Nu Linkin Park?

Today we're checking out what we can of the new Linkin Park album From Zero. The scuttlebut is that they have a new lead singer who pisses on the grave of Chester Bennington. I doubt it, I listen to my ears not the internet.

Now, The Emptiness Machine is definitely a confrontational lead off single. Mike Shinoda is the rapper, so we're already off to a rocky start from the functional perspective. It's also clearly the melody from The Final Masquerade, so that's real abrasive on first listen. Chester was the clean singer/screamer, and idunnohername has the impossible task of filling his shoes while not sounding too much like him. Thanks, Mike, her name is Emily Armstrong. The question is, can she be herself while filling Chester's role in the band?

Um, yeah, she can. Review over, Emily is a totally acceptable replacement from a purely musical perspective. I can't help you if you wanted the Linkin Park brand to be buried in the Nu-Metal graveyard, and i really can't help you if you don't like women. 

But it's more than that. Are you mad if the guitarist or bassist or turntables can't be there? Isn't Linkin Park a personality in its own right? As a song, The Emptiness Machine certainly isn't off brand, Emily certainly isn't sending the whole thing down a different hallway. Either Chester's lyrics express something universal that can handle a different voice singing them, or you're taking the universe way too personal. Mike certainly isn't the same kid who was rapping on Papercut anymore, or at least you'd certainly hope not almost 20 years later. The songs are timeless in the sense that everyone goes through something like that, but people grow and change. Unlike a lot of Nu-Metal bands that copied Linkin Park while totally not getting the message, Linkin Park's message was always "wait a minute, I'm half the problem here. I need to fix that." 

What it boils down to, in my opinion, is what you want from Linkin Park. Do you want them to essentially be a cover band playing their old songs on the state fair/amusement park circuit, or do you want them to move forward as an active band with a unique personality? 

What's the second single, Heavy Is The Crown, bring us? Sure sounds like 2024 Linkin Park. Synths and rap and Emily can scream in a convincingly angry way. Topically appropriate, to boot. I seriously don't know how you could dislike this outside of not liking Linkin Park in the first place. 

There's no controversy here, high fives and fist bumps to Emily and Mike and Mr. Hahn and anybody else playing with the band. Top to bottom lovely.