From Zero-Linkin Park Album Review:

 

Linkin Park is back with their eighth album, From Zero their first in eight years but most importantly their first without their former lead-singer Chester Bennington and drummer Rob Bourdon. Bennington passed away from suicide and Bourdon who just left. In is new lead singer Emily Armstrong (of Dead Sara) and drummer Colin Brittain(of Oh No Fiasco). The album's title has a double meaning; it is a reference to both the band's original name, Xero, and the band's new chapter with Armstrong and Brittain.

Singer-songwriter-rapper-musician-co founder Mike Shinoda who has his own solo career stated to the public on several occasions in the ensuing years that he intended for the band to continue, stating in January 2018, "I have every intention on continuing with the LP, and the guys feel the same. We have a lot of rebuilding to do, and questions to answer, so it'll take time”. Over the next three years, the band released twentieth-anniversary reissues of their first two studio albums Hybrid Theory (2000) and Meteora (2003), with both containing previously unreleased material featuring Bennington's vocals. The band also released their first greatest-hits album, entitled Papercuts on April 12, 2024.

First thing is for the die-hards/hardcore fans or the casual fans which is why make a new album or why now? There were some songs that seemed like there was no point in making like “Casualty". They are just taking turns screaming and she keeps repeating the same thing in the song “IGYEIH” where she keeps saying “I gave you everything I had” as we got it already. The opening track “From Zero” is 20 seconds of nothing and some talking to end it. Two of the final tracks have a nice feeling to it in “Stained” which might be the hidden gem of the album and “Good Things Go” which is a nice emotional song with both singers having great vocals. Then there are some okish to ehh songs that could go either way like “Overflow” because it takes forever to pick up then ends very oddly. “Cut the Bridge” sounded like their typical rap-rock sound. Then despite the fact they put the writing credits as the whole group and not individuals you can tell which songs were written by Armstrong like “Over Each Other” that sounds like an early 2000’s emo/alt-pop sound and the song “Two Faced”. The latter starts off odd but then sounds like their older sound, where Shinoda raps and it rocks out.

The remaining tracks which are singles are “Heavy is the Crown” and “The Emptiness Machine”.  They have their typical rap-rock sound that will always rock out with good lyrics and vocals with some good message. The first is a great way to start an album with emotional lyrics with a good music video. The latter does have some screamo vibes to it but it nails the duo of rapping/singing that Bennignton/Shinoda always have and Armstrong sounds a little like Bennignton more than the other songs.

In the end this “nu metal, alternative rock, stadium rock, alternative metal, pop rock, rap rock, and electronic rock hits the mark on the old school Linkin Park vibe. This can be summed up as good but not great, but there are as many misses as there are hits on this album. The questions have still not been answered on why or why now but if you are a fan of Shinoda in this group or his solo career you should be able to trust his judgment. That if Armstrong is one to replace Bennington after years of figuring out with the other members then you can either continue to listen or stop as she somewhat sounds like him. As the album is called “From Zero” you can either have been with them from day one and will be with them going further, or leave and new fans can be a part of this as a new beginning.