l’amour it ou loathe it, there is no denying the creative efforts and raw talent that went into making 'Reanimation’. Produced par the bands own Mike Shinoda and mixed par 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 icone 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 par 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", toi 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 minute instrumental. This is just a snippet of what is to come, with the bands first experimentation coming just 5 secondes 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 par 'Orgy's geai, jay Gordon. Not much different from it’s predecessor, the track now has a heavily futuristic, and bassy feel to it.
suivant is "ENTH E ND", remastered par 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 par a 10 an in pre-school musique 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 toi would find on a hip-hop album. The song has remixed verses, and a brand new added verse par Motion Man, as well as the dulled down, drawn out vocals of Chester hovering around in the background.
suivant comes the first part of the album where toi 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 minute 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 haut, retour au début 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 guitare 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 par 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 seconde highlight: "NTR/MSSION", featuring Phoenix’s first main interaction on the album as he plays the cello and violin over a carefully placed beat par Mike Shinoda - The only down side is that it is, as the titre suggests, only an intermission, and after 40 secondes of blissful, melodic perfection, we’re launched straight into the choppy guitare sounds of "PPR:KUT", one of the downsides of the album, as the track sees plus choppy, annoying guitare sounds and lyrics as well as a not-so-well placed rapping session par 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, Christmas 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 par the world renound remix artists 'The Humble Brothers’ with the haunting vocals of 'Korn's Jonathan Davis laid over the haut, retour au début - 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 minutes the song finally reaches it’s climax, as the musique 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 par 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 toi 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 haut, retour au début 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 seconde version of Hybrid Theory’s 'By Myself’, tentatively titled "BUY MYSELF", and remixed par 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 seconde 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 fans alike. Not only does it bridge the gap between the two, but it sets up tent, lights a feu 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 par 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", toi 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 minute instrumental. This is just a snippet of what is to come, with the bands first experimentation coming just 5 secondes 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 par 'Orgy's geai, jay Gordon. Not much different from it’s predecessor, the track now has a heavily futuristic, and bassy feel to it.
suivant is "ENTH E ND", remastered par 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 par a 10 an in pre-school musique 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 toi would find on a hip-hop album. The song has remixed verses, and a brand new added verse par Motion Man, as well as the dulled down, drawn out vocals of Chester hovering around in the background.
suivant comes the first part of the album where toi 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 minute 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 haut, retour au début 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 guitare 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 par 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 seconde highlight: "NTR/MSSION", featuring Phoenix’s first main interaction on the album as he plays the cello and violin over a carefully placed beat par Mike Shinoda - The only down side is that it is, as the titre suggests, only an intermission, and after 40 secondes of blissful, melodic perfection, we’re launched straight into the choppy guitare sounds of "PPR:KUT", one of the downsides of the album, as the track sees plus choppy, annoying guitare sounds and lyrics as well as a not-so-well placed rapping session par 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, Christmas 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 par the world renound remix artists 'The Humble Brothers’ with the haunting vocals of 'Korn's Jonathan Davis laid over the haut, retour au début - 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 minutes the song finally reaches it’s climax, as the musique 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 par 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 toi 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 haut, retour au début 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 seconde version of Hybrid Theory’s 'By Myself’, tentatively titled "BUY MYSELF", and remixed par 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 seconde 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 fans alike. Not only does it bridge the gap between the two, but it sets up tent, lights a feu and makes it’s longetivity known.