As pop continues to dominate the charts, Californian upstarts Linkin Park are selling themselves as rock's fightback. Their angry blend of heavy metal and rap has already won them many fans and it's easy to see why: they look good, they have plenty to say for themselves and they write loud, insanely catchy songs. Over the course of an album, however, their basic template of hard rock backed by Chester Bennington's bloodcurdling roar eventually becomes just a little monotonous. It's still a very worthy debut but Linkin Park need to broaden their horizons a little if they're going to make a lasting impact.
