From Zero by Linkin Park review: a return to form

The death of a band member is always an incredibly difficult situation for its members to grapple. Nirvana disbanded completely after lead singer Kurt Cobain’s suicide. Led Zeppelin only performed together a small number of times following drummer John Bonham’s passing. And Freddy Mercury’s death had a detrimental effect on the other members of Queen, with bassist John Deacon retiring from music in 1997 and stating “It is impossible to replace Freddie.” Many would have said the same for Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington after his tragic passing in 2017, just two months after the band’s release of their last project with him, One More Light.

After a seven-year hiatus, the remaining members have reunited alongside lead singer of Dead Sara, Emily Armstrong, for their eighth studio album. The void that Bennington left behind can still definitely be felt, but From Zero is an impressive return to form for Linkin Park, and serves as a serious statement that the band are back.

Mike Shinoda returns as one half of the vocals that brought us albums like Hybrid Theory and Meteora. Although not quite living up to the heights of those performances, Shinoda's smooth delivery and silky flows pick up the slack that his weaker songwriting leaves behind. He has his fair share of standout moments, but nowhere near the level we’ve seen from him in the past.

As for Emily Armstrong: wow. Don’t get me wrong, she’s no Chester Bennington, but she will do just fine. Her voice is incredible, especially when she enters that higher, raspier register like on the chorus of the lead single, ‘The Emptiness Machine’. Shinoda's calmer opening minute builds up perfectly for the song to kick in once Armstrong takes the mic, belting out “Gave up who I am for who you wanted me to be”.

Many of the records best songs come when Emily takes centre stage, like the infectiously catchy chorus she sings on ‘Heavy Is the Crown’. Her vocals are backed by gritty guitar chords that compliment the harshness of her voice. Meanwhile Shinoda's moments on the song are much more mellow, fitted with faded violins. This dichotomy between the styles of both singers is where much of the record’s excitement is found, providing a dynamism that feels similar to the old Linkin Park, and yet entirely new.

Much of this album feels like an homage to the history of the band, with some striking similarities to past tracks. ‘Two Faced’ is as close to a spiritual successor of ‘One Step Closer’ as you could get, right down to the breakdown, with Armstrong's “Stop yelling at me!” sounding extraordinarily reminiscent of Bennington's “Shut up when I’m talking to you!” Many tracks have this vibe, like how ‘Over Each Other’ sounds like it was pulled straight off the band’s vocal-driven Minutes to Midnight.

There’s so much variety on here, and this wild experimentation can sometimes be to the project’s detriment. ‘Stained’ features some solid performances from Shinoda and Armstrong, but its instrumental feels lacking as it strays too far from their classic metal sound. It leaves you with a sense that the song is just missing something. ‘Overflow’ has this same problem. Shinoda sings his way through his verses, and while his harmonies are solid, the song falls flat as Armstrong fails to provide anything different herself. This could’ve very easily been a solo track for either (and not a very exciting one).

Armstrong is best on this record at her most abrasive, like when she gets told to put her “screaming pants” on for ‘Casualty’, a track so grisly that even Shinoda attempts to sound angry over it – and to surprisingly great success. The outro on ‘IGYEIH’ is another huge highlight for her. Her constant repetition of “From now on, I don’t need ya" is delivered with such genuine conviction, and the slightly angsty voice break on the last line is just so undeniably Linkin Park. I truly believe Chester Bennington would be proud to hear it.

As far as band revivals go, From Zero is more than just a commendable effort. Emily Armstrong fits the group like a glove, and you can already imagine her performing some of the band's greatest hits to huge success. It’ll be interesting to see how the team fare with a full-length project in the future, and to what extent they’ll develop their own unique sound. Linkin Park’s strength has always been in their adaptability, which could very well come as a challenge for this iteration of the band. But for now, I’m excited to see where they'll go next.

★★★½

Best Songs: The Emptiness Machine, Cut The Bridge, Heavy is The Crown, Two Faced, IGYEIH