Linkin Park - From Zero -Album Review
Linin make their long-awaited return with From Zero
Concern and excitement were leading up to From Zero. Questions were raised over Emily Armstrong’s controversial past and the concept of Linkin Park reuniting. I, for one, was excited, knowing Armstrong from Dead Sara. I was intrigued to see how they would slot into the rock outfit.
From Zero had a lot of expectations from excited and concerned fans, but also no expectations at all. To some, this had to be the best Linkin Park record ever, and to others, it just had to sound like Linkin Park. I fell in the latter camp; my only hope was that it sounded like Linkin Park, and they succeeded with the release of the first single, ‘Emptiness Machine’ —a taste of classic LP with a new twist.
The opening track and lead single let fans know the goal of this record. LP is going back to basics, a debut 2.0. Same band new flavor. With that approach From Zero ends up being a mixed-bag, overall, the album is a fantastic showcase of Armstrong’s vocal versatility – from the screams on ‘Casualty’ to the tender vocals on ‘Good Things Go.’
Mike Shinoda has never sounded as good as he does here. ‘Cut the Bridge’ and ‘Two-Faced’ are some of Shinoda’s best. ‘Two-Faced’ is a callback to Hybrid Theory where the band is their strongest. John Hahn, their turntablist is at the top of his game here.
The riffs from Brad Delson and Dave Farell are some of their most inspired. Especially of tracks like ‘IGYEIH.’ You can tell how much fun they were having in the studio and how much that creativity was unlocked.
Of course, Emily Armstrong wasn’t the only new addition to the band. Colin Brittain joined on drums and while there are sparks of creativity and brilliance, it feels like Brittain was playing it safe and is still finding his feet within the band.
From Zero is no cash grab, you can hear the excitement and creativity within each track to know that. This is an album they can be proud of and hopefully the first of many to come with this line-up. This is their re-introduction and damn what a re-introduction.