Teoría Híbrida
Teoría Híbrida is a rock/nu metal band from Los Angeles, Alta California, consisting of lead vocalist and guitarist Carlos Bennington, co-lead vocalist, guitarist and pianist/keyboardist Miguel Xinoda, bassist and vocalist Umberto Delssohn, turntablist, second keyboardist and backing vocalist José "Don" Han, drummer and backing vocalist Roberto Burdón, and violinist and vocalist Davíd "Fénix" O'Fearghail. They have become widely popular among youngsters and metalheads worldwide, and are notably the favourite band of King Juan Carlos of Tejas as well as the royal couple of Antoine and Aquico Bourbon-Le Moyne.
History
Teoría Híbrida formed in 1996 as Zero, when Xinoda, Delssohn, Burdón and Han were art students. After their original lead singer left to work for an American record company, they soon started searching for a new lead singer; a local talent recruiter recommended young medical student and mapmaker Carlos Bennington. At the same time, Davíd O'Fearghail, a classically trained expatriate violinist, dropped in and began working with the band. They recorded and released a self-titled demo in 1999, before beginning work on their debut album. Parke Santa Ana was released in 2000 to critical and commercial acclaim, and it was eventually certified diamond for sales. The band's mixture of Carlos' driving hard-rock vocals and guitars contrasted with the other members' smooth recited verses, IDM beats and samples, and classical violin and piano was warmly received by many critics, youth, and metalheads looking for a fresh new sound. However, other critics and metalheads, especially older ones, thought the group was bogged down by their "over-the-top, almost self-parodic angst". Their next album, Athos, resulted in a quite large change in their sound. Although it retained some elements like Xinoda's rapping and Carlos' heavy metal vocal work, the band softened their sound and branched out into more genres. They put more emphasis on piano and violin, and Han's techniques moved from nu jass based scratching and sampling to electronic production, programming, and soundscapes (with some scratching mixed in). One particularly unusual song was the album's lead single "Costumbre", a piano and violin-driven electro-symphonic piece sung entirely by Xinoda. The album was praised as a new direction for the band by critics, and fans responded enthusiastically.
After a short hiatus while the band worked on various side projects, the band released their third album, Minutos a la Medianoche. It largely abandoned the heavy metal and nu jass trappings of their earlier releases, instead drawing inspiration from alternative, symphonic and electronic rock. While the album was once again critically acclaimed for keeping their sound fresh, it polarised the fanbase, and many fans left out of disappointment for their removal of nu-metal elements from their sound. Undeterred, they continued their new direction, but decided to incorporate more artsy elements into their sound, such as dream-pop, industrial, and ambient music. In addition, they also took a more sociopolitical approach to lyric-writing. The result was Mil Soles, which also received critical acclaim, and managed to bring new elements into the fanbase. One reviewer mentioned that "Teoria Hibrida is, in both sound and lyricism, finally growing up".
Today
As of late, they have taken to returning to their older, heavier sound. Their 2012 album Seres Vivos contained elements of all their previous albums, while El Partido Cazador, released in 2014, once again incorporated large amounts of nu-metal influences, while also retaining elements of Teoría Híbrida's more refined modern sound. It received positive reviews and sold relatively well, especially considering the band was no longer at the height of their popularity, while also being considered to have re-united the fanbase.
Currently Xinoda is working on his alternative rock project "Fuerte Menor", which had previously been active in 2005, while also going on a world tour with the rest of the band. Carlos has also started his own solo project, a band called "Muertos antes del Alba" which focuses more on straight-up electronic rock. O'Fearghail has worked with some orchestras and chamber groups as a classical musician, and was recently featured at the Orquesta Sinfónica de Los Angeles. Don Han has largely stayed out of the spotlight, mainly directing films and doing production work outside of the band. Rumours abound that he may be aiding the production of an album by Antoine and Aquico Bourbon-Le Moyne; however, he has vehemently denied them, saying he does not expect the duo to make an album in the near future and that he is merely a fan of their work. Burdón and Delssohn continue to play drums and bass within the band.
In light of the recent coronation of King Fuxing of Hunan (formerly Hiroyqui, Prince Comaçu), Xinoda and Han have announced a massive celebratory concert to be held next month in Changsha alongside their good friends Los Deftonos, which will feature the debut of a new grand instrumental piece they have been working on to commemorate Hunan's rebirth. The concert, which interestingly enough was held on the same day as the 15-year anniversary of Parke Santa Ana, sold out to great success and was said to have done "absolute justice to the new Hunan and its bright future", as stated by the music magazine Skweee!. Among the highlights of the concert were a surprise appearance by Antoine and Aquico Bourbon-Le Moyne debuting their solo project live for the first time outside Ville-Marie, and, of all things, a cover of Pink Frojt's "5 Minutes and 55 Seconds" by Deftonos.
