Reanimation

At the time of its 2002 release, Reanimation seemed an unusual move for a rap-metal group with just one previous album to its credit, the multi-platinum Hybrid Theory. Yet Linkin Park's long and versatile career now explains this album—a remix of Hybrid Theory inspired by hip-hop and electronica—as the first sign of the group's ever-evolving artistry. Linkin Park wasn't content being just another hard rock band; its members knew its music had other dimensions to explore. LP's Mike Shinoda and DJ Joe Hahn oversaw this project and invited a well-chosen variety of underground hip-hop names, including Alchemist, Cheapshot, Dilated Peoples' Evidence, and Kutmasta Kurt. Korn's Jonathan Davis ("1 Stp Klosr") and Staind's Aaron Lewis ("Krwing") add vocals, while rapper Pharoahe Monch takes "High Voltage" (a b-side not on the original album) and turns it into "H! Vltg3," one of this album's highlights. Most of the group's metal influences are either removed or dropped low in the mix. An hour-long trip to a world that Hybrid Theory barely suggested, Reanimation is virtually a new album.