Almost three years after their multi-platinum debut, Hybrid Theory, Linkin Park returns with its second studio album Meteora.

Although sophomore efforts from bands that score huge first albums are often dreaded, Linkin Park shows that its trademark sound is still safely intact.

Meteora offers more of what Hybrid Theory gave in terms of catchy rhythms and some hard-core head-banging beats. But what listeners will also find are some instances of risk-taking, along with some experimenting on part of the band.

The group takes chances by using instruments such as flutes and a full string section on "Nobody's Listening" and "Breaking the Habit," respectively. While I won't say these guys are musical geniuses, they do write songs that grab their listeners by the throat.

Tracks like "Don't Stay," "Numb" and "Faint" are real standouts, but other tracks like "Easier to Run" sound like they were taken right off the drawing board of Hybrid Theory. In fact, on first listen I thought "Easier to Run" was a remix of the mega-hit "In The End" because of its eerily similar harmonic intro.

The album may need a couple of rotations to really grow on its listeners, but after that, they may find themselves singing along word-for-word and turning the volume up till it hits 11.

Remembering every lyric to every song won't be too difficult a task either, because Meteora clocks in at just under 37 minutes. That really is the album's downfall, and it might be the reason for all of the multimedia extras on the enhanced compact disc. There is also a special edition of the album that includes a short DVD documenting its making.

If you didn't like Linkin Park before, this probably won't change your mind. But Meteora should definitely please all of their existing fans.

-- Reviewed by Jay Barimani