While this string quartet tribute to
Linkin Park is entirely instrumental, it nevertheless apes
LP's main dynamic, which of course is the interplay of vocalist
Chester Bennington and MC
Mike Shinoda, supported by the shifting dynamics of the instrumentation. The inherent tension of the group's best efforts -- "Runaway," "One Step Closer," "In the End" -- is matched in these arrangements for violin, viola, cello, and bass. The crushing, Pro Tools-tweaked production of
Hybrid Theory and introductory
Meteora single "Somewhere I Belong" isn't present on this tribute. But it's a credit to
Linkin Park that its best material remains standing when the outsized vocal and guitar performances, burbling programming, and studio trickery it's most known for are all stripped away. Essential listening for any fan. ~ Johnny Loftus