One day, some brave bright spark will tell American rawk bands that actually, having a furry slug on your chin doesn't make you look hard, or cool, or anything other than very unhandy with a razor. Linkin Park are the latest facial furniture casualties - one of them even has two thin pointy bits sticking out like upside down feelers. The words "trying too hard" somehow scream out from nowhere.
Their music could be accused of the same thing. As hybrid as the title of their debut, the Park have evidently had an exemplary musical education. Metallica riffs, the industrial darkness of Nine Inch Nails and Rage Against The Machine wordsmithery underpin the sort of melodies that are normally banned from such places, while twin singers alternate between James Hetfield yowl, choirboy sweetness (Chester Bennington) and rapping (Mike Sinoda).
Fortunately their hip hop/rock melange is very palatable - tracks like opener 'Papercut' and 'Points Of Authority' are sprawling, snarling explosive catharses, offset by a tune you can actually sing to. What makes it less appetising is a tendency towards (albeit eclectic) radio friendly US pop, when Bennington suddenly starts singing like he's in a boyband.
They're at their best at their loudest, when their guitars splinter your head and Mr B mercifully dumps the chirrup for a sneer. Still, in the frenzy of a live setting, they'll probably be great.
