Linkin Park Release Unique Version of 'From Zero' Audio Ink Radio

Linkin Park Release Unique Version of ‘From Zero’

2025-01-24

Linkin Park have revealed an entirely new version of “From Zero,” this one without any instruments, bringing out the vocals. – Author: Cat Badra, Photo via James Minchin III

Linkin Park made their big comeback in 2024 with a new album, “From Zero,” featuring new vocalist Emily Armstrong and a bevy of current members of the band. The songs on “From Zero” feature a familiar mix of melodic vocals and rap, buried in heavy guitars and electronics, as one would expect from any nu-metal band.

Now, Linkin Park have revealed an entirely new version of “From Zero,” this one without any instruments, which makes it easier to hear the dynamic between Armstrong and rapper and multi-instrumentalist Mike Shinoda.

Mike Shinoda, Emily Armstrong Highlighted in New Release

The new, a cappella version of their 2024 album shows off the isolated vocals of Armstrong and Shinoda, making it easier to set this Linkin Park apart from the version of the band with the late, great Chester Bennington. The new version arrives two months after the release of “From Zero,” which was Linkin Park’s first album in seven years and the first since Bennington passed away. In addition to the new album, Linkin Park announced a tour behind the record in the form of a major 2025 world trek.

While it’s interesting to listen to all of the vocals on the a cappella version of “From Zero,” what really stands out is Armstrong’s wild screaming. Just listen to the wild scream around the 1:25 mark in “Heavy Is the Crown.” Enough said.

“From Zero” has been a major success for Linkin Park. The album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart when it was unleashed in November, and the album’s the singles “The Emptiness Machine” and “Heavy Is the Crown” reached No. 1 and No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock chart, respectively. It doesn’t get much better than that for a band trying to make its voice heard following the death of such a crucial band member.

Mike Shinoda Didn’t Want a Singer Who Sounded Like Chester Bennington

Linkin Park features Shinoda, Armstrong, as well as classic members Joe Hahn on turntables and Dave “Phoenix” Farrell on bass. As for the new members, those are Colin Brittain on drums and Alex Feder on guitars. Original guitarist Brad Delson plays on the album but has decided not to tour with the group.

Shinoda, speaking with Los Angeles radio station Alt 98.7 in November of 2024, said that he didn’t want to find a vocalist for Linkin Park that sounded like Bennington. That’s why he picked Armstrong.

“We just want Emily to be Emily,” he said in the interview. “The songs are the songs. Emily is Emily… There was a time early on, like 2020-ish, 2019, whatever — like, I remembered I was watching videos… I think a video of a cover band, a Linkin Park cover band, showed up in my feed. Fans were loving it. They were all like, ‘Oh my God, this person’s so good. They sound so much like Chester.'”

Shinoda added that, “your brain likes it better and better and better the more it gets more real and close to the real thing, and then the moment before it becomes exactly as real, your brain goes completely the opposite direction … right back down to ‘I hate it,’ because your brain can tell that it’s trying to be tricked. And nobody’s brain likes that.”

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Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is a music writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.