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Reanimation

by Linkin Park

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Reanimation is the evil twin of Linkin Park's 2000 debut, Hybrid Theory. While plotting their next studio album, the Southern California band enlisted some of aggro rock's leading lights, as well as some of the more enlightened underground MCs and producers, to slice and dice all the songs on their debut (including a few bonus cuts that made it to their Japanese release). Linkin Park allowed their special guests--including Korn's Jonathan Davis, Staind's Aaron Lewis, Orgy's Jay Gordon, the Roots' Black Thought, and Jurassic 5's Chali 2NA--to run riot through their songbook, tweaking melodies, writing new lyrics, and sometimes changing the entire intent of the originals. As a result, this collection of 20 songs is Mr. Hyde to Hybrid Theory's Dr. Jekyll. Most of Linkin Park's atmospheric and melodic moments have ended on the cutting-room floor--along with the self-consciousness that pervaded many of the songs--replaced with a brash impudence that's more rap than rock. Chali 2NA entirely changes the landscape on "Forgotten," shape-shifting the song into an alien being dubbed "Frgt/10," which takes you to a dark, desolate place with only your own disturbed thoughts and some electronic bleeps for company. And that's enough. This is a masterful art project that truly succeeds. --Jaan Uhelszki