Back catalogue: Metal

Review: It is now a full two decades since legendary American rockers Linkin Park dropped their second game-changing nu-metal album Meteora. The record spawned a further run of big singles such as 'Breaking the Habit,' 'Somewhere I Belong', 'Faint' and 'Numb. It has been certified multi-platinum, platinum, or gold in 15 countries and to mark the occasion it gets a special 20th anniversary reissue here having sold well over 16 million copies around the world. This vinyl version comes with an insert as well as all the original hard-hitting guitars, drums and visceral Chester Bennington vocals that the band is so well known and loved for.

Review: There are few nu-metal bands from the formative late 90s/early 00s scene who achieved the monumental crossover appeal of Linkin Park. From their turntable spinning, frenetic rap-metal beginnings on 2000's global breakout Hybrid Theory, to the refined maturation of their formula on 2003's career-height Meteora, to their Jay-Z collaborative album Collision Course to the shedding of skin and rebranding as a genre-less alternative rock entity on 2007's Minutes To Midnight; as popular and accessible as they were, the band clearly constantly strived for sonic progression. Papercuts collects the highest charting singles from the group over two decades, with the most recent contribution being the previously unreleased 'Friendly Fire' recorded during the sessions for 2017's One More Light, which ultimately serves as the final new piece of recording from the band and vocalist Chester Bennington who would tragically take his own life later that same year. Ignoring the standard sequencing of a greatest hits which often lists the tracks in chronologically released order, here the cuts are compiled to sonically complement each other and reflect the band's ethos rather than a single line commercial pattern. Here is why the anthemic double platinum 'In The End' is juxtaposed with the minimalist rap-rock of MTM banger 'Bleed It Out', or why the previously unreleased fan favourite demo 'QWERTY' lands right between the U2 indebted 'What I've Done' and the original breakout single that started it all 'One Step Closer'.

Review: Many a music lover will have gone through a rebellious teenage rock phase, and if so there is a good chance that for a short period at least they were well into Linkin Park. The stadium-sized rockers were a seminal act in the naughties and their ground-breaking second album Meterora was released in March 2003. It now gets a special 20th-anniversary reissue and comes with global hit singles such as 'Somewhere I Belong', 'Faint' and 'Numb' all of which have the big energy riffs the band became known for. This 4 x 12" bumper pack comes with some extra rare and unreleased material.

Review: Originally released in 2014 and now celebrating its ten year anniversary, The Hunting Party served as the sixth full-length from nu-metal turned alt rock heavyweights Linkin Park. Marking their first full-length since 2003's Meteora to not be produced by the iconic Rick Rubin (with members Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson opting to handle production duties inhouse), the material bore a notable turn from their more accessible electronic-tinged U2-esque stadium rock and saw a rediscovery and embracing of their more aggressive nu-metal roots. Certified platinum and praised for their ability to still replicate their feral early days, the album is also noted for being the band's first LP to feature guest musicians such as Page Hamilton of Helmet, Daron Malakian of System of a Down, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, and hip-hop artist Rakim. This new anniversary edition comes as side-4 etched 2xLP pressed on aquatic translucent blue vinyl.

Review: With the untimely and tragic passing of Chester Bennington in 2017, it was the natural presumption that Californian nu-metal turned alt rock megastars Linkin Park would cease to exist. Surprising their avid fanbase by announcing news of their reformation with Dead Sara vocalist Emily Armstrong, as well as new drummer Colin Brittain (Rob Bourdain opted not to join the reunion), From Zero offers a nod to their original band name Xero whilst simultaneously ushering in their new era. Sonically, the band are doing their utmost to both pay credence to their heavier origins while naturally rerouting towards their newfound vision. Serving as follow up to 2017's pop-oriented and critically panned One More Light, the understandable decision to re-embrace aspects of their nu-metal motifs is commendable, whilst modifying and building upon their past sonics to craft comfortable musical bedrock for the new voice of their band. Comparing to prior albums may be inescapable for diehard fans with the material owing humble countenance to the Linkin Park of yesteryear, while this deluxe edition expands upon the original version's somewhat succinct (or rushed) 11 tracks over 30 minutes with an additional three bonus cuts as well as five live versions.

Review: Certified 8xPlatinum and ranked at number eight in the highest selling albums of the 21st century, 2003's Meteora saw nu-metal legends Linkin Park attempt (and very much succeed) to make lightning strike in the same place twice with their now iconic follow up to their 2000 12xPlatinum selling debut Hybrid Theory. Launching the "Because Sound Matters One-Step" series with new high-fidelity remasters of their first three albums, these audiophile reissues arrive in newly designed slipcases, complete with elaborate details of the audio processing stages. Pressed to 180-gram standard black vinyl with all 3000 copies numbered, rediscover a genre-staple with some of the band's biggest hits remastered to their fullest sonic potential yet, including 'Numb', 'Faint', 'Breaking The Habit', and, 'Somewhere I Belong'. Never has the veteran production of Terry Date and his seamless ability to fuse the band's warring metallic and hip-hop centric identities, felt so prominent and clear, while the passing of frontman Chester Bennington in 2017 shrouds his lyrical honesty and vulnerable cadence in harrowing retrospectivity.

Review: .It seems like half a lifetime ago that Linkin Park exploded from the underground nu-metal scene into the mainstream conscious with their debut album, Hybrid Theory. In actual fact, that was only the year 2000, a time when the sub genre itself was dominating charts and day time radio. As with many bands, though, it would be the difficult second with which they cemented their status as key proponents of the scene. Unleashing angsty lyrics, disarmingly addictive hooks and arrangements born out of hip-hop as much as rock, Meteora, LP number two, produced hits like 'Faint', 'Numb', and 'Somewhere I Belong'. Tracks that defined an era, in these circles at least, Lost Demos sees the group collate a wealth of material from that time - much of it previously unreleased - for an essential retrospective.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Inner Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


Certified 8xPlatinum and ranked at number eight in the highest selling albums of the 21st century, 2003's Meteora saw nu-metal legends Linkin Park attempt (and very much succeed) to make lightning strike in the same place twice with their now iconic follow up to their 2000 12xPlatinum selling debut Hybrid Theory. Launching the "Because Sound Matters One-Step" series with new high-fidelity remasters of their first three albums, these audiophile reissues arrive in newly designed slipcases, complete with elaborate details of the audio processing stages. Pressed to 180-gram standard black vinyl with all 3000 copies numbered, rediscover a genre-staple with some of the band's biggest hits remastered to their fullest sonic potential yet, including 'Numb', 'Faint', 'Breaking The Habit', and, 'Somewhere I Belong'. Never has the veteran production of Terry Date and his seamless ability to fuse the band's warring metallic and hip-hop centric identities, felt so prominent and clear, while the passing of frontman Chester Bennington in 2017 shrouds his lyrical honesty and vulnerable cadence in harrowing retrospectivity.

Review: The Certified 12xPlatinum Grammy Award winning seminal debut album from nu-metal heavyweights Linkin Park is set to receive a brand-new limited reissue (along with 2003's Meteora and 2007's Minutes to Midnight) on what has been dubbed the "One Step" remasters. These high-quality audiophile pressings launch the new "Because Sound Matters One-Step" series, with each release providing details of the audio sourcing process; all housed in newly designed slipcases. Pressed on 180-gram black vinyl, numbered and limited to 3,000 copies, mark our words when we say you've never heard the genre-defining hits such as 'One Step Closer', 'Papercut', 'Crawling', or, 'In The End', with this level of clarity and fidelity, while the band's effortless fusion of metal, hip-hop, alternative rock and turntable wizardry, emboldened by the legendary production guru Terry Date, has rarely radiated such towering sonic warmth. Above all, the vulnerable lyricism and cathartic cadence of late, great lead vocalist Chester Bennington looms large and poignant.