Few bands had as great a start to their career as Linkin Park, with Hybrid Theory helping to put them at the forefront of the nu-metal movement in 2000 and Meteora blasting away any notion of a sophomore slump becoming a hugely successful album in its own right. But which of the two albums is better? Grey Daze members Sean Dowdell and Cris Hodges debated the topic while appearing on RadioActive Mike Z’s Wired in the Empire show for KCAL 98.7.
Both members have close personal ties to Linkin Park with Dowdell playing drums alongside Chester Bennington in Grey Daze prior to the singer joining Linkin Park and Hodges now fronting Grey Daze during live shows while also playing with the Linkin Park tribute band In The End.
Dowdell argues that Meteora is the better of the two albums. He told the host, “Meteora all day long. Meteora is just better songwriting. I feel like the first album was a great record and I’m proud of those guys for what they did. But I feel like album 1 was their experimental, how do we do this together album, and they created an awesome record. But album 2 was the finished product that goes out on the menu at the restaurant so to speak.”
He reiterates, “The songwriting becomes so much stronger by album 2 that it’s not even comparable to me.”
“I have an emotional attachment to Hybrid Theory cause that was the first time I’d heard anything like that,” counters Hodges. “I could tell you exactly where I was, what I was doing the first time that I heard it. That might play a part.”
“That’s the beauty of music is that it’s subjective. There’s no wrong or right answers and I think it’s great that you guys think differently than I do,” adds Dowdell. “They are both great records and the deserve all the accolades and success that they have and I’m super proud of those guys for what they did.”
When pressed for his favorite song, Dowdell served up Linkin Park’s “Lying for You,” though the conversation then turned to another deeper cut favorite, “Hit the Floor.”
“I remember going out on the road with Chester several times and I would always wait for that track if it was in the set. I loved to watch them perform that song,” says Dowdell, with Hodges calling it one of their more “underrated” songs.
“To me, I’m a groove drum player and that’s a song where Rob [Bourdon] really locks in and creates a bad ass groove. Obviously they have a lot of the hip-hop element to it, but that to me, that song that stands out.”
Linkin Park’s First Two Albums by the Numbers
While tastes are subjective, you can scan the numbers to also see how these two albums stack up. Hybrid Theory climbed to No. 8 on the Billboard 200 Album chart, a respectable position for a band that did not have a previous album at the time. It yielded four big singles in “One Step Closer,” “Crawling,” “Papercut” and “In the End.” The album has gone on to be certified 12 times platinum in the U.S.
Meteora, released three years later after the band’s initial success, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart. This time the band issued five singles staring with “Somewhere I Belong,” “Faint,” “Numb,” “From the Inside” and “Breaking the Habit.” The album has been certified 7 times platinum in the U.S.
What Are Grey Daze Up To?
After reviving the band to pay tribute to Chester Bennington by utilizing his vocals from the band’s first two records and showcasing this early music with the reunited lineup and some of his musical peers and family involved in two studio albums, Grey Daze have now started playing shows with Hodges handling vocals for the group. Upcoming shows include stops in Phoenix at the Rebel Lounge tonight (Aug. 11) and playing The Canyon venues in Agoura Hills and Montclair, California on Aug. 18 and 19. Get more details here.
READ MORE: Grey Daze May Continue With New Music Beyond Chester Bennington Tribute
Grey Daze’s Cris Hodges + Sean Dowdell Appear on RadioActive Mike Z’s Wired in the Empire
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The singer had a knack for delivering powerful emotions through Linkin Park’s lyrics.