When we asked Florida metalcore crew Phantoms about picking a band for this feature, they instantly came back with Linkin Park, a band who were a big inspiration on a teenage Phantoms. Before the tragic death of frontman Chester Bennington, Linkin Park had released seven studio albums and soundtracked the childhoods of millions – not least with their world-owning debut album Hybrid Theory. Below, Phantoms’ drummer Patrick Gale picks the ten best Linkin Park songs, from a band and personal standpoint.
In The End
“Probably the most legendary track from Linkin Park. This song did an incredible job of pushing the boundaries of a genre and combining it with another. A rock melody, aggressive guitars, atmospheric sounds, topped off with a collection of perfectly-executed rhymes and harmonies. This could be considered the best song from the early 2000s without a doubt.”
Numb
“When I first picked up my copy of Meteora in 2003 I was coming into my teenage youth and struggling with many personal demons surrounding me at the time. I attached myself to this song because it has captured my exact emotions at this point in time in my life. Numb is one of the most heartfelt and emotional songs Linkin Park has ever written. Whenever I hear this song the hair on my arms stands up, and I can’t help but sing out loud.”
Crawling
“Another timeless track from Linkin Park and one of the heaviest tracks to start their career. The hard vocals of Chester Bennington combined with an aggressive toned guitar really make you want to throw down. It does an excellent job of pulling you in and out of emotions between each verse and chorus.”
Somewhere I Belong
“I have a lot of relation to this song in particular. As an adopted teenager, I found that this was the song I needed to hear to find a way to discover my true self. I did not know my story of origin, no recollection of my biological mother and father, and this song became rooted in my soul. The lyrics of this song stood out to myself and millions of other fans listening to this song. Somewhere I Belong brought me through some of the toughest times I faced in high school and as a teenager. The authenticity of this song in unparalleled.”
One Step Closer
“As a band, we consider this to be the most ambitious song in the Linkin Park catalogue. This helped put metal on the map for all of us when we first began listening to this track in 2001. The lyrics to this song are hard hitting and I’m sure this song will become a timeless classic. It should be in every Linkin Park fan’s top ten tracks.”
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- The real story behind Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory
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Papercut
“The first track on Linkin Park’s first album. This song starts playing and it immediately draws you in. A very catchy bumpy beat that slowly leads into the rush of a hard rock song, but then the plot twists and you begin to hear rap-style lyrics and rhymes. Then you’re hooked. The reason why we picked this to be in our top ten Linkin Park songs is because it literally combines every element this band tried to identify with in their music. Rock, rap, metal, and so much more, with catchy hooks and brilliant bars of rhymes.”
Faint
“This song make it in our top ten as one of the marquee tracks from Linkin Park’s sophomore album Meteora. A very fast-paced track with a great guitar riff that would get all of us air-guitaring as teenagers. Another stellar grouping of well-written bars and an insanely catchy chorus hook.”
Lying From You
“We have all had some pretty rough times in relationships in this band, and this track was one that emphasised some of those for all of us. This song’s aggression helped all of us push away some of those darker instances in our lives.”
Pushing Me Away
“A more rock-oriented track from Hybrid Theory. This song signified some issues within each of us that we needed to address. Depression, hate, anger, and other emotions that we needed to mend and rid from our personalities. This is yet another ‘complete’ Linkin Park that has rap, rock and metal elements, plus extremely intricate and well-executed production.”
Breaking The Habit
“This had to be in our top ten Linkin Park songs because it pushed the boundaries of so many different genres. It’s not a typical rock song and includes a lot more production. This was also one of Linkin Park’s most unique music videos. It rightfully deserves at spot in our top ten!”
Phantoms’ new album Screaming On The Inside is out August 12, via Outerloop Records. Watch their new video for There Were Once Birds That Sang below.
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