Linkin Park - Meteora 20 (Unreleased Songs Review)

The day has arrived!

Much like their EPIC Anniversary celebrations for Hybrid Theory, the nu-metal kings, Linkin Park, have been bringing fans together again for their triumphant return to the industry with #Meteora20 - featuring a stack of unreleased tracks, fanatic-approved boxsets and vinyl-a-plenty.

Instead of going over EVERYTHING included - which many of us LP nuts would already have in our collection, I'm going to focus on the unreleased tracks (excluding demos), which have been leaving fans awe-inspired since they first debuted online in the lead up to release...

Let's do this!

'A.06'

At just 54 seconds long, this instrumental is going to smack you in the face harder than acne and remind you just how important Linkin Park were to the heavy metal movement in the 2000s. Picturing them walking out on stage this, or at a festival on a lineup alongside Limp Bizkit or KoRn wouldn't feel out of place. It would feel like home.

No singing (yet, keep reading on), just that pure LP sound from the Meteora sessions.

'Lost'

When 'Lost' first premiered, fans everywhere were caught up in the moment of finally hearing Chester Bennington's vocals on a new track (new/old, you get the idea), and since then, it has received a whopping 34 Million+ views on YouTube, and over 2 Million on Spotify alone - proving just how important this band are to the world.

From my original review I said - as the song progresses, it tends to get a little louder and rockier in parts, but from a fan perspective, it’s a slow-jam offering that’s high quality and sounds like it could have been released as a B-side back in 2003. It’s not as synthy/programmed as hit singles like ‘Somewhere I Belong‘ or ‘Numb‘, nor is it action-packed like ‘Faint‘, but, it could sit somewhere between ‘Easier To Run‘ or ‘From the Inside‘.

This was the best choice for the band to bring us back into their Meteora era.

'Fighting Myself'

The second unreleased song was 'Fighting Myself' and while this one has taken a little bit longer to sink in, it's still an action-packed mid-tempo jam that sounds like we’ve been taken right back to 2003 with a grungey, nu-metal feel that fits snugly alongside tracks like ‘Lying From You‘, ‘Don’t Stay‘ and a hint of ‘Nobody’s Listening‘. Mike Shinoda takes centre stage with this one spitting verses like wildfire with Chester Bennington joining him for the chorus.

While ‘Lost‘ felt like it was part of Meteora era Linkin Park, this offering feels like it SHOULD have been on the final release. The guitars and drums ebb and flow with Mr Hahn mixing on the decks in the background creating a full, yet balanced sound that doesn’t take away from the two vocalists.

'More the Victim'

Comes in with a videogame-esque sound effect (hello 'Somewhere I Belong') before Mike Shinoda draws us in with his rapping that sounds crisp and clear AF on this. It's a rap-centric track with Chester's vocals leading us up to the chorus where they open up and wowwwwww- my immediate thought process was 'It's like he never left us'.

Mr Hahn's DJ scratching needs its own honourable mention. I would have definitely listened to this on my Walkman (CD player for you Zoomers) on my way to high school and thought I was king shit. I feel like this could have been a sibling to 'Faint' - in terms of the rap verses and song structure with Shinoda taking on the majority of the delivery with Bennington joining him in the chorus and third act.

'Massive'

This is what we would call the first 'true' demo/raw-sounding song from the album. It kicks off with industrial metal sound before opening up with guitars, scratching and a very faint vocal delivery in demo form underneath.

It took me a couple of spins to get into truly, but, there's a part where the song opens up (around the 2:04 mark) into what would have been a 2003 version of a Linkin Park breakdown, and I'm just drawn back to that section - wondering what could have been and how hard that would have gone if it made the final cut.

I hate to chuck a pun in here, but it just sounds sooooo 'Massive'.

'Healing Foot'

Commencing with a piano and string section intro - this one draws you in with the feels before that nu-metal/industrial rocky sound gives it that iconic Meteora era infused feel. Both Shinoda and Bennington shine as the dynamic duo we've known them for, for over 23 years, and this one, in particular, is gonna hit you in the heart.

Lyrics are shared between this one and other songs that made the final cut of the album. So when you heard them for the first time, you're instantly going to be transported back to the mid-2000s with a sense of familiarity looming. I can foresee this being the song that's going to make everyone cry though. It has an album closer feel to it, so I wonder where it was going to originally be placed in the tracklisting.

I may be off here (please let me know if I am) but I kinda hear 'What I've Done' in parts throughout. The song that would take LP from underground nu-metal heroes to a globally recognised force on the back of the Transformers movie soundtrack. This would then lead us to their 2007 album Minutes to Midnight (which will turn 20 in 2027).

'A6'

Yes, that short instrumental from earlier became an actual song that goes fucking harrrrrd. With a familiar 'Hit The Floor' beat, it's another rap/rock combo with Mike Shinoda spitting verses alongside the band with so many elements that catch your attention - the hard rock riffs, the echoing high-pitch synth and drums that just hit right.

There's no Chester on this one, but there are plenty of instrumental jam sections where he would obviously have slotted his vocals.

There's a breakdown bit near the climax, that's jarring, yet heavy, which leads us up to what I'd say is the chorus section playing out - with an absent Bennington bringing back the realisation he's gone; thus making this one more impactful than first imagined.

In just a few short tracks, Linkin Park managed to bring us back down to earth and transport us back to a time before life as we know it now. For many of us, Meteora was the album that solidified our love of the band and proved they were more than just a one-album-wonder.

Following this release, Linkin Park would go on to become one of the most successful rock groups of our generation - bringing together fans from around the world - connecting us through fan clubs, street teams and even at school.

I can recall the hype leading up to Meteora's release like it was yesterday - everyone at my school (Southport State High represent) was talking about this album. The singles were dope, the videos were getting hourly spins on Channel [V] and radio, and consequently - many of these tracks were later added to our MP3 players - when they became the new 'IT' thing at the turn of the millennium.

It's so surreal to be sitting here 20 years later - and still being able to hear a song from this album play out in my head - by only just reading the title. Not many bands from our lives can have that effect on you, but LP did and still do to this day.

I have no doubt in my mind that these songs will live on like the originals, and I cannot wait for the rest of the world to get the chance to hear them.

Written by Paul ‘Browny’ Brown @brownypaul

Listen to Meteora 20 at midnight local time here

Join the official Linkin Park Global Fan Q&A Livestream on Tuesday April 11th at 3:30am AEST