Can you believe that Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory turns 20, this year? Nope, we can’t either, but it’s true on October 9th 2020 the best-selling album of 2000 celebrates its 20th anniversary.
To mark the occasion the band are releasing the ultimate Hybrid Theory Deluxe Box Set and when we say ultimate, we really, really mean it! The new release will include 80 rare and unreleased songs, three full length concerts, 95 minutes of unreleased footage, an 80-page book of unpublished photos AND three lithographs – in their own words it’s a “treasure trove of content uncovered”. This super epic box set is made up of five CDs, three DVDs, three LPs and a cassette reproduction of the original two-track sampler which was was given out by street teams.
In order to create this special edition release the band reached out to family and friends to try and track down old photos, flyers and any other memorabilia that was attached to this iconic album. “I was sketical of this project in the first place”, says Mike Shinoda, “Until I could see what we could collect…the stuff in this project is so fun to watch and listen to.”
Mike was blown away by some of the photos and video footage they found, but that’s not all they came across. They also found demo versions of songs that no fan has ever heard. “Listening to those old demos was really compelling and emotional… some of these demos have magic on them that didn’t even make the album,” teases Brad Delson.
The band recently put out a previously unpublished track titled She Could, as well as a demo version of In the End, which you can listen to below:
And if you’re a super Linkin Park fan you’ll be pleased to know that the 20th anniversary edition of Hybrid Theory includes the Pictureboard song. “The fans have known about Pictureboard for 20 years, but they didn’t know at all what it sounded like,” explains Mike. The song, which got its title from fans, was actually a clip of an interlude that was played ta Rock Am Ring festival, which has kept fans eager to hear the full track and now the moment as come.
It’s crazy to think what the world of music would be like without there have ever being Hybrid Theory, but the band did receive a lot of ‘no’s’ and had people in high positions telling to them to different things, but thankfully for us they stuck to what they wanted to do.
“The fact that it’s just as relevant today is something that we hoped for, but never expected it,” said Brad.
As for their favourite songs on the album it seems Papercut had the lead. Speaking about the track Mike said, “It summed up everything that we were striving to do, it was our best selves when it came to hip hop, our best selves when it came to rock, the jungle backbeat, a sub-set of electronic music that was happening at the time… and the looping samples and everything, and the way it went from like a raping chorus, it was one of the only rapping choruses that Chester did that I was like…like usually if it’s going to be a rapping part we would all decide oh yeh Mike should do the part, but this was one where was like no no he should take the lead on it, he sounds great and then we hit the end of it and it’s all melodic and everything, it’s just epic an epic ending”
“Every song on this album kinda played a really important role. I think Papercut is really cool…because it does encapsulate all of those influences so seamlessly” added Brad.
“For a lot of time I didn’t like One Step Closer…I got sick of hearing it all the time and everyone asking to play it all the time…to this day it’s been our show closer but I think after that kinda went away it’s probably one of my favourites,” said Joe Hahn.
The Hybrid Theory Deluxe Box Set will be on sale October 9th 2020, priced at £154.99 and can be pre-ordered at linkinpark.com
