Just over half an hour of pure bliss.
I spent my first listen of Linkin Park’s new album From Zero pacing around the house the whole time – it’s fine, my people already think I’m weird – just compelled to move and follow the driving force behind those songs. If anything, From Zero won’t let you stand still and lose yourself in days gone but truly urge you to grab that hope the future holds. They took the tools they learnt to master over the years, the memories that shaped them, and somehow blended it all together in a sound that has never been so fresh.
Don’t ask me the questions I can’t answer – at this point each one of those songs is my absolute favorite, and each for different reasons. They’re so different, some worlds apart, and yet so inherently them in their sound DNA. It feels like hearing Linkin Park through a kaleidoscope with the past and the future weaved together and all I know about it is that I’m here for THIS.
No long intro today and no detour, let’s dive head first into it all. I’m too restless not to. It’s been 7 years after all.
‘From Zero? Like from nothing? OH WAIT’
There you go people. If you had any doubt what this album would be about, go back to that sentence once you’re done listening to it for it sums it all up.
The first electric riff hitting us is none other than the one of The Emptiness machine that we’re well familiar with already and more than a perfect opener for the album, a perfect opener for this new era. It delivered right away the energy this come back would hold and the changes they were ready to bring. Inherently a Linkin Park song and yet something new – and the promise of being part of something. Speaking of new, it always made me smile from day one how Emily comes up on the 2nd verse – physically even on that first performance – the then and the now. The tiny details with this band make it all so much more amazing.
On with the energy that will soon power up whole stadiums, Cut the bridge got me tapping on furniture – great now even the dog is looking at me sideways – Mike’s flow is just irresistible. You’ll be singing along before the song ends even if you don’t know the damn lyrics. That chorus alone is an earworm that will get stuck in your head for days on end . Ha. Cut the bridge. Watch it burn. A clean cut is sometimes necessary to move you forward. Maybe there’s a thought or two in that but it’s certainly a driving force to look up to the future. I can already hear the echoes of everyone’s collective joy exulting when this one will come up on the setlist next tour.
I am overthinking again about that clean cut? Maybe. But what I can see is that Over each other comes next. I’ve already given that one a lot (lot) of words, but well worth noting is its placement on the tracklist. For what came beforehand, and what comes next – the perfect spot for “Emily’s song”, and a definite front row to showcase her amazing vocals. The girl can sing and reach your soul. The girl can scream and reach your… let’s not go there.
Speaking of pants – subtle jo, subtle – Casualty is next and will def give the die-hards a run for their money. A nu metal slap to the face like we haven’t had in a while. I can’t wait to experience this one in the flesh – and they know it. Probably why we got to hear the live version before the studio one. Truly a song you need to feel with your whole body. Screaming, gritty voices, heavy riffs and pounding drums – Colin, the man that you are, so happy to have you on this.
We’re long past having to praise Emily for her voice – her range all along the album is absolutely incredible, and if you caught them on stage, you know it translates even better on a live setting – but I didn’t know how much I needed to hear her scream ‘Set Me Free’ in my life though. Catharsis peaking already. On the other hand, Mike’s singing on this one is not something that was on my 2024 bingo card, but he passes the scream test with flying colors.
To make it even better, it feels like ‘It’s only a matter of time’ plea echoes the wild hope we’ve been entertaining for the past 7 years.
Emily’s voice is incredible – I’m doing it again aren’t I? – but more than that, a perfect match to Mike’s too. They compliment each other so well and that’s something even the deaf can hear on Overflow.
Once again Mike’s flow takes the wheel, and this one feels like a stroll down the dystopian reality of a broken world – which is actually a pretty good depiction of our own reality to be honest. That flow mirrors the heaviness we can all feel in the air these days. Joe’s work on this turn it almost suffocating. A song that hits very close to home and reflects a universal mood a bit too well. It’s gonna take some time to process it. Thank god for Em’s voice acting like a beacon of light in the midst of it all. Music is all about hope after all, isn’t it?
Don’t let it take you down though, a little blast from the past might make you smile. It sure did for me. Overflow to Two Faced. Ha. Sure brought a grin to my face. Not sure the new gen will get that one but you know what, I’ll play the old people privilege just this time. All in the details folks.
I said I didn’t have a clear favorite, but this next one is def one of the contenders. Two Faced is a freaking banger and the worthy heir of Hybrid theory and Meteora – and alongside in that legacy obviously, Heavy is the crown also gets well, the crown. As is Emily for it is definitely the song that sealed the deal for so many in that single scream and sacred her our new Queen, right where she belongs – promise I’ll stop. Eventually.
Ahem, getting distracted by the pretty blonde, yeah that sounds like me, back to the point. Two Faced. Banger. One of those songs that stick to your skin the moment you hear it and brings a feeling you can’t shake off nor want to. That half singing whispering so reminiscent of songs like Faint will fill every fan’s heart to a brim. Emily is now my new official inner voice when I need to hide a scream behind that smile – I said eventually.
The last three songs bring their load of heavy – another kind of heavy. Not the one that tears your throat apart trying to sing along but more like that lump choking you up for the emotions they tap on are louder than any previous songs.
Stained harmonies alone were enough to make me teary eyed. A song that really calls for movement, a marching song in which you’ll be led down the lane of your own life and face that inner dialogue. A lot of conflict to deal with in this one, and even more layers to go through. It will take me more than a few listens to sort out that clock ticking for sure and the reminder of the power memories hold on you.
The great strength of Linkin Park has always been to be a perfect outlet for those emotions you’re not too sure how to deal with. And they keep that up with IGYEIH by letting the burning spirit of rock walk in the room. The pain, the rage, the anger, the what ifs and all the hopes within. They manage to conjure up with each of those songs someone in your mind and your own story through those lines.
‘I write all the memories down All over my skin Hoping it’ll snap me out When this happens again’
Ha. I see someone has a little tattoo therapy too. *inhales*
Heavy. Might need to go back to Cut the bridge for a bit.
Again, Linkin Park brings you relatable to the point of discomfort. Songs you want to scream alright, for yourself. Fuck. They’re good at that. *exhales*
Luckily they brought up the breathing exercise just in time because Good Things Go caught my breath away and stopped me on my tracks like rarely a closer song did.
More than that, it utterly destroyed me.
On repeat mode was obviously engaged but I had to press pause at the end of that first listen and take a moment after that one for it gave me too many things to think about.
A lingering sadness that never leaves you, the weariness of days past and the acknowlegment of those, the fears and the doubts, and ultimately all you can’t leave behind. All too relatable.
And yet – still soldiering on. Still moving on. If you’re too tired to fight your own battles, you can lean on these guys to keep going because one thing is for sure, they know what they’re talking about.
That feeling that broke me, all comes down to the absolute brilliance of this line “But I can’t do this on my Only you can save me from my”, mirroring the harshest truth to utter and accept – I can’t do this on my own. Only you can save me. What a beautiful testimony to whoever and whatever keeps you going on rainy days.
A perfect closer song in the sense that it leaves you with a lot to think about, and maybe with more questions than answers but one last gift – clarity.
‘So thank you for always standing by me even though
Sometimes bad things take the place where good things go’
From zero yes, but it was never from nothing, and the “Oh wait” in the intro was exactly the sentiment behind this whole album.
Contemplating the journey so far, from Xero, from zero. It was from everything all at once and that’s one beautiful way to start again. The whole album calls for movement even in the softer songs. The way life goes. You can look behind all you want but you can’t ever stop going upfront, sometimes voluntarily and sometimes just caught in the incessant stream of things.
The hardest part of ending is starting again – but this album truly is just another chapter in the book of this band. True to its legacy and their sound. Everything changes, but the band DNA remains, topped by the experience only life and age can provide – and a few new friends made along the way. They’ve grown so much and for those of us who have embraced that too, this album is a true gift.
Linkin Park is not just back, they’re here to stay and more than keeping that legacy flame ablaze, they’re well ready to forge the future with it once more.
And all I have to answer to that is, let’s go guys, LFG!
See you in 2025.
PS: if you haven’t yet, I highly recommend the extended digital version – absolutely a great deal, Mike was right – just to have those From Zero visuals in HQ. They are absolutely MINDBLOWING.
