Atwood Magazine’s writers discuss Linkin Park’s return to music in their latest album ‘From Zero,’ diving into the iconic band’s evolution and sound, their new members, and how they have emerged back onto the scene.

Featured here are Atwood writers Josh Weiner, Lauren Turner, and Will Yarbrough!

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To start, what is your relationship with Linkin Park’s music?

Josh Weiner: Oh man, I actually remember getting the Hybrid Theory CD as a present when I was a kid back in the early 2000’s! It probably took until I was a little older to fully appreciate Linkin Park, but I can say I’ve been a consistent fan and admirer of theirs at least since my teenage years.

Lauren Turner: My dad introduced me to Linkin Park at a very very early age. He was a massive fan of Hybrid Theory and Meteora, and those two albums were on a constant repeat in our house growing up. Because of that, the first song I ever knew all the lyrics to was “In the End.” To this day, my family jokes around about how that was quite the choice for a toddler to go around singing. I would always ask my dad to play it in the car with my little brother so we could scream the lyrics. While growing up, the Transformers movies also came out and I think that sparked an even deeper love on my end for the band. I remember being obsessed with “New Divide” and “What I’ve Done.” This led me down the rabbit hole of discovering their music myself, without my dad, and when I heard Minutes to Midnight I was so so captivated. “Shadow of the Day” and “Leave Out All The Rest” really stuck with me and are still two of my all time favorite songs. The rest is history. To me, Linkin Park is a staple within my childhood. They are very nostalgic for me and truly have this musical stamp on my life. I believe it is through them where I’ve developed this understanding of music and feeling it deeply – whether that is through carefully crafted lyrics or bone-chilling powerful instrumentals.

Will Yarbrough: I am one of the millions of millennials who bought Hybrid Theory with their allowance, which means Linkin Park have the honor of being the first band of the nü millennium that my mom truly hated. Every time “In the End” came on our local alt. rock station, it took all of her love for me not to throw on her Andrea Bocelli CDs.

Despite its window of popularity, nü-metal was never cool. Even Fred Durst realizes that now. I don’t remember thinking Linkin Park were cool, either. Their lyrics were too vulnerable, their colorful and spiky haircuts too close to Insane Clown Posse. But the band sounded unlike anything I’d heard before. Their fusion of rap, rock and pop felt in sync with all the technological advancements that were happening back at the beginning of the 21st Century.

What are your initial impressions and reactions to From Zero?

Lauren: I’m truly impressed with From Zero. And I actually really dig it! I think it is always hard when a band enters a new era of music. There is so much pressure and opinions ready to be had. In this situation, even more so! With the loss of Chester Bennington, I don’t think fans were ever really expecting them to come back. After a couple of years, I even doubted that they would. Bennington was such a light within the music industry and had such a unique voice. He very much made Linkin Park who they are. When the band announced their return, I was very curious to how it would all play out and how they would sound. In my opinion, From Zero is very much a Linkin Park album. It is still so them. From Mike Shinoda’s wicked raps to Joe Hahn’s intoxicating turntable scratches, I still vividly hear Linkin Park’s sound. From Zero does a great job of keeping true to themselves and respecting and honoring their past, while introducing this new version of the band and music they are ready to put out into the world.

Will: At 31 minutes, this is where I could joke that Linkin Park spent just enough time on From Zero to ensure that their checks cleared. But that would be mean and also inaccurate. The band’s new lineup has secretly been in the works since 2019. Besides, I don’t want a big, long album about the state of the world from Linkin Park. I want songs that are heavy and catchy and more vulnerable than the rest of rock radio’s regular rotation. From Zero hits those marks more often than I expected.

Josh: It’s a fast-flying and energetic stretch of music, no doubt! It would make for a great listen in any context, and the fact that it allows Linkin Park to achieve a long-awaited resurgence and change their final chapter from a tragic to a triumphant one makes this an especially satisfying project.

Likewise, how do you feel Emily Armstrong does as the band’s new lead singer on this first LP?

Lauren: Emily Armstrong absolutely crushed it! She came in with such a force and has crazy talented vocals. I was able to go to their first show back at the LA Forum and she was incredible. She will never be Bennington, but I believe she has done a good job of respecting him and all he has done for the band while bringing in her new flair and staying true to herself. It’s also nice to see a woman lead singer within the rock/metal genre. As a woman myself who has always been an avid rock lover, it’s refreshing and inspiring to see – especially from a band that means a lot to me.

Will: Linkin Park’s return was going to be met with some backlash. That Armstrong comes with perceived baggage doesn’t do her any favors. I don’t put much stock into those accusations, though I was concerned after the surprise performance that officially announced her as the new vocalist for Linkin Park. Live-streaming the band’s first concert with a new line-up seven years since their last stage appearance took guts, but it’s hard not to compare her to Bennington during the throat-scraping chorus of “Crawling” or the fragile piercings on “Numb”. But Armstrong fares much better on From Zero. She’s harsh enough to fit the band’s metallic core, but her cleans bring a dramatic sheen that’s better suited for the mainstream.

Josh: Look, there’s no way Emily Armstrong would have been chosen to helm Linkin Park’s comeback album if she weren’t a fully capable vocalist, not to mention one who could shift between hollering and harmonizing as fluidly as Chester Bennington once did. The rest of the band recognized those qualities in her and thus employed her– I’m just as willing and ready to recognize and applaud said qualities as well.

How, for you, does this album compare to Linkin Park’s past releases; what are the most striking similarities or differences? Does it feel like a brand new band, or a kind of continuation?

Lauren: Truly, for me, this feels like a brand new band as well as a continuation – which I know is a confusing thing to say. As much as I love Armstrong’s addition to the band, I still have a hard time fully envisioning Linkin Park without Bennington, but I also couldn’t imagine this album belonging to any other band. To me, it is still very much their sound and still very Linkin Park coded. For example, “Two Faced” is one of the songs where I see a continuation of them. Between Hahn’s very clear scrubbing, Shinoda’s hard hitting rap and Armstrong’s screams, I couldn’t imagine it being anything other than a Linkin Park song. It sort of vaguely reminds me of “Faint.” Whereas in “Over Each Other,” with Armstrong leading the song and her vocals being the prime focus, I see the differences shine through and a newer version of the band emerge.

Will: From Zero successfully sums up the distinct phases of Linkin Park’s career. After all, the title and opening track allude to the band’s earliest beginnings on the outskirts of Los Angeles. The album runs smoothest when it simply reboots their patented rap-rock hybrid. With its faint-but-soaring string section and video game tie-in, “Heavy is the Crown” stands as a worthy descendant of Meteora. “Two Faced” mimics “One Step Closer” down to the DJ scratches. Even a deeper cut like “Overflow” has major Fort Minor / “High Voltage” energy. I’ve had stale Nilla Wafers with more crunch than “Cut the Bridge”, but their late-career studio polish does scrub off nü-metal’s cultural stain.

Josh: If Linkin Park had had a female lead singer from the offset, there’s a good chance that From Zero could have slid in quite smoothly onto the shelf alongside the rest of the records. Having Emily Armstrong and not Chester Bennington as the lead singer isn’t the only quality that sets From Zero apart from the rest of the band’s catalogue– Mike Shinoda is given less room to rap than before, I find– but bringing back the majority of the instrumentalists for Round 2 and revisiting some of their former key lyrical themes helps Linkin Park to preserve its signature sound in a lot of important ways.

On a side note, 40-ish minutes seems to be the go-to length for the majority of Linkin Park’s album, and this one is about that long as well. Just about the right length, in my estimation.

Linkin Park teased From Zero with “The Emptiness Machine,” “Heavy Is the Crown,” “Over Each Other,” and “Two Faced.” Are these singles faithful representations of the album?

Lauren: I think so. After listening to the entire album I completely agree with their choice to bring back the band with “The Emptiness Machine.” This song was such a powerful return and I couldn’t imagine them coming back with any of the other tracks on the album. It just truly encapsulates who they are, where they have been and where they are going. Like I said above, “Two Faced” reminded me a lot of their older sound, so I can understand why they chose that as a single as well. I think “Over Each Other” was their way of introducing Armstrong in her own way and so that was a pretty solid choice as well for a single. I do think these four tracks prepared fans for what to expect from them on From Zero.

Will: Considering those songs amount to almost half the runtime on From Zero, I’d say they do by default. All jokes aside though, kudos to whichever team of publicists or A&R reps picked these singles. Not only are they the best songs on the album; they also best represent Linkin Park both as a rock band and pop stars.

Josh: Sure, they summarized the sounds and styles of the album in whole, and also represented just how well Linkin Park was poised to make a confident return to form with the ensuing project.

Which song(s) stand out for you on the album, and why?

Lauren: Strangely enough, “From Zero (Intro)” stood out to me. I think I just like that they address their history with the name and start it off this way. I think it truly was their way of saying, “Hey! We are starting over, we are entering a new chapter, but we are still us!” I also really love “The Emptiness Machine.” I think my absolute favorites though are “Over Each Other,” “Overflow” and “Stained.” Those three songs reminded me of why I fell in love with Linkin Park – these intense lyrics with detailed storytelling and emotive instrumentals.

Will: The singles do the heavy lifting on From Zero. “The Emptiness Machine” cranks out hooks on top of hooks. Mike Shinoda hammers his piano with the quiet, brooding intensity of a Marvel movie trailer. When Brad Delson punches in, the riff gun straight for the rafters. Having Shinoda set the table before Armstrong tears into the second chorus is expert showmanship. If tasked with choosing another single, I would hold my nose and pick “Cut the Bridge.” The potential for placement on active rock gym playlists is just too glaring to ignore. But “Good Things Go” ends the album on a high note. Shinoda and Armstrong are best at feeding off each other when From Zero pumps the brakes. The blankets of numbing distortion ensure this ballad stays heavy without spilling into heavy-handed melodrama.

Josh: Like Lauren and Will, I’m a fan of “The Emptiness Machine.” Having this be both the lead single and the first song on the album made total sense– it represented Linkin Park putting their best foot forward and daring their fans to accept their new identity as a legitimate and purposeful one. It totally worked! Plus, since “Numb” is one of my favorite old Linkin Park songs, I like how “The Emptiness Machines” incorporates some of the former’s themes of turning emotionally vapid and having to face the ensuing consequences.

Do you have any favorite lyrics so far? Which lines stand out?

Lauren: One of my favorite lines in this album was, “Close-lipped smile ‘cause there’s blood on your teeth,” from “Stained.” As dark as it is, it made me smile because that to me is such a Linkin Park line. If I had never heard it before and someone said, “Guess what band this is from?” I would guess Linkin Park. It was the line that made me go, “Ohhhh, they are still the same.” I also really liked how they opened “Over Each Other” with the line, “This is the letter that I / I didn’t write.” It immediately made the whole song feel vulnerable and personable. Another one that was up there for me was, “Forgotten doesn’t mean that it’s forgiven this time,” from “IGYEIH.” It is so powerful and was a “woah” moment to listen to. Again, a very them line.

Will: For an album that relies on some degree of goodwill, From Zero comes off awfully vindictive. Pretty much every song has a knife stuck in its back. To be fair, Linkin Park have never shied away from a good shouting match, but as someone whose rage fantasies boil over into sternly worded emails, these lyrics fail to move me. That said, I do respect the motherf*ing craft of “Over Each Other.” Its suspenseful opening line leaves you hanging like a good and pulpy murder mystery.

Josh: “Two Faced” is one of the coolest songs on this album. I love Mike Shinoda’s description of trying to navigate the difficulties of life: “The dark’s too vivid, the light’s not there. I start to give in, but I can’t bear to put it all behind. I run into it blind.” For a guy who (A) has been struggling with the loss of Chester ever since 2017, and (B) is now taking a major gamble in finally relaunching his old band, he’s certainly had to deal with a lot of uncertainty in recent years. Channeling it all into song form is very encouraging, and the extra nod to LP’s classic hit “One Step Closer” serves the old-meets-new theme of the entire record quite well.

Where do you feel From Zero sits in the pantheon of Linkin Park’s discography?

Lauren: In the most simplistic of ways – I think From Zero marks a new chapter. It is their rebirth. I think everyone will always consider and think of this album as that. I’m gonna sound like a broken record but it truly does honor what they have been through as a band while still showing the world this new version of themselves. It is Linkin Park from zero.

Will: Linkin Park will never top their debut and there’s no shame in that, either. Hybrid Theory has sold more copies than every other debut album that’s come out this century. From Zero doesn’t reach the same highs as Meteora, but this album sure beats those canned handclaps on “Bleed It Out”.

Josh: I agree with Will, as I do have nostalgic attachment to those two early records by Linkin Park, and even putting that aside, they’ve endured as popular and iconic albums (having just led an enthusiastic campfire sing-along of “In The End” in Vermont this October, I can definitely attest to that much!) Still, it’s fair to say that From Zero is one of the strongest of Linkin Park’s eight studio albums and (like Lauren said) it earns extra points for truly relaunching the band into relevance and giving them new life, a burden that none of their other projects have ever had to bear.

Ultimately, how would you define this “new era” of Linkin Park?

Lauren: This new era of Linkin Park is thrilling! I think there is a lot to come from them in the near future. I think they have been itching to play again and it shows. This is what they are meant to do and it is exciting to be a part of their history. To have listened to and supported them from the beginning to now seeing their return has been inspiring. I think this new era is gonna spark healing and growth but be invigorating and full of exhilaration.

Will: Lucrative. Metal and hard rock need new blood. Big money summer festivals like Hellfest and Welcome to Rockville have been banking on legacy acts for two solid decades, but the real housewives behind Slayer can only chase checks for so long. With Metallica too busy playing Fortnite, Linkin Park are primed to profit off this sick new world. Older fans like me will gladly pony up to headbang to the hits, but I can see Armstrong drawing younger generations of metalheads over to their headlining set. As expected, From Zero isn’t a triumph. I am surprised that Tyler, The Creator denied them another Billboard Number One, but if Linkin Park keep putting out albums that are this successful, then the band will wind up with an even bigger plaque in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when they’re all said and done.

Josh: This era represents Linkin Park in Comeback Mode, in Veteran Rockers Mode, in Girl Power Mode… you name it. Ultimately, I’m just glad they came back and turned out another high-quality record, in the end. The results are indeed thrilling.

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:: stream/purchase From Zero here ::

:: connect with Linkin Park here ::

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“Heavy Is the Crown” (live) – Linkin Park

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 © James Minchin III

From Zero

an album by Linkin Park