Hear the raw, lo-fi bedroom tapes from before they were the biggest band in the world.
A gritty, unpolished surge of suburban restlessness and creative hunger.
Xero is the 1997 self-titled demo tape from the band that would eventually become Linkin Park. Recorded primarily in Mike Shinoda's makeshift bedroom studio, the EP features original vocalist Mark Wakefield alongside the core instrumental lineup of Shinoda, Brad Delson, Rob Bourdon, and Joe Hahn. Sonically, the project is a bridge between 90s underground hip-hop and the burgeoning rap-metal scene, heavily influenced by the production styles of the era's East Coast rap. The tracks 'Rhinestone' and 'Reading My Eyes' would later be reworked or performed live during the Hybrid Theory era, though these original versions are notably more lo-fi and sample-driven. The departure of Wakefield following this release led to the recruitment of Chester Bennington, marking the definitive transition from Xero to Hybrid Theory. It remains a crucial historical document of the Southern California underground scene.
Put this on for
Headphones on, hood up, late night bus ride through the suburbsBasement light flickering while you dig through old demo tapesSkateboard wheels hitting pavement in an empty parking lotGrainy VHS footage of a band playing their first house partyTracing the roots of a global phenomenon back to a bedroomRestless energy at 2am with nowhere to put it
Moments worth waiting for
The raw, unpolished scratching on 'Rhinestone' that feels more like underground hip-hop than radio rock.
Mark Wakefield's strained, aggressive delivery on 'Reading My Eyes' providing a glimpse of the band's pre-melodic era.
The heavy, distorted bass groove of 'Fuse' that anchors the track's claustrophobic energy.
Sounds like
1997s production with a 1990s soul
Sits beside
Hybrid Theory EP - Hybrid Theory, Three Dollar Bill, Y'all - Limp Bizkit, Grey Daze - Wake Me, Adrenaline - Deftones
Lyrical territory
self_examination, identity, social_commentary
03Deviation
Xero · vs · Linkin Park
Artist
This Album
Restless
Mood · ↓ −12% less than usual
On this album, restless sits about 12% less prominent than across the rest of the artist's catalogue.
