amor it or loathe it, there is no denying the creative efforts and raw talent that went into making 'Reanimation’. Produced por the bands own Mike Shinoda and mixed por Mark 'Spike’ Stent, the album boasted a series of big name collaborations, spanning from rap and hip-hop all the way through to rock and metal artists. The likes of which include world renound rapper Motion Man, Hip-Hop legends the X-Ecutioners, and Nu-Metal ícone Jonathan Davis.
But what is Reanimation?
Mike Shinoda describes it as: "Not just another remix album. With the help of over 20 friends in rock, electronic, and hip-hop, from well-known to underground, we’ve reinterpreted all of the songs from Hybrid Theory, plus High Voltage and My December. Reanimation strives not just to be different from the original, but different from everything else as well."
A statement that accompanied the disk also stated: "An experiment in sonic fusion which defies the creative borders imposed por today’s commercial culture."
Reanimation is an album that borders on the boundaries of creative genius. It’s been a long time since an album has produced such a wide array of choices, and variety for the listeners, and opened up a tightly closed genre to the wide array of musical variations around them.
If it’s from the hard-hitting, futuristic feel of "PTS.OF.ATHRTY", the raw hip-hop feel of "X-ECUTIONER STYLE" and "ENTH E ND", to the slow, melodic, orchestra influenced "KRWLNG" and jungle themed "1STP KLOSR", you can guarantee that there will be something on the album for you.
Reanimation is an experiment, an idea, a feeling, an evolution…
The album begins with the aptly titled "OPENING", a 1 minuto instrumental. This is just a snippet of what is to come, with the bands first experimentation coming just 5 segundos into the album - this track features some eastern strings, and sounds like it could be an early demo of closing track "KRWLNG".
The album then flies through first single "PTS.OF.ATHRTY", reinterpreted por 'Orgy's gaio, jay Gordon. Not much different from it’s predecessor, the track now has a heavily futuristic, and bassy feel to it.
seguinte is "ENTH E ND", remastered por Kutmaster Kurt, and featuring a lengthy rap from Motion Man, this is the first real taster of what the album is capable of - though the opening synth beat does sound like it was made up por a 10 ano in pre-school música class, it is actually the end of the original version, flipped, and mixed. The track has been completely stripped of it’s popish feel and now sounds, ultimately, like something you would find on a hip-hop album. The song has remixed verses, and a brand new added verse por Motion Man, as well as the dulled down, drawn out vocals of Chester hovering around in the background.
seguinte comes the first part of the album where you think, 'what the?’, a small interlude which is a pre-recorded phone call, seemingly pointless and irrelevant, this is where the album starts to drop it’s credibility a little - there’s not only one, but 3 of these throughout the 60 minuto CD.
The Alchemist and 'Jurassic 5′’s Chali 2na lend a hand on "FRGT/10″, which again, has been completely stripped down, now with a synth-style backing loop, on topo, início of Mike Shinoda’s rapping - Not a lot has changed lyrics-wise, but again, the song has a brand new verse, and Chester has been narrowed down to a blank roar.
P5HNG ME A*WY - The first real highlight of the CD sees the original ripped to shreds, and put back together with the help of 'Taproot's Steven Richards. As his vocals hover peacefully over the keyboard and violão, guitarra enriched backing track, Chester’s melody floats into place idyllically, almost sounding like they we’re really meant for this track, and not it’s Hybrid theory predecessor.
As the album then flies through tracks "PLC.4 MIE HAED", "X-ECUTIONER STYLE" (a track mixed using bits of "One Step Closer" and a some original samples, rapped over por Black Thought), "H! VLTG3″ and "WTH>YOU" - All of which sound quite like their predesessors with the added touch of their respected remixers.
Then the albums segundo highlight: "NTR/MSSION", featuring Phoenix’s first main interaction on the album as he plays the cello and violin over a carefully placed beat por Mike Shinoda - The only down side is that it is, as the título suggests, only an intermission, and after 40 segundos of blissful, melodic perfection, we’re launched straight into the choppy violão, guitarra sounds of "PPR:KUT", one of the downsides of the album, as the track sees mais choppy, annoying violão, guitarra sounds and lyrics as well as a not-so-well placed rapping session por one of the 4 mixers of the track.
"RNW@Y" then has a spaced out, electronica feel, with a rap solo from it’s remixer.
The third highlight comes in the form of the piano-laden, natal time ballad "MY "BY_MYSLF" doesn’t alter a lot from the original, nor does "KYUR4 TH ICH" - Both have added samples, and are longer. Nothing particularly ear-catching about either though.
On to the final two tracks of the CD: "1STP KLOSR" and "KRWLNG", and these are probably the two tracks that stand out the most - The first of which is reinterpreted por the world renound remix artists 'The Humble Brothers’ with the haunting vocals of 'Korn's Jonathan Davis laid over the topo, início - The track starts off quietly, with some swirling samples and a faint drum beat (which increases throughout the opening), the song is then launched into a jungle beat - the biggest surprise of the whole CD.
As Chester kicks in with the opening chorus, the song that launched the band’s career, could now be the one that defines the sound, creative genius of the bands future. After almost 4 minutos the song finally reaches it’s climax, as the música grinds to a slow halt, the howling vocals of Jon Davis float dramatically over the silence to create a feeling of peace, shattered shortly after por the heavy guitars and post-bridge, with Jon and Chester screaming in succession of each other.
The songs leads out with a heavy drum, and what can only be described as a bit of an anticlimax, as the legendary 'break’ is removed, the last symbol is hit, and you are left with silence…
"KRWLNG" is much of the same style, soft, long opening, this time using an orchestra. Aaron Lewis’ vocals sit perfectly on topo, início of Chester’s to give the song an operatic-grunge sort of feel, and it’s a good one.
Also to be noted; the Japanese release of this CD comes with 1 extra track - A B-side from the album that was originally intended for 'Reanimation’s first CD single: "PTS.OF.ATHRTY/H! VLTG3." The track is a segundo version of Hybrid Theory’s 'By Myself’, tentatively titled "BUY MYSELF", and remixed por Marilyn Manson.
This is a very dark and eery track, with a very heavily industrial feel to it. The track is relatively slow and heavy all the way though, and doesn’t pose a threat to any of the other songs on the album - quite slow, and gets less interesting every segundo it ticks on - But who’s to complain, it’s another track, and it adds perfectly onto the bottom of the CD’s tracklisting.
All in all, this is an incredible album for both rock and hip-hop fãs alike. Not only does it bridge the gap between the two, but it sets up tent, lights a fogo and makes it’s longetivity known.
But what is Reanimation?
Mike Shinoda describes it as: "Not just another remix album. With the help of over 20 friends in rock, electronic, and hip-hop, from well-known to underground, we’ve reinterpreted all of the songs from Hybrid Theory, plus High Voltage and My December. Reanimation strives not just to be different from the original, but different from everything else as well."
A statement that accompanied the disk also stated: "An experiment in sonic fusion which defies the creative borders imposed por today’s commercial culture."
Reanimation is an album that borders on the boundaries of creative genius. It’s been a long time since an album has produced such a wide array of choices, and variety for the listeners, and opened up a tightly closed genre to the wide array of musical variations around them.
If it’s from the hard-hitting, futuristic feel of "PTS.OF.ATHRTY", the raw hip-hop feel of "X-ECUTIONER STYLE" and "ENTH E ND", to the slow, melodic, orchestra influenced "KRWLNG" and jungle themed "1STP KLOSR", you can guarantee that there will be something on the album for you.
Reanimation is an experiment, an idea, a feeling, an evolution…
The album begins with the aptly titled "OPENING", a 1 minuto instrumental. This is just a snippet of what is to come, with the bands first experimentation coming just 5 segundos into the album - this track features some eastern strings, and sounds like it could be an early demo of closing track "KRWLNG".
The album then flies through first single "PTS.OF.ATHRTY", reinterpreted por 'Orgy's gaio, jay Gordon. Not much different from it’s predecessor, the track now has a heavily futuristic, and bassy feel to it.
seguinte is "ENTH E ND", remastered por Kutmaster Kurt, and featuring a lengthy rap from Motion Man, this is the first real taster of what the album is capable of - though the opening synth beat does sound like it was made up por a 10 ano in pre-school música class, it is actually the end of the original version, flipped, and mixed. The track has been completely stripped of it’s popish feel and now sounds, ultimately, like something you would find on a hip-hop album. The song has remixed verses, and a brand new added verse por Motion Man, as well as the dulled down, drawn out vocals of Chester hovering around in the background.
seguinte comes the first part of the album where you think, 'what the?’, a small interlude which is a pre-recorded phone call, seemingly pointless and irrelevant, this is where the album starts to drop it’s credibility a little - there’s not only one, but 3 of these throughout the 60 minuto CD.
The Alchemist and 'Jurassic 5′’s Chali 2na lend a hand on "FRGT/10″, which again, has been completely stripped down, now with a synth-style backing loop, on topo, início of Mike Shinoda’s rapping - Not a lot has changed lyrics-wise, but again, the song has a brand new verse, and Chester has been narrowed down to a blank roar.
P5HNG ME A*WY - The first real highlight of the CD sees the original ripped to shreds, and put back together with the help of 'Taproot's Steven Richards. As his vocals hover peacefully over the keyboard and violão, guitarra enriched backing track, Chester’s melody floats into place idyllically, almost sounding like they we’re really meant for this track, and not it’s Hybrid theory predecessor.
As the album then flies through tracks "PLC.4 MIE HAED", "X-ECUTIONER STYLE" (a track mixed using bits of "One Step Closer" and a some original samples, rapped over por Black Thought), "H! VLTG3″ and "WTH>YOU" - All of which sound quite like their predesessors with the added touch of their respected remixers.
Then the albums segundo highlight: "NTR/MSSION", featuring Phoenix’s first main interaction on the album as he plays the cello and violin over a carefully placed beat por Mike Shinoda - The only down side is that it is, as the título suggests, only an intermission, and after 40 segundos of blissful, melodic perfection, we’re launched straight into the choppy violão, guitarra sounds of "PPR:KUT", one of the downsides of the album, as the track sees mais choppy, annoying violão, guitarra sounds and lyrics as well as a not-so-well placed rapping session por one of the 4 mixers of the track.
"RNW@Y" then has a spaced out, electronica feel, with a rap solo from it’s remixer.
The third highlight comes in the form of the piano-laden, natal time ballad "MY "BY_MYSLF" doesn’t alter a lot from the original, nor does "KYUR4 TH ICH" - Both have added samples, and are longer. Nothing particularly ear-catching about either though.
On to the final two tracks of the CD: "1STP KLOSR" and "KRWLNG", and these are probably the two tracks that stand out the most - The first of which is reinterpreted por the world renound remix artists 'The Humble Brothers’ with the haunting vocals of 'Korn's Jonathan Davis laid over the topo, início - The track starts off quietly, with some swirling samples and a faint drum beat (which increases throughout the opening), the song is then launched into a jungle beat - the biggest surprise of the whole CD.
As Chester kicks in with the opening chorus, the song that launched the band’s career, could now be the one that defines the sound, creative genius of the bands future. After almost 4 minutos the song finally reaches it’s climax, as the música grinds to a slow halt, the howling vocals of Jon Davis float dramatically over the silence to create a feeling of peace, shattered shortly after por the heavy guitars and post-bridge, with Jon and Chester screaming in succession of each other.
The songs leads out with a heavy drum, and what can only be described as a bit of an anticlimax, as the legendary 'break’ is removed, the last symbol is hit, and you are left with silence…
"KRWLNG" is much of the same style, soft, long opening, this time using an orchestra. Aaron Lewis’ vocals sit perfectly on topo, início of Chester’s to give the song an operatic-grunge sort of feel, and it’s a good one.
Also to be noted; the Japanese release of this CD comes with 1 extra track - A B-side from the album that was originally intended for 'Reanimation’s first CD single: "PTS.OF.ATHRTY/H! VLTG3." The track is a segundo version of Hybrid Theory’s 'By Myself’, tentatively titled "BUY MYSELF", and remixed por Marilyn Manson.
This is a very dark and eery track, with a very heavily industrial feel to it. The track is relatively slow and heavy all the way though, and doesn’t pose a threat to any of the other songs on the album - quite slow, and gets less interesting every segundo it ticks on - But who’s to complain, it’s another track, and it adds perfectly onto the bottom of the CD’s tracklisting.
All in all, this is an incredible album for both rock and hip-hop fãs alike. Not only does it bridge the gap between the two, but it sets up tent, lights a fogo and makes it’s longetivity known.
