From Zero Album Review Thread

Joeverflow · Nov 7, 2024

Reviews for Linkin Park's new album are starting to appear from mainstream outlets with a little over a week to go before its release on November 15th.

The first review has popped up today with more expected in the coming week. We'll add to this thread when more appear online or get published.

In case you missed it, you can check out our full album impressions from when we got a chance to listen to the album on October 29 at a LPU listening event.

The Guardian - ★★★★☆

Linkin Park tread a line between doing something new and maintaining links to their illustrious past, and that’s probably what most people in their position would try to do. But whether most people could do it quite as successfully as From Zero does is a different matter. The melodies are grabby, the sound dynamic and remarkably punchy – the moment on Cut the Bridge where everything dies away for a second, leaving Armstrong alone, her voice roaring and momentarily dosed with psychedelic effects, defies the listener not to unleash an involuntary air-punch. It ticks all conceivable boxes a Linkin Park fan might want, without ever sounding like an exercise in box ticking.

Managing to sound refreshed and current without denying the past is impressive at this stage in their career, but perhaps Linkin Park unwittingly laid the groundwork long before Bennington died. They were always more expansive and exploratory than the bands they were lumped in with. Their choice of collaborators – Pusha T and Rakim, the Dust Brothers and Owen Pallett – suggested a band blessed with good taste in a genre where good taste was never guaranteed. They were always unafraid to take sonic risks, and another sonic risk is exactly what their comeback constitutes – one that has handsomely paid off.
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Louder / Metal Hammer - ★★★★☆

Linkin Park's new album nods to every era of the band's career so far while still sounding fresh, new and like the band have something to say.

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What is certain is that fans of Linkin Park’s heavier, more urgent side are well represented, whether via Casualty’s pleasantly surprising burst of buzzy punk rock or the pure nu metal rage of IGYEIH and Two Faced, the latter packing some vintage Joe Hahn scratches and a furious, pit-ready ‘Stop yelling at me!’ refrain. Not that From Zero isn’t packing some serious sheen elsewhere: Overflow is a marching, stadium-sized electro-pop anthem that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Twenty One Pilots album; Stained channels Imagine Dragons by way of Sia. Whether that’ll float your boat depends entirely on what you want from this record, but what’s in little doubt is that Shinoda et al navigate these waters well and make these potentially disparate pieces fit snugly.

Will it be all enough to silence the cynics? Only time will tell. What’s clear, at least, is that Linkin Park have crafted both an earnest tribute to their own legacy and a genuinely great album worthy of their canon. The future suddenly looks brighter.
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Blabbermouth - 8.5 / 10

Resurrecting a band after a key member has passed is near impossible. Some bands have done it successfully, think ALICE IN CHAINS, others haven't. Now, that's the task of one of the biggest nu-metal bands, LINKIN PARK.

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There is no replacing Bennington and the sound that LINKIN PARK had when he was alive. "From Zero"'s most successful parts are the songs that don't sound like classic LINKIN PARK. Thankfully, there are lots of those moments here, and that should bring new fans to the table while still appealing to longtime fans.
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Metal Injection - 8.5/10

Rarely has a comeback been met with as much simultaneous excitement and derision as Linkin Park's recent resurgence.

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Suffice to say that their newest record, From Zero (which marks the debut of Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain), arrives with mixed feelings from countless fans (if not the music industry as a whole). That said, when assessed entirely on its own merits and removed from those controversies, From Zero is a very enjoyable – and even nostalgic – ride that demonstrates how well Armstrongfits into the fold and how well Linkin Park have maintained their adored trademarks.

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It'd be unfair to say that Linkin Park fans don't have valid reasons for automatically opposing From Zero (and this review is in no way trying to devalue those apprehensions or forgive and dismiss any of the group or Armstrong's transgressions). Nevertheless, from a purely and solely artistic lens, the record is extremely successful at recapturing the group's magic with just enough newness to keep it intriguing. While no one could fill Bennington's shoes, Armstrong (who, again, isn't trying to do that) is unquestionably skilled and fresh enough to be a great successor to him as well.

Put another way, listeners who approach From Zero with an unbiased and welcoming mind will find that it's a triumphant return from one of the biggest rock bands of the last 25 years.
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music OMH - ★★★★☆

Compact and intense, the band’s first album since the death of Chester Bennington is a powerful tribute to their legacy

Oasis may have sold out stadiums, but for many music fans there’s an even bigger comeback this year: Linkin Park have returned, breaking a seven-year hiatus which followed the 2017 suicide of co-frontman Chester Bennington. Their comeback single The Emptiness Machine entered the UK singles chart at Number 4 in September – quite impressive for a nu-metal band whose lead singer died seven years ago, and even more impressive in a Top 5 that has spent most of the year as the domain of pop acts too young to remember the 2000 release of Linkin Park’s debut album.

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At a brisk 32 minutes, From Zero is compact and intense, though some may find it too brief to fully appreciate the production or Armstrong’s true talent. The album is a tightly wound statement rather than a sprawling comeback, but a few tracks could have probably been a minute or two longer to allow the songs to fully unfold. Perhaps the restraint is strategic, easing both Armstrong and the band back into the spotlight without overcommitting.

It’s impressive that after all these years, Linkin Park can sound both refreshed and true to their origins. This was perhaps their path all along: even at the height of their early-2000s fame, they were a band unafraid of exploring beyond the limits of genre. From Zero is a royally entertaining album that sonically bounces between just about every chapter of their career so far without ever wallowing in cheap nostalgia. Whether or not this release will silence the cynics, From Zero stands as both a powerful tribute to their legacy and a vibrant addition to their discography.
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NME - ★★★☆☆

Arguably rock’s biggest comeback album in recent history is an intriguing mix of sensational, knockout stadium rock and some perplexingly tired songwriting

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Seven years on from Chester Bennington’s tragic death, the mere existence of a new Linkin Park album feels surreal – even having had two months for the news to sink in. For some fans, it’s simply magical to have them back – now helmed by vocalist Emily Armstrong and new drummer Colin Brittain.

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Crucially, ‘From Zero’ must be viewed as a reset, exemplified by its title which pays homage to the band’s former name: Xero. Therefore, any inevitable comparisons to their largely masterful discography must bear in mind the place from which ‘From Zero’ was born: an organic desire from Brad Delson, Dave Farrell, Joe Hahn and Shinoda to create together as Linkin Park once more. The global rock scene is surely a better place when Linkin Park are in it, and the elite moments on ‘From Zero’ – despite its shortcomings – confirm why.
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Kerrang - 4/5

The return of Linkin Park hasn’t been a simple one. After we all patiently waited for the 100-hour clock to strike zero, it started counting up again, much to the despair and confusion of fans around the world. Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley was forced to issue a statement that he wasn’t joining the band, despite rife speculation. When the news finally came out, it was quickly noted that original drummer Rob Bourdon has decided not to take part at all.

And of course there is the continued discourse surrounding the appointment of vocalist Emily Armstrong. No matter who stepped into Chester Bennington’s shoes, they were going to find themselves facing something of a backlash, and her addition to Linkin Park’s ranks certainly hasn’t been without controversy.

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Despite exploring all these new sonic horizons, however, From Zero never forgets who Linkin Park are and what made them so special in the first place. The dual vocal interplay of Mike and a more guttural counterpart, embellishments both mechanical and mercurial from Mr Hahn, being a vehicle for venting and channelling all your pain and negativity, all wrapped up in pristine production.

Sure, not every song is something to write home about, and not everyone is going to be on board with a new singer, but as a piece of work, it’s a clear reminder of why Linkin Park reached the heights they did and continue to influence multiple generations of artists. Welcome back.
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minusxerø · Nov 7, 2024

or the intriguing Overflow, a track that points to Linkin Park’s famously Catholic tastes by enveloping its sound in dub-influenced echo.
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Linkin Park, famously Catholic.

Christøffer · Nov 7, 2024

that has to be a typo

Joeverflow · Nov 7, 2024

I did describe the opening intro vocals as "biblical" in my impressions so maybe they really do have famously Catholic tastes.

minuteforce · Nov 7, 2024

IT ALL FITS

Qwerty19 · Nov 7, 2024

On a serious note, 4/5 is the best score Guardian has given LP, not too bad of a start!

juancpin · Nov 7, 2024

I'm dying to read more and more reviews. Seems like everyone is getting surprised/pleased/surprisingly pleased by the good taste of it.

minusxerø · Nov 7, 2024

juancpin said: ↑

I'm dying to read more and more reviews. Seems like everyone is getting surprised/pleased/surprisingly pleased by the good taste of it.
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But is anyone pleasingly surprised?

juancpin · Nov 7, 2024

minusxerø said: ↑

But is anyone pleasingly surprised?
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Of course! And I bet a bunch of bananas that some will get surprisingly surprised and pleasingly pleased!!

minuteforce · Nov 7, 2024

juancpin said: ↑

I'm dying to read more and more reviews. Seems like everyone is getting surprised/pleased/surprisingly pleased by the good taste of it.
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Good Catholic taste, you mean

juancpin · Nov 7, 2024

minuteforce said: ↑

Good Catholic taste, you mean
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The good ol' Linkin Park Catholic taste ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Qwerty19 · Nov 7, 2024

I feel this catholic turn is here to stay.

SabiLP · Nov 7, 2024

Christøffer said: ↑

that has to be a typo
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In fact, there is also another meaning for catholic - to be "universal". Maybe meant in this way, maybe not

minuteforce · Nov 7, 2024

SabiLP said: ↑

In fact, there is also another meaning for catholic - to be "universal". Maybe meant in this way, maybe not
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Looking at the context, this is likely what the writer intended, yes, but they should've chosen a less-obscure word to use, or, at the very least, not capitalised the "C"

minusxerø · Nov 7, 2024

SabiLP said: ↑

In fact, there is also another meaning for catholic - to be "universal". Maybe meant in this way, maybe not
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Of course Catholics would assume they are universal.

juancpin · Nov 7, 2024

minusxerø said: ↑

Of course Catholics would assume they are universal.
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They have already done that.

minusxerø · Nov 7, 2024

juancpin said: ↑

They have already done that.
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Yes that's the joke I'm making

juancpin · Nov 7, 2024

I know I know

dutchsoldier · Nov 7, 2024

AMENNNNNNNN AAAAMMEEENNNNNN AMÉËNNNNNNN

murphyLP · Nov 7, 2024

God save us everyone (Catholics and non-catholics)

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From Zero Album Review Thread

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From Zero Album Review Thread

Joeverflow It's all the same to me LPA Administrator

minusxerø Overflow Supremacy LPA Addicted VIP

Christøffer The Cure for Mr. Hahn's Itch LPA Contributor

Joeverflow It's all the same to me LPA Administrator

minuteforce Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance. LPA Team

Qwerty19 LPA Super Member LPA Super Member

juancpin Issho Ni

minusxerø Overflow Supremacy LPA Addicted VIP

juancpin Issho Ni

minuteforce Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance. LPA Team

juancpin Issho Ni

Qwerty19 LPA Super Member LPA Super Member

SabiLP Well-Known Member

minuteforce Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance. LPA Team

minusxerø Overflow Supremacy LPA Addicted VIP

juancpin Issho Ni

minusxerø Overflow Supremacy LPA Addicted VIP

juancpin Issho Ni

dutchsoldier Well-Known Member

murphyLP The blood of innocence burning in the skies

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