Farrell also left to tour with Tasty Snax, a Christian punk and ska band. The lack of success and stalemate in progress prompted Wakefield, at that time the band's vocalist, to leave the band in search of other projects.
However, tensions and frustration within the band grew after they failed to land a record deal. Though limited in resources, the band began recording and producing songs within Shinoda's makeshift bedroom studio in 1996, resulting in a four-track demo album, entitled Xero, released in November 1997. After graduating from high school, the three began to take their musical interests more seriously, recruiting Joe Hahn, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, and Mark Wakefield to perform in their band, then called Xero. The three attended Agoura High School in Agoura Hills, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. Linkin Park was founded by three high school friends: Mike Shinoda, Rob Bourdon, and Brad Delson.
Their sixth album, The Hunting Party (2014), returned to a heavier rock sound, and their seventh album, One More Light (2017), was their first pop-oriented record. The band's fifth album, Living Things (2012), combined musical elements from all of their previous records. The band continued to explore a wider variation of musical types on their fourth album, A Thousand Suns (2010), layering their music with more electronic sounds. By the end of the decade, Linkin Park was among the most successful and popular rock acts. The band explored experimental sounds on their third album, Minutes to Midnight (2007). Their second album, Meteora (2003), continued the band's success. The lattermost also crossed over to the nation's Billboard Hot 100. Released during the peak of the nu metal scene, the album's singles' heavy airplay on MTV led the singles " One Step Closer", " Crawling" and " In the End" all to chart highly on the US Mainstream Rock chart. Categorized as alternative rock, Linkin Park's earlier music spanned a fusion of heavy metal and hip hop, while their later music features more electronica and pop elements.įormed in 1996, Linkin Park rose to international fame with their debut studio album, Hybrid Theory (2000), which became certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Vocalists Mark Wakefield and Chester Bennington are former members of the band. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drummer Rob Bourdon, all of whom are founding members. Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California.