ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Rock group Linkin Park came onto the music scene back in 1996 and is among the best-selling bands of the 21st century, as well as one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Sadly, in 2017, the group’s lead singer Chester Bennington died, and many were left wondering whether or not there would ever be more Linkin Park music.
Just a couple weeks ago, that question was answered with the release of the band’s newest album, “From Zero,” which I got the chance to listen to while working on some other assignments recently. I’d come across the group sporadically when I was younger (I have a particular memory of coming across the group’s “Breaking the Habit” video early one Saturday morning when channel surfing and trying to not wake the rest of my family up), and I ultimately decided to give the new album a whirl.
The album opens up with “The Emptiness Machine,” which I thought was a great opener because of its driving beat to get things going. I thought it a great song about leaving a toxic relationship, particularly if one party is mentally abusive, and I later felt if could also be a song about someone being angry with themselves for being with someone so bad for so long. It was also a great way to introduce Emily Armstrong as the group’s new co-lead vocalist, and I thought she blended well with fellow vocalist Mike Shinoda.
The album then continues with “Cut the Bridge,” which I found to be another good song about finally leaving a toxic relationship, though I found this song’s message to be more along the lines of ‘I can’t believe I ignored ALL those warning signs,” and there was a good expression of being gaslighted. The lyrics “Grew up thinkin’ tryin’ meant you never really lose” hit me particularly hard because we’ve all experienced some situation(s) where you do you everything right and try your hardest and still lose, and sometimes majorly. “Heavy is the Crown” is next on the album, and it’s a darker take on the whole “Careful what you wish for trope. I thought Armstrong’s vocals were absolutely insane on this song, and they were complemented by the song’s strong, driving beat. I could easily see this being used in some future “Game of Thrones”-inspired fantasy movie or TV project.
Up next on the album is “Over Each Other,” which ended up actually being one of my favorites. I thought it was a good song to express the importance of communication in a relationship and how if there’s none, everything will collapse – it’s definitely a good message for any couple to hear. I also heard a bit of a hopeful tone, like maybe things could improve, and Armstrong’s vocal versatility continues to shine with this song. The album then continues with “Casualty,” and I felt like this could actually be kind of an anthem, with the message being “I know and remember all the B.S. you pulled on me and everyone else, and I WON’T be on that list.” Armstrong REALLY lets loose in the chorus, though I did find the overall end result a little too scream-y for my personal taste.
“Overflow” is the next song on the album, and it’s definitely an interesting one about being caught up in the throes of addiction and being too far gone for help, and I actually felt like it painted a rather vivid picture. The entire song is very layered with multiple different sounds, and it also captures that never-ending loop of what we do to ourselves, what the world does to us and then back to what we do to the world. This song is followed by “Two-Faced,” which I thought was somewhat reminiscent of “Cut the Bridge” in terms of the message being about missing the glaring red flags of a toxic relationship. I thought that message was particularly conveyed with the song’s second verse, which goes “Last time, you told me it wasn't true/And pointin' every finger at things that you didn't do/So that's why I kept missin' the clues/And never realized that the one that did it was you.” It just captures that feeling of being gaslighted so, so well, and the overall result is good.
Up next on the album is “Stained,” which I consider basically a hard rock version of Chappell Roan’s song “My Kink is Karma,” because the message of both songs is essentially “You’re a jerk who broke my heart, and I could absolutely be petty and take some form of revenge for that happening, but I’ll be the bigger person and just let Karma sort everything out.” That’s a feeling everyone’s experienced AT LEAST once in life, and I honestly felt this was a pretty decent revenge song.
The album’s penultimate song is “IGYEIH,” which is an abbreviation of “I Give You Everything I Have,” which I came away with mixed emotions about. It’s a good song about realizing you’re in a toxic relationship and need to leave, but you’re not sure how to actually do so, and there’s some REALLY good percussion, but I was turned off by the fact that the last 30 seconds of the song is just a repetition of “From now on/I don’t need ya.” That easily could have been another verse, which wouldn’t have been a bad idea given how the song’s kind of short.
The album then concludes with “Good Things Go,” which I actually thought could have a couple different interpretations. The first interpretation I thought of is about someone climbing out of the throes of a particularly bad depressive episode and trying to make amends for harsh words/actions that happened. The second interpretation I thought of was climbing out of the throes of addiction and trying to seek help and make amends for past actions. It’s another song I felt painted a rather vivid picture, and I thought it was a good way to close the album.
Overall, I enjoyed Linkin Park’s new album “From Zero” and I would give it a “B+” grade. I found it a solid piece of work, and I thought it was a great way to introduce Emily Armstrong as the newest member of the group, and I loved how hog wild the drums and guitars went on basically every song. However, I do wish there would have been a little variety throughout the album because the majority of the songs are about toxic relationships, so hopefully that is something that will change with future albums. If you’re a fan of Linkin Park’s other music, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy “From Zero.”
