From Zero - Linkin Park
It’s nearly impossible to begin this review without honoring and respecting one of the greatest voices in metal music the world has ever seen. Chester Bennington was a once-in-a-lifetime talent with a unique vocal style, hovering between the darkest snarl and growl you had ever heard, and angelic softness. Replacing such a force of nature seemed impossible as the years waged on after Chester’s suicide in 2017, and it appears Mike Shinoda agreed. Seemingly the band's de facto leader, Mike was presented with a choice: Find a replacement for Chester that sounded identical or find a new sound and way forward that honored their fallen bandmate. After listening to From Zero, it’s clear Mike and the rest of Linkin Park made the right choice.
From Zero is an interesting title for this record, seemingly acting as a new starting point for the band. I find it interesting because while the band is clearly “starting over” (as much as one can while having a built-in fanbase that has been loyal for over 20 years), the record clearly pays homage to all of their past work, track by track. There are hints of Hybrid Theory and Meteora, The Hunting Party, A Thousand Suns, and even the final record released before Chester’s passing: One More Light. Songs range from sincere to thrashy, bratty, and in your face. The album is filled with surprises, especially if you had been paying attention to the singles released prior. The first single “The Emptiness Machine” was a decent intro to new singer Emily Armstrong, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression on me. The same could be said for “Over Each Other”, the third single. For me, it wasn’t really what I was looking for after seven years of no new music, and I felt like Emily sounded like a Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) clone. To me, being a child of the 90s and growing up with Hybrid Theory and Meteora, I needed to hear Emily hit the snarl and growl that always accompanied those angelic vocals Chester had. I wasn’t looking for her to sound like Chester, but I needed some “edge”. While Linkin Park evolved over the years and incorporated countless genres, metal remained in their DNA, and that’s what I needed to see some semblance of. The second single “Heavy is the Crown” would offer a glimpse of what I was looking for, (about 2 minutes into the track, we get a decent scream from Emily) but I still could hear a bit of that Lzzy Hale sound that turned me off with the other singles. The fourth single, “Two Faced”, was the one that sold me on Emily and the new era of Linkin Park. From the duality of Mike and Emily on vocals reminiscent of Hybrid Theory and Meteora, to Emily’s aggression, screams, and snarls, and finally Hahn on the turntables, the song truly felt like something out of 2000-2003.
As for the rest of the record, there are some bangers that need to be called out. “Casualty” stands out as a heavy track, paying homage to The Hunting Party record with its brash, raw, punk sound. The drums cascade in the standard punk pattern, with Emily screaming overtop. The weakest part of the song is Mike’s vocals where he seemingly is trying to add some “grit”, but it just sounds like a guy yell-talking. “Stained” is a catchy tune that showcases Emily’s versatility as a singer as well as the versatility of the band as a whole. The song has a modern pop sensibility that sounds like it could have come from One More Light, but is easy to listen to and maintains its identity. “IGYEIH” is a bratty, thrashy (in some sections) track that sounds like a divorce anthem with a killer bridge and outro filled with passion from Emily. Finally, the last track of the album “Good Things Go” is a passion-filled duet with Emily and Mike trading off, showcasing their skills. Mike reminds us that he’s a damn good rapper and singer when he focuses on those things and less on gimmicks, and Emily shows us just how deep her vocal talents can go when she focuses on purely singing and not hitting the screams so prevalent in Linkin Park’s heavy tracks. It’s a beautiful track that serves as a closer leaving a lasting impression, lyrically tackling topics like self-forgiveness, accountability, depression, and loneliness - fitting themes for a band that had a frontman facing so many of these demons that inevitably led to his demise.
As a whole, the record has its own identity as a new start for the band while also respecting and honoring the band’s past. There is not a constant genre across the 11 tracks and 32 minutes, but rather a collection of the various genres that have defined Linkin Park’s illustrious career. Now that the dust is settling around them, with their new singer, new album, and world tour out for the world to see, I look forward to seeing what a fresh album will look like when it doesn’t have to bridge the gap between the past and the future. I’m ready for the future.