Fans of Linkin Park’s debut album Hybrid Theory are dealing with a wound that will not heal. The band tried so hard and got so far from that original sound. Each new release brings them one step closer to giving up on the band for good. And in an interview with Music Week, the group told fans who were considering running away from the group’s new sound to shut the door and open up their mind.
Well, in so many words. As NME points out, Chester Bennington said fans of that early work can “stab [themselves] in the face.”
“We were asked, ‘What do you think of people who say you sold out?’ I don’t care,” he said. “If you like the music, fantastic. If you don’t like it, that’s your opinion too. Fantastic. If you’re saying we’re doing what we’re doing for a commercial or monetary reason, trying to make success out of some formula… then stab yourself in the face!”
Bennington pointed out that the band has been through a lot since that album, so their sound changing shouldn’t come as a shock.
“When we made Hybrid Theory, I was the oldest guy in the band and in my early ’20s,” he said. “That’s why I guess I’m like: ‘Why are we still talking about Hybrid Theory? It’s f*cking years ago. It’s a great record, we love it. Like, move the f*ck on.’ You know what I mean?”
You heard it here. If you’re wondering why you never walked away from the band, this is clearly Bennington pushing you away.
