Review Summary: A legacy worth reviving?
In the years following Chester Bennington’s death, extensive 20th-anniversary albums for
Hybrid Theory and
Meteora, full of live performances and unreleased tracks, were like a tribute to the life of the band with Bennington. With
Papercuts and its previously unreleased lead single “Friendly Fire” being one of the last recordings with Bennington, it felt like a proper send-off for the legacy of Linkin Park.
That is until they returned with “The Emptiness Machine.”
After over seven years of no original material, the band resurfaced with a new vocalist, Emily Armstrong. Now, you can have whatever opinion about her issues outside of the band and the whole issue behind whether Chester Bennington would have actually wanted this; I’m not here to argue that. We’re here to focus on the music, and it’s a mixed bag.
From Zero is a tale of two halves. The first half feels like pandering to what people miss from Linkin Park. While “The Emptiness Machine” was a solid comeback when it was released, it was a safe play as the band returned to the scene. It’s a serviceable track, but doesn’t do much more than announce the (controversial) return of a legendary group. “Faint 2.0” – sorry, “Heavy Is the Crown” – relies far too heavily on the tropes of their
Meteora era by nearly replicating the same one of their most popular tracks. Even “Over Each Other” feels like a more rock-oriented extension of
One More Light with its repetitive anthemic style and unfortunate lack of Mike Shinoda. And don’t get me started on that ending interlude talking about getting your screaming pants on before leading into the lowlight “Casualty.” While it is one of their heaviest tracks, Shinoda’s vocals sound oddly strained and Armstrong’s screams just simply aren’t good enough for an entire track of them, creating one of the weakest “heavy” tracks they’ve ever released.
However, by the time “Overflow” rolls around, a switch flips. Though it’s more of a Shinoda track, it sets the stage for a strong second half, with its dark and captivating atmosphere and simplistic instrumentation that makes it a powerful standout. From this point on,
From Zero maintains momentum. “IGYEIH” opens with an energetic riff, has an explosive chorus, and concludes with a heaviness and chaos that “Casualty” should have been able to capitalize on. Call me hypocritical, but “Two Faced,” despite it being a
Hybrid Theory/
Meteora revival, holds a hint of originality that makes it stands on its own and establishes itself as one of the catchiest songs on the album. With “Good Things Go,” the band ends off their comeback highlighting chemistry between Shinoda and Armstrong with their harmonies playing off each other on a beautiful guitar progression that builds to a wonderful conclusion.
Now, is
From Zero a worthy comeback? Is it even necessary at all? That’s for you to decide. Through its highs and lows, the album does manage to hit many eras of the band and attempts to bring back the sounds of the past. While it may not appeal to everyone, there may be at least a song or two old fans of the band can find serviceable, regardless of opinions on the band’s return. As for me, aside from a couple standouts in the second half, I think I’ll stick to the legacy that has already been left behind.
