Linkin Park Caught Their Second Wind
There were many question marks about the future of Linkin Park after the suicide of their leader Chester Bennington in 2017. Things went full circle with the release of the album From Zero, which is dominated by the throat singing of new lead singer Emily Armstrong, who drives all eleven tracks and overpowers the mighty guitar riffs.
Linkin Park's reboot wasn't easy. Replacing Chester was an impossible task, as fans could already experience at their farewell concert and musical tribute to their frontman in October 2017, during which several well-known singers held the microphone, but none could match Bennington. All the more respect is due to new team member Emily Armstrong, previously known only to fans of her band Dead Sara.
The half-hour album spits heavy staccato beats, sharp guitars and typical Linkin Park electronica with all its psychedelic attributes. But the band doesn't really start from zero. There's no doubt that From Zero is a record that pays homage to the band's past, especially their debut Hybrid Theory and their breakthrough album Meteora. The energetic tracks pulse at a fast pace, the chemistry between Emily and rapping frontman Mike Shinoda takes the band back to its early days, evoking a peculiar uneasiness, anxiety and fury.
Emotional terror breaks out right away in the greatest hit "The Emptiness Machine". Shihoda and Armstrong start the longing melody slowly, only to have it soon erupt into an impressive chorus. The following track, "Cut The Bridge", is equally dynamic. The staccato rhythm and roaring chorus brim with determination, saying: let's go on. In a furious rage, Linkin Park strikes hardest in the single "Heavy Is The Crown", in which Emily fully proves that she is a great choice to replace the deceased Chester.
In the vulnerable "Over Each Other" the band slows down the tempo for a while. The sample-driven "Overflow" raises uneasiness, with Mike's voice and Emily's echoes dominating, shrouded in hazy dub. On the other hand, the next single "Two Faced" honours the old school nu metal, featuring the typical dirty guitars. The band sticks to this sound in "IGYEIH", creating a convincing punk whirlwind and hardcore madness. The closing track "Good Things Go" has a relaxed atmosphere, where the double vocal interplay seems to finally release the omnipresent tension of the previous tracks.
What can you appreciate about the album as musicians?
On From Zero, the band uses a combination of the raw nu metal that defined their early albums like Hybrid Theory and Meteora, and the experimental electronic elements that dominated the likes of Minutes To Midnight and A Thousand Suns. The result is a compelling mix of contrasting sounds: gritty guitar riffs and synth melodies. The energetic production of hard-hitting beats and vocal duets are echoed in the lyrics, where themes of rebirth, renewal and coping with setbacks take an introspective look at one's own failures and the ability to start over. In this regard, Emily's emotive voice proves to be the ideal medium for expressing both pain and hope, while Mike's rap passages deliver that charismatic, more direct message we've become accustomed to.
While the band has always played with different genres in the past (not to mention the cheesy pop on the previous record One More Light), From Zero's ambition is to be a bridge between the past and the future – acknowledging their roots and celebrating their constant evolution.
Linkin Park – From Zero
Warner Records, 00:31:58
nu metal
75 %
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