.png)
At the start of the year, noone expected that come November we would be listening to and discussing the brand new Linkin Park record, this was more or less a closed book. The extended 20th Anniversary edition of Meteora from last year was a wonderful yet difficult teerjerker, full of unshared memories and lost ideas, uncovered for a beautiful celebration of Chester and the band. And then, just when the dust settled again, September came with a flurry of huge reveals - massive new single, major lineup change, tour announcement and From Zero premiere, propelling Linkin Park back in the spotlight in a blink of an eye, once again ralying the cult, shaking the scene, exposing the haters, annoying the gatekeepers.
All commotion, hype and rave aside for a moment, From Zero is actually brilliant and easily ranks amongst the best Linkin Park albums, not just for its vast purely musical qualities, but for reviving the band's resilient ability to capture the cultural zeitgeist of now, and be simultaneously relevant and retrospective in perfect equal measures. People like to hate on just about every record that came after that seminal Meteora, desperate to compare every sign of artistic experimentation or basic growth to that one moment of generation-defining excellence, but aside from all unnecessary ramblings and pretentious criticism, From Zero is just one really, really good modern alternative rock/metal release in its own right.
This is still the very same Linkin Park core of Shinoda, Delson, Hahn and Farrell, now joined by new co-singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain for a new 2.0 version that actually sounds bigger, better and louder than the first one did towards the "end". In other words, From Zero is exactly what every adequate Linkin Park fan should have dreamed about if we knew they were actually writing and producing new music again. The new album is a short but sweet 30-minute journey of trademarked LP excellence, delivering all of the expected anthemic choruses, driven riffs, sleek samples, smooth transitions and overal atmosphere, lighting that spark once again with a newly found purpose and drive.
As fresh and original as it is, From Zero can be seen as a trip down memory lane through Linkin Park's particularly diverse discography, each track symbolically covering an era: 'Two Faced' channels those favourite nu metal roots of Hybrid Theory; 'Heavy Is The Crown' uncovers the rebeliious spirit of Meteora; 'Cut The Bridge' borrows from the alt-rock allure of Minutes To Midnight; 'The Emptiness Machine' mirrors the arena grandeur of The Hunting Party; 'Overflow' reflects the experimental nature of A Thousand Suns; 'Over Each Other' echoes the electropop influences in Living Things; 'Good Things Go' even comes closer to the radio sensibility of One More Light, together introducing this exciting new LP chapter.
The retrospective nature of From Zero will surely be welcome by the band's oldschool fanst but there are also new territories explored here. On one side, we get the rager 'Casualty', which is arguably one of Linkin Park's heaviest songs to date, and although their role was never as the "heavy one", it adds a welcome ferocity and edge to an otherwise polished and logical album. On the other side, just towards the end we have the refreshingly current, driven and powerful 'IGYEIH', probably the one standout album track that best summarises this new Linkin Park 2.0, blending their original roots, lessons learned and future aspirations in a perfect amalgamation of the past, present and future of our all-time favourites.
Naturally, the main focus across media for the past few months was Linkin Park's new singer Emily Armstrong (better known from Dead Sara), surprisingly joining the original crew for the anthemic leading single 'The Emptiness Machine', and triggering the shocking inability of most fans to respect the artistic and professional decisions of the entire band. Yes, Chester will never, ever be forgotten, and remains irreplaceable in everyone's memories as the brightest, kindest and easily one the best rock and metal frontmen of all times. This, however, does not mean that Linkin Park disappeared with his untimely loss, and so far Emily Armstrong seems to be just the right person to revive it in the best possible way.
Her addition appears to have gaven Shinoda and the rest the energy and push needed to move forward and subsequently return to their best songwriting form, all with a subtle reminder they they were also instrumental for those classics from the 2000s that influenced an entire generation. Emily shares Chester's grit, presence and passion, but also adds in an unique flavour, energy and perspective to make all new tracks her own in a brilliant way. In her, Linkin Park have not found the best replacement, but the perfect frontperson to lead them forward into this curious new chapter that starts with From Zero.
We have seen many other bands take similar risky steps and although it rarely ends very well and particularly sustainable, I have a feeling this is different and Linkin Park will make it through once again. This new album is literally the band starting from scratch (from zero, so to speak...), paying respect to everything that made them one of the greatest music acts of their generation, whilst also embracing the uncertainties, responsibilities and expectations of waving the Linkin Park flag once again after all these years.
Linkin Park - 'From Zero'
Country: United States
Released: 15 November 2024
Label: Warner Records
Tracklisting:
1. From Zero (Intro)
2. The Emptiness Machine
3. Cut The Bridge
4. Heavy Is The Crown
5. Over Each Other
6. Casualty
7. Overflow
8. Two Faced
9. Stained
10. IGYEIH
11. Good Things Go
Comentarios