Comeback albums are tricky business, and often seem destined to fail: for most bands returning from a hiatus, the juggling act of appeasing your existing fanbase while trying to tread new ground is an impossible one, and the result is usually a jumbled and inconsistent record. For Linkin Park, the deck seemed stacked against them to an even greater degree, as the shadow of Chester Bennington will forever loom over the group— replacing one of the most defining and beloved voices in the genre is no mean feat, and doing so respectfully can’t have helped the creative process. Regardless, the band are somehow back, returning seven years after ‘One More Light’ with a few frontwoman and a new album. Despite the name ‘From Zero,’ however, Linkin Park are playing it fairly safe on this release, harkening back to the nu-metal anthems of ‘Hybrid Theory’ and ‘Meteora’ with only a few attempts to change the sound up, and leaving the album as as more of a nostalgia trip than anything else.

Lead single ‘The Emptiness Machine’ showcases the band completely in their element, and sums up the entirety of ‘From Zero’ quite nicely. Mike Shinoda starts the song off on a slower note, winding his way through a verse and chorus before the rest of the band are let off the leash. A lot has been said about Emily Armstrong’s vocals, as you might expect— in our estimation, she slots into the band admirably, taking some cues from Chester Bennington but finding her own voice all the same. Though her fry screams can grow a little repetitive at times (such as the rather performative bridge of ‘Heavy Is The Crown’), she shines in the more melodic cuts like ‘Overflow’ and is, overall, a natural addition to the band, bashing her way through ‘The Emptiness Machine’ with extreme confidence. The song is infectious, sporting a gigantic sing-along chorus packed full of the full-boded guitar riffs and poignant lyrics that Linkin Park built a career on. Colin Brittain also deserves a mention as his drumming, both in this song as the rest of the album, is energetic and aggressive, adding life to many otherwise somewhat stagnant cuts.

On the other side of things, ‘Over Each Other’ sees the band rein themselves in considerably, pulling way back to allow Armstrong’s vocals the focus in this power ballad (of sorts). It’s a touching track, immersing itself in Sleep Token-esque glossy synths and containing some of the most intimate and personal lyrics on the record, exploring a toxic relationship in a bitter and worn-down manner. Lines such as “reaching for satellites, but all along, under your breath, you’re saying that I was wrong” provide a much more thorough peek behind the curtain than most bands this big would allow you, and the words are elevated by their heartfelt delivery. Linkin Park also demonstrate their ability to deliver emotion through more up-tempo cuts as well, as the darker mood of ‘Two Faced’ and the out-and-out aggression of ‘IGYEIH’ stand as some of the record’s most memorable and anthemic moments, sure to make the setlist for their upcoming stadium tour.

Even these highlights come with pitfalls though: namely, that the sound design of ‘From Zero’ is decidedly lacklustre. Linkin Park have always had a rocky history with production, with even their most beloved albums suffering from some unconfident and undercooked mixes— here, however, the pendulum has swung too far the other way, as the group’s newest release is far too clean and pristine for its own good. The rough end of every drum hit and guitar chord— the part that, in most alt rock/nu-metal albums, would provide the heft— has been sanded off in post, reducing the impact of even the album’s heaviest moments. Take ‘Heavy Is The Crown,’ for instance, which attempts to convince you of its weight with a fair few screams: underneath that facade though, the guitars and rhythm section are kept on much too tight a leash, and even Armstrong and Shinoda’s vocals are processed to high heaven at almost every turn. 

And even if that weren’t the case, many songs across ‘From Zero’ wouldn’t be all too impressive anyway. Shinoda has never been a phenomenal rapper but always seemed aware of his limitations: here though, with a dangerous lack of constraints put on him, he’s out in full force, delivering a host of forgettable verses on songs like ‘Cut the Bridge.’ Alongside these hip-hop elements, Linkin Park also experiment with pop music on cuts like ‘Stained’ or ‘Good Things Go,’ though the results or painfully generic or awkward and melodramatic respectively, feeling more like filler on what is already a remarkably brief listen front-to-back. The band also feel the need to cram in ‘Casualty,’ a cut with riffs that should be embarrassed to be so plain, and a glorified interlude in ‘Overflow,’ both of which would have been better left on the cutting room floor. Despite a runtime of only 32-minutes, ‘From Zero’ is a shockingly inconsistent album, with many of the cuts here ready to be banished to the annals of history.

‘From Zero’ is far from an awful record, despite the generally negative tone we’ve described it by: rather, its a painfully acceptable one. Songs like ‘Over Each Other’ and ‘The Emptiness Machine’ will most likely become mainstays in the band’s future setlists, slotting in against the group’s classics quite comfortably. Good singles don’t make a good album, however, and much of Linkin Park’s comeback feels more like the group are spinning their wheels after the fuel ran out seven years ago. The best thing that ‘From Zero’ does is put the band back in the spotlight and give fans another chance to seem them live: those fans should probably stick with ‘Hybrid Theory’ though.