Last Friday was a big day for alt-rock fans around the world. The legendary rock band Linkin Park dropped their first album since the tragic death of their former lead singer, the beloved and iconic Chester Bennington. After being on an extended hiatus since the summer of 2017, Linkin Park’s future in the music industry was very much up in the air for many years. However, when it was announced that the band had joined forces with new singer Emily Armstrong (lead singer of Dead Sara) and that a new album was on the horizon, many fans rejoiced at the news. Finally, after months of waiting, I, along with millions of other LP fans, were able to discover what this new era of the band has to offer on their new record, From Zero.
The record starts off with a short, instrumental intro then goes immediately into the first released single off the record, “The Emptiness Machine.” The song is a fantastic choice as not only an introduction to new singer Emily but also as an introduction of what to expect from the rest of the album. The song revisits a lot of elements of what made people fall in love with the band’s music in the first place—sincere, thought-provoking lyrics, soaring choruses, and the perfect blend of strong lead vocals mixed with Mike Shinoda’s rap verses. The song was the perfect hook to start fans on their journey through the rest of the album.
The high energy continued over the next two tracks, “Cut the Bridge” and, my personal favorite on the record, “Heavy Is the Crown.” The record as a whole did a good job of balancing the sounds of Linkin Park’s previous releases along with their new sound, but when I first listened to “Heavy Is the Crown,” it felt like I was listening to something from the Minutes to Midnight or Meteora records. Needless to say, I was absolutely psyched! To me, the song was very reminiscent of the song "Faint,” and I was obsessed with it the minute the synths kicked in. Emily Armstrong also makes her mark on this track as the bridge hits, belting out a 16-second long scream that still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. The chorus of the song is big and anthemic, and it would not surprise me if this song becomes a fan-favorite. After all, when I saw the band perform it at their show in Texas a few weeks ago, the crowd reacted to it just as excitedly as they did to old-school favorites, such as “New Divide” and “Papercut.”
That banger track was followed by a slightly slower and more emotional song titled “Over and Over,” where Emily takes the lead, singing about the pain and frustration one feels when a relationship is starting to fail and communication becomes impossible. This song definitely took on a different vibe than the previous tracks on the album, but I think it helped to add diversity to the track list and offer a nice juxtaposition to the loud, heavy-hitter that is “Heavy Is the Crown.” The calm does not last long though, as the song is immediately followed by the heaviest song on the record, “Casualty.” There’s not too much to say about this track except for that it is absolute mosh pit fuel. With it’s crunchy, hardcore style guitar work alongside Emily’s raspy screams, this aggressive track is definitely something that could turn even the most easygoing of crowds into a rabid mess of circle pits and head banging.
The band slows things down again with the palette cleansing “Overflow,” full of slow drum beats and heavy synths. However, once again, the peace does not last for long. As soon as the track finishes, you are catapulted straight into “Two Faced,” a song that brings the band back to their early nu-metal style that they harnessed in their first album, “Hybrid Theory.” Shinoda and Armstrong tag team the vocals on this track, building up to an explosive bridge that is sure to have every fan in the room bouncing off the venue walls when it hits.
The electronic pop-rock song “Stained” follows next, showing a softer and more vulnerable side to the band with both the lyrics and instrumentation, right before fans are shot into the powerhouse track “IGYEIH.” After “Heavy Is the Crown,” I think this might be my favorite track on the whole record. In the song, Emily really shows off the phenomenal vocal range that she possesses, switching between her raspy, signature screams to melodic cleans with ease. The sheer power and message of this song is a truly great way to start wrapping up the album. But the band still has one song left for fans before closing out this comeback record. Taking a slower, more alternative approach to the instrumentation, “Good Things Go” packs a final emotional punch to the gut as co-vocalists go back and forth singing about the depths of loneliness and self-consciousness that a person can reach when depressed and how this can impact others. It is definitely the most open and revealing song on the album and a great way to wrap up the new record. After all, it’s not a Linkin Park album if you don’t end it feeling emotionally seen, no matter what struggles you may be facing at the time.
Overall, I think From Zero was a very strong introduction to this new era of Linkin Park. It had many callbacks to past records and styles of music, while also adding something new that fans have never heard from the group. The induction of Emily Armstrong was also one of the album's strongest points. It is not an easy feat to fill the shoes of someone as sensational as the late great Chester Bennington, but Armstrong has shown time and time again through her vocal performances that she is most definitely a worthy successor. As someone who grew up listening to Linkin Park and has so many fond memories of their music, I am so excited about their future as a band and the new music they will share. If the new record is anything to go by, I think we are all in for an amazing journey.
