From Zero is the eighth album from Agoura Hills rock band, Linkin Park. Before September 5th of this year, they had previously been on a hiatus after the tragic suicide of their long-time lead singer, Chester Bennington, back in 2017. I remember when I learned the news that Chester had died and I was incredibly saddened. I had grown up with Linkin Park’s music, as the albums Minutes to Midnight and A Thousand Suns, which came out when I was in elementary and middle school respectively, were eye-opening to me. Their seamless combination of hard rock/metal and hip hop can’t be imitated by any other band. All the other nu metal bands besides Linkin Park died out pretty much. You can put in a CD by a band like Disturbed, and their type of nu metal has aged like milk. I can’t even get through two songs from a Disturbed album, but Linkin Park is different. The sound of albums like the ones I previously mentioned, as well as their earlier records like Meteora and Hybrid Theory, still sounds refreshing and beautiful to this very day. Back to the present though, the band still retains the same lineup aside from Bennington and long-time drummer Rob Bourdon, as they have been replaced by new lead singer Emily Armstrong, and new drummer Colin Brittain. When they announced their return, I had mixed emotions, as I didn’t know how I’d like their music with Chester gone. Anyways, here are my thoughts.

      After a brief intro, we start the album with the lead single, “The Emptiness Machine,” which when it first came out, I really wasn’t a fan of, but after a few more listens it’s really grown on me. The sound of the track really reminds me of a classic hit like, “What I’ve Done,” or “New Divide,” which are among two of my favorite songs from the band. I love the hard power chords from Brad Delson, the incorporation of pianos, Emily Armstrong’s raw, emotional vocals, and Mike Shinoda’s calm vocals that serve as a nice contrast to Emily’s more aggressive vocal delivery. Following that, we have the track, “Cut the Bridge,” which has catchy guitar riffs and impactful rapped verses from Shinoda. I like the melancholy nature of the track that Linkin Park does so well. “Heavy Is the Crown,” is another track on the record, this time one that feels like a track from Meteora. I really enjoyed this one as well. “Over Each Other,” isn’t terrible, but it’s definitely not one of my favorite songs on the record. Emily’s vocal range is amazing on this track, though, I will say that. A track I’m really not a fan of is “Casualty,” as the instrumentation and production just sounds really weak and half-baked in comparison to the rest of the album. I like how disturbing the sound of Emily’s vocals get at points though, it sort of reminds me of Daron Malakian’s background vocals on “Chop Suey,” by System of a Down. “Overflow,” is a lot more low-key than the previous track, as it relies more on glassy, soft synths, and calmer vocals from Armstrong and Shinoda, well mostly. The sound of the track is a lot less industrial and heavy than other tracks on the album. “Two Faced,” has an incredibly catchy guitar riff, and Shinoda’s rap verses over the heavily distorted guitars, paired with the layered vocals in the chorus from Armstrong bring back memories of when my sensei at my jiu jitsu studio would put on Linkin Park while we sparred. It reminds me a ton of “One Step Closer,” from Hybrid Theory. Paired with “The Emptiness Machine,” it’s one of my favorite tracks on the album. “Stained,” is another solid cut off the record, as it’s another very industrial track that sounds like a robot being built in a factory. And Armstrong’s vocals absolutely soar in the chorus. Another one of my favorites off the record. 

    I’ll be totally honest, I really wasn’t looking forward to listening or reviewing this album. I was going into it expecting to hate it, as before I listened, I didn’t think I could enjoy the band’s music without Chester. However, I’m glad to say I was proven wrong. While there’s definitely a void in the band without him, Emily Armstrong did a phenomenal job as the lead vocalist on this record. She’s not trying to be Chester, but has that great ability to go from singing calmly to absolutely screaming the fuck out of her lungs. Brad Delson’s guitar riffs on this record are some of the best he’s recorded in the past decade or so. The band will never replace Chester, but they don’t have to. Emily provides a familiar but new direction for the group, and the variety of metal, hip hop, and alternative rock sounds on the record makes it easily the best record by the band since 2010’s A Thousand Suns. It’s not their best album, but I thoroughly enjoyed it aside from two tracks. The band has a renewed light, even with their brightest one leaving too soon, I honestly think the band is honoring his memory with this album, at some points I was getting goosebumps. 

Overall Score: 7/10

Favorite Tracks: “The Emptiness Machine,” “Two Faced,” “Heavy Is The Crown,” “Overflow,” “Cut the Bridge,” “Stained,”

Least Favorite Tracks: “Over Each Other,” “Casualty,”

Listen: https://youtu.be/SRXH9AbT280?si=c3d3bantZtwRQelx

Genres: Nu-Metal/Alternative Metal/Alternative Rock