Park decided to dive back into one of their two original influences from their early demos, the underground hip hop scene, while also emphasizing the ominous tone found previously on the
Hybrid Theory EP. With this newfound creativity, Linkin Park finds themselves switching out their tight nu metal formula for a variety of styles, ranging from industrial metal to alternative hip hop to symphonic rock in the vein of the formula that would eventually be perfected by Evanescence.
In truth, calling
Reanimation a “remix” album would be a misclassification; songs on
Reanimation serve as complete reinterpretations, with verses (or even the chorus in the case of P5hng Me A*wy) completely swapped out for a much less streamlined sound than the bouncing nu metal of
Hybrid Theory. Sure, Pts.Of.Athrty is simply an industrial metal remix of Points of Authority, but many other songs on the album contain almost unrecognizable verses compared to their
Hybrid Theory counterparts.
Plc.4 Mie Hæd serves as a precursor to the jagged cuts of Collision Course, with Zion I coming in for the second verse in Jay-Z-esque fashion to cut to a much more hip hop-vibe. Enth E Nd completely swaps out the vibe of the original song, with guitars completely eliminated and replaced with a single looped beat, a remix of the original piano melody from In the End. 1Stp Klosr completely replaces the iconic yet basic riff of its original counterpart with a new riff reminiscent of something off of Korn’s
Follow the Leader. This culminates into an epic breakdown where Jonathan Davis appears, with impeccable vocal chemistry bouncing off of Chester’s iconic repetition of “shut up.” The vocal back-and-forths throughout this remix album are remarkable; despite the sheer volume of collaborations, Linkin Park succeeds in splicing together each and every part to emulate the seamless transitions between Mike and Chester on
Hybrid Theory.
In all of these unique moments, the dullness of unnecessariness does seep through the cracks. By_Myslf in and of itself delivers as a song, but the industrial texture takes away viscerality from the original ferocious screams. Wth>You offers little to differentiate itself from the original, once again only slightly altering the song to take away the brutal edge displayed on the
Hybrid Theory version. In essence, the industrial metal versions serve to further substantiate the fact that any industrial influence on
Hybrid Theory is perfectly added; additional influence would hinder the emotional rawness on display, but the electronic manipulation that does exist serves to elevate the existing melodies towards further immortality.
Reanimation shines brightest in its orchestral moments. My<Dsmbr improves upon the original by eliminating the piano in the chorus to create a more ethereal soundscape better fitting of the song’s somber tone. More importantly, the eponymous opening track sets the solemn tone, which eventually perfectly wraps around the album, repeating in Krwlng’s sweeping cinematic violin intro. Crawling always had a haunting vibe from its intro piano melody and synth swelling, but Krwlng elevates the tone into that of pure solemnity throughout the course of its near-6-minute runtime. Krwlng might just be the perfect remix; it understands what made the original iconic, alters it enough to justify its own existence, and heightens the emotional impact.
In the end, with the exquisite songwriting displayed on
Hybrid Theory, save for a
Recharged-esque disaster-class of dubstep mediocrity,
Reanimation was guaranteed to succeed simply on a musical level. Whether the advanced creativity serves to enhance each song can be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and
Reanimation’s 1-hour-long runtime seems colossal when compared to its
Hybrid Theory counterpart. But even if its consistency lets up, due to the variety of soundscapes explored and the attention to detail on display combined with the extent of change on most of the tracks,
Reanimation exists as a landmark remix album that all future remix albums should be measured against.
