Linkin Park for me like many others was a foundational band. It shaped my youth and my taste in music for the rest of my life. I consider the first two albums to be the definitive soundtrack of the early 2000s and the inception of the entire nu-metal genre. In recent years leading up to the unfortunate passing of lead vocalist Chester Bennington in 2017, the band has strayed heavily away from the sound that brought them fame. While I never enjoyed them as much during this time, I still respected the work ethic and passion shared by Chester and Mike Shinoda the band’s creators.

This year, the band not only announced a new tour but a brand new album and the first to feature new vocalist Emily Armstrong. I originally felt quite strongly that this change would doom the band given the distinctive vocals of Chester are not only integral to the sound but extremely difficult to replicate. I was planning to completely ignore this release but after hearing a few singles I decided there was something here worth listening to. I still feel that the band should have rebranded under a new banner but after listening, I can certainly understand the decision not to. 

From Zero is an appropriate title for the eleven-track work produced by Mike Shinoda and published by Warner. After a brief dramatic intro, we launch into the lead single “The Emptiness Machine.” To be frank, this song isn’t great on the whole but it certainly includes a few aspects which indicate a return to the original sound. Mike opens the track with a verse and there is a larger emphasis on strong guitar and drums rather than the synth pop sound which defined 2017’s One More Light. 

“Cut the Bridge” continues this trend, guided by thumping drums from Colin Brittain it captures the feel of a song off 2007’s Minutes to Midnight though again with substantially less substance. It’s not till the third track “Heavy is the Crown” where I feel Emily is given her first real chance to shine. She delivers the snappy chorus and some shredding vocal passages well and complements  Mike’s rapping in a way that certainly captures the essence of the original lineup. However, I feel she also manages to stand on her own, especially in the follow-up song “Over Each Other” offering some soaring verses that honestly capture the power ballad sound better than some of Chester’s tracks.

“Casualty” is another strong track here with a return to a distinctly heavy sound from beginning to end that never lets up. Emily stretches her range on this and certainly delivers some impressive work. “Overflow” is a nice palette cleanser with a soothing vibe that features some cool vocal effects and mixing in the closing half. However, as a stand-alone song, it still feels quite weak. We then get my favorite song on the album “Two-Faced.”

I get that this is specifically targeted as the callback song that plays it safe in terms of sound, hoping to recapture the magic of the band’s debut work Hybrid Theory. However, I don’t especially care that it’s not innovative. It gives me everything I want from the band, great rap verses from Mike, a catchy hook and some screaming vocals from Emily, and even scratchy beats from Joe Hahn in the background. Sometimes it’s easy to forget music is supposed to be fun and evocative and that’s what this song is for me. It creates the same feelings that kept me coming back to the first two albums over and over all these years later. 

The next two songs “Stained” and “IGYEIH” are probably the weakest on the album. Both start off strong with some interesting vocals from Mike and Emily respectively but never really go anywhere other than the initial sound. Both are also overshadowed by other songs in the work which capture messages better and as a result, these two feel repetitive. I’d always choose “Casualty” over “IGYEIH” and the closing track “Good Things Go” is a better introspective, moody song than “Stained” even despite its rather corny hook. It features some lovely harmonies from both Mike and Emily as they trade lines back and forth while lamenting over personal flaws. 

Overall, I’m pleased with the direction of this album. I think it’s especially hard for a band like Linkin Park to continue to innovate when they have already stretched the boundaries and experimented with various genres so much in the past. At this point, I think it’s ok to return to what fans expect and simply hone in on delivering that quintessential Linkin Park sound with as high quality as possible. 

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From Zero

16.00

6

Score

6.0/10

Pros

• A return to the Hard Rock sound
• Emily is a solid vocalist
• Decent production across the board

Cons

• Some tracks are bland
• Little surprises