Linkin Park Rebuilds their Legacy ‘From Zero’

Content warning: Suicide, rape

How should a band respond to losing their frontman and lead singer?

After the death of Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of the rock band Queen, the band had two choices — stop making music or continue with a new singer. They chose the latter, ultimately touring as Queen + Paul Rodgers and Queen + Adam Lambert.

Despite critical acclaim for Lambert’s involvement, the band’s later success has been overshadowed by Mercury’s legacy as one of the most iconic singers of all time.

Rock band Linkin Park faced the same question when lead singer Chester Bennington died by suicide in 2017. Now, after a seven-year hiatus, the band has returned with Emily Armstrong as lead vocalist, releasing their eighth studio album “From Zero” Nov. 15.

“From Zero” tackles grief and anger but rarely manages to balance the two.

Lyrics about “choosing sides” and “bad things” appear to be pointed attacks toward fans — and Bennington’s family members — who doubted Armstrong’s ability to take over as frontman. Armstrong has faced criticism for her ties to the controversial Church of Scientology and initial support for convicted rapist Danny Masterson, according to the BBC.

The 22-second-long “From Zero (Intro)” opens with a choir and ends with a soundbite of Armstrong talking in the studio.

Lead single “The Emptiness Machine” unleashes Armstrong’s rough-yet-firm vocals, wrapping around a classic rock sound to produce a catchy track about starting with a clean slate.

“Let you cut me open just to watch me bleed / Gave up who I am for who you wanted me to be,” Armstrong sings.

On “Cut the Bridge,” rapper Mike Shinoda and Armstrong add a serrated edge to the metaphor-laden lyrics. From Fourth of July fireworks to burning bridges to olive branches, the song can’t decide which analogies to use, resulting in a powerful but perplexing sound.

The lyrics are reminiscent of the band’s 2017 hit “One More Light” off their last album with Bennington.

“Wanna go for the light and not the shadow / But the branch isn’t shiny as the arrow,” Shinoda and Armstrong sing.

“Heavy Is the Crown” reproduces the classic rap rock Linkin Park popularized in the early ‘00s. The song delves into the responsibilities of representing a whole genre and band — as if Armstrong is accepting the crown left by Bennington.

Armstrong takes center stage on “Over Each Other,” singing about miscommunication and a crumbling relationship. The title, repeated in the chorus, takes on a double meaning — lovers both talking over each other lacking closure regarding their relationship.

“Casualty” renews the nu metal sound Linkin Park mastered with early hits “In The End” and “Numb.” Unfortunately, the disjointed beeps, rabid drums and crack of Armstrong’s voice aren’t enough to match the band’s old character.

“Overflow” is an even weaker track, ironically overflowing with easy rhymes and hollow echoes. Similarly, “Two Faced” lacks depth, focusing on betrayal and blurred lines while going all-in on the metal sound sparked with “Casualty.”

“Countin’ to zero / You should have recognized / It’s too late to be choosing sides,” Armstrong sings.

For a non-single, “Stained” is surprisingly catchy but sounds like uninspired arena rock. The swooping chorus and heavy drums practically beg to be played between innings at a Wrigley game.

“IGYEIH” — short for “I gave you everything I had” — parallels its lyrics with “Stained,” making the same references to forgiveness and forgetting. Its airy reverb transitions smoothly into the final track, “Good Things Go” — an otherwise unremarkable song marred by trite lyrics and faux-hot-mic moments.

“Only you could save me from my lack of self-control / Sometimes bad things take the place where good things go,” Shinoda and Armstrong sing.

Listen to “From Zero” on all major streaming platforms.