From Zero

From Zero
Studio album by Linkin Park
Released:	November 15, 2024
Label:	Warner Records
Linkin Park studio album chronology One More Light (2017) From Zero (2024)

From Zero is the upcoming eighth studio album by Linkin Park, set for release on November 15, 2024. From Zero is the first Linkin Park album to not feature Rob Bourdon, following his departure from the band in 2022-2023, and the first to feature new band members Emily Armstrong (vocals) and Colin Brittain (drums, co-producer).

Background

As far back as October 2017, Linkin Park was seen together at Mike Shinoda's home studio, setting up gear and rehearsing for the Hollywood Bowl tribute show for Chester Bennington. Mike commented that it had been since the Xero days since the band had put their gear together in one small room just to jam together.

Linkin Park had three shows scheduled in Tokyo, Japan in fall 2017 that were not originally canceled when the One More Light North American Tour was canceled, but the band issued a statement on October 3, 2017, saying, "We have been looking forward to being with all of you, but unfortunately cannot play our previously scheduled performances in Tokyo. Until now, we have not communicated about our November shows because we sincerely wished to play, even in the wake of Chester's passing. We are working each day to grieve, heal, and work towards stepping on stage together without our dear friend. We are so grateful for your love and support. Our sincere appreciation for your kind understanding."

At the Hollywood Bowl show, Mike debuted a new song in memory of Chester, titled 'Looking For An Answer.' He commented about the band, "But if we do continue, I want to continue to build on this song and keep writing it and keep working on it. And it’ll be a really unique time for you guys, for us to be able to share with you guys a glimpse into how a song gets made. So this is literally the first piece, and then after this, you know, on our Instagram and Twitter and everything else, we’ll show you guys how it goes, assuming it goes." At this point, it was assumed that the band was intending to try to keep moving forward based on Mike's statement.

On December 15, 2017 during the listening party for One More Light Live, Mike Shinoda said that he sent the band a version of the song and he saw Rob Bourdon downloaded it, so he thought he would be adding drums to it. Mike went live on Instagram once again on December 19 while working on the song, giving fans the first preview of its studio version.

On January 25, 2018, Mike replied to a fan asking him about Linkin Park on Twitter saying, "I have every intention on continuing with LP, and the guys feel the same. We have a lot of rebuilding to do, and questions to answer, so it’ll take time."

In interviews for From Zero, Mike stated that the band first started collaborating with Emily Armstrong in 2019. Originally he, Dave Farrell, and Joe Hahn were writing music just to write music and were collaborating with a lot of artists. According to Mike, a number of people (including Rob Bourdon himself) had told the guys that they should meet Emily and work together. She had previously been in contact with the band in 2017, wanting to take part in the Hollywood Bowl celebration show but inquired a bit too late into the organization of the show. There was no point in the early process where they said "this is Linkin Park music" or "we should call this Linkin Park." However, despite starting music as early as 2019, Mike said that progress was stop-and-go and there was not a lot of momentum on the musical side of things. In April 2019, Joe Hahn said that the band was not discussing detailed Linkin Park plans but they wanted to just focus on the present and talk about music. The next month, Mike and Joe posted photos on Instagram with Rob, saying they were "plotting." At the end of 2019, Mike, Dave, and Joe participated in a Mercedes AMG commercial shoot together at the Whisky-a-Go-Go in Los Angeles.

One year later in April 2020, Dave Farrell said that Linkin Park was not done as a band - they were still continually writing and working on new music. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the band was eating together on Zoom and saying hi, but they were working on writing. He specifically mentioned he was enjoying learning the drums to do something new. Mike stated in May 2020 that Linkin Park was not over but it is a deep question to ask about that. In October 2020, Brad Delson said that a lot with the band is undefined but the possibility for new music is wide open.

Fall of 2020 brought the highly-anticipated Hybrid Theory 20 box set by Linkin Park. On October 9, 2020, Linkin Park world premiered the DVD online with a full band Q&A for fans. The announcement read, "Q&A WITH LINKIN PARK + PROJEKT REVOLUTION 2002. As we continue the celebration of #HybridTheory20, join Brad, Dave, Joe, Mike & Rob for a special Q&A hosted by Allison Hagendorf + a premiere of the never before seen Linkin Park performance from Projekt Revolution 2002." As it later turned out in 2024, this would be the last visual appearance of Rob Bourdon with the band although he remained in the band at least for two more years, through 2022. Notably, Rob has personal notes included about songs inside of the booklet.

In October 2021, a year after Brad's comment, Mike told Ted Stryker that he could physically still tour but that it is not the time for the band's return.

Spring 2022 brought a few updates on the band. Mike said that the band still talked every few weeks, but now was not the time to start a hype train about the band. Linkin Park launched a series titled, "Notes from the Band" in May 2022, saying, "We thought it was about time to begin sharing a little more regularly with you. ... There's no concrete plan, but that's what we like about it." The note was signed by the full band - Rob, Brad, Dave, Joe, and Mike. When Rob Bourdon did not participate in writing a note that year, Mike was asked about it on Discord and replied in December 2022, "Rob may someday be available for notes, but is currently available for notes."

2023 brought a lot to the world of Linkin Park, with the release of the massively successful 'Lost' on the Meteora 20 box set. In 2024, Mike said that around the time of the release of the song, he, Dave Farrell, and Joe Hahn were intentionally trying to spend more time together. At the time in 2023, Mike told Nicole Alvarez of KROQ, "I'll say this way. Normally, I'm really trying to just manage expectations a little bit, especially lately in the last few years. It's like, there are certain things that are going to be on the table, certain things that are off the table. With this release, shockingly, I was like, 'I don't think there's very much to say it's off the table. Touring is the only thing, we're not touring right now. But the rest of their imagination, where I know their heads are gonna go, it's like, 'Oh, is there this? Is there that? Can we do this? Can we do that?'... I think to a lot of that it's a yes."

Over the years between Linkin Park albums, Mike Shinoda had released a variety of music, from the 2018 album Post Traumatic to 2021's ZIGGURATS EP, along with a variety of singles. His last single, released in October 2023, was titled 'Already Over' and was featured on his Crimson Chapter EP. Mike said, "'Already Over' came to me as I was sitting with my favorite guitar in my hands—the same guitar I used on songs from 'What I've Done' to 'In My Head.' There was a familiar DNA to the song that I think Linkin Park fans will recognize. For me, it creates a bridge from the past to a blurry but exciting future." The track was featured on Linkin Park's "This is Linkin Park" playlist on Spotify.

Rob Bourdon's Departure from Linkin Park

Rob Bourdon was involved with the band all the way from the 2017 break to at least the middle of 2022, as he was a co-signer of the aforementioned "Notes From the Band" series Linkin Park was doing.

Mike described Rob Bourdon coming to the band sometime in the middle-to-end of 2022 and saying that he wanted to leave Linkin Park.

Mike said, "And we understood that — it was already apparent. He was starting to just show up less, be in less contact, and I know the fans noticed it too. The Hybrid Theory rerelease [Editor's Note: Rob was there for the Hybrid Theory 20 box set, but was absent from the Meteora 20 box set promotion] and Papercuts release, he didn’t show up for anything. So for me, as a friend, that was sad, but at the same time, I want him to do whatever makes him happy, and obviously everybody wishes him the best."

Mike added (to Zane Lowe, 2024), describing the situation, "We had a conversation a little while ago, a couple years ago at this point, where he said he wanted to step away. We didn't talk about that in public because we didn't know how that would work out. The fans noticed it, we released a bunch of things and he wasn't a part of any of the interviews or marketing. And that's why. We’ll always love the guy. We'll always respect the wonderful things we’ve built together. With his absence being a real thing, I was already working with Colin."

Writing and Recording

Mentioning the 2018 and 2019 writing sessions, Dave Farrell said, "Joe, Mike and myself were starting to write a little bit, or just get together and say, “Let’s do some stuff and see if we even like it; let’s be creative together.” There wasn’t an endgame to that, in my head at least. So that process continued moving forward over a period of years, and then the last maybe 18 months or so, accelerated quite a bit. I think me, Mike and Joe got a lot more intentional: “If this is ever going to have a chance to do anything, then let’s be intentional of spending time together. Let’s see what we come up with,” rather than spending a month doing stuff and then not doing stuff for 10 or 11 months."

Mike Shinoda said in 2019, the band was definitely communicating with each other less. The band got together in 2019, 2020, and 2021 to try and write music, but there was a lack of creative momentum, leading to sessions that would just start-and-stop. Emily Armstrong was involved in a few of the 2019 sessions at Mike's old home studio. Mike said Emily joined the full band later for an afternoon to work on music, and then years later joined them again. He added, "I did a couple other songs and worked with some other people. It was almost like everyone was just exploring the idea of other things, what other things are out there. At some point, I realized that the other things that I was doing were not as exciting, not as fulfilling, as this." Emily met Dave and Joe at Neptune Valley Studios in 2019.

When trying to figure out how to genuinely continue the band's journey, Mike said he would lay things out as an equation, to take the emotion out of it and try to tangibly come to a conclusion as to what the band needed. For a long time, those pieces weren't there, he claimed. "We know that there's this idea that the singer of this band is an important role that if we continue, we would have to solve," he explained. "It turns out, among other things, at least the things that are tangible... is the talent, the versatility... but there's also the emotional aspect. Like when she's singing, do you feel like it's just pouring out of her soul? It's such an important part of the band's sound, is having someone who emotes that way that it doesn't feel performative. And most importantly, the thing that most people don't even think about, is do we all get along really well and do we want to spend time together?" To really get a feel for how the rest of the band felt, Mike made them a short playlist of Dead Sara songs that he felt were connected to different Linkin Park songs.

Emily's integration into the band came in steps, as Mike described it. The biggest turning point came when he, Dave, and Joe were discussing the new music they were making at the time: Mike explained, "Kind of out nowhere, Joe -- we were sitting and talking about the new music we were writing, and we had over a dozen songs at that point that we liked, and Em had sung a part or a chorus on one or two of them and background vocals on a couple, and Joe was just like, 'Do you think we could demo her voice as the lead as like just her on the whole song, just to see what it sounds like?' And I was like, 'this dude's a believer.' I know she'll be down to do it, I know he's going to hear it, and he's going to like it. Positive. The fact he came to that conclusion before I even suggested anything was a big deal."

When getting into the groove of writing what eventually became From Zero, Mike said it started with him, Dave Farrell, and Joe Hahn. Brad Delson eventually came in to the sessions a bit later. The sessions included musicians Mike had written music with in the previous few years, but the band was intentional to not call it "Linkin Park music" right away, instead just choosing to enjoy writing music with Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain. In 2024, Joe added, "Our main focus was just making great music and enjoying it. We did a lot of experimenting, writing all kinds of music that wasn’t necessarily 'Linkin Park' stuff. Once Colin and Emily joined, things started fitting together. We were able to draw from both old and new things. The main part was to revisit the dynamics we know we can achieve, but in different ways."

Once things started moving quicker and the band entered EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, Mike told Emily to come join them as much as she wanted and that the band would be there for a certain amount of weeks. Emily immediately asked if she could come every day. Dave said, "In the midst of it, we didn’t know where it was going. I sincerely didn’t know if it was going to be something completely different than Linkin Park or a new version of it. In my head, I would shut down when I started asking myself, “OK, well, if this is new stuff, then how do you play old stuff?”

Mike noted that the band was not fully committed to a new lineup yet at the time and they were wondering if they needed a few vocalists on stage, as to not put expectations high on Emily. Dave said to Mike at the time, "I don’t want to half-ass anything. If we’re going to do something, let’s do it bold. If people don’t like it, so what? As long as we like it, and we’re confident, then let’s be bold with it!"

Early on in the album's creation, the music Mike, Dave, and Joe had been working on had no real direction. Mike described the process before Emily joined the sessions as "if it was a painting... then it starts with a blank canvas, and then we sketched something, and we erased it. And we sketched something, and we erased it... and slowly, it started to be like, 'maybe, this part's good, maybe that part's good...' and then we started to go, 'That's it,' and that's when [Emily] showed up." Some of the first demos Emily sang on were called 'Unshatter' and 'Vertigo,' the latter dated around 2019. This period was very slow and scattered, with them going through periods of not even seeing Emily for weeks or months. The demos from this period were inconsequential musically according to Mike, but were necessary for them to get to the first step of putting together the next Linkin Park album.

Around September 2023, Mike and the band wanted to get a feel from Emily on how she felt about things with Linkin Park. She had a vacation for a week coming up and the band decided to ask her about her feelings on things before she went on the trip. Emily describes it as, "They’re like, “Hey, um, just a couple questions.” And we were recording at the time. “Hey, so, you know, we got some shows coming up, and some big festival stuff. And, you know, it’s a year out, and we think that you’d be great. We think you could sing all the old songs, and we love what you do and what’s happening with this whole process…” I’m just like, “Cool, coo coo coo cool!” I had already talked to the people around me, and Dead Sara, who were like, “Absolutely. If they ask, it’s a no-brainer.” I’d already put my feelers out just to make sure, and they were putting their feelers out on me. It was like Melissa McCarthy in The Heat: “That’s why you don’t feed stray cats!” I had just kept showing up; I was the stray cat. But that was the moment."

She added, "So then imagine hearing that, and then you have to nonchalantly waltz back into the studio, and they’re like, “OK, Emily, let’s think of another line, we’re working on the verse!” I can’t fucking think of anything else, and I have to pretend that I’m not [freaking out]. I’m there for another few hours, and I’m just trying to play it cool, because they played it so cool. But there’s fucking no way you can process it. I remember we were there late that night, and afterward I was panicking in the best way: “Is it real?” For three days at least, I don’t ever remember touching the ground. And then everything was different when I came back down — knowing my life was going to be different, in the best way. I came back to a dreamland."

Mike described working with Colin Brittain in 2021 as having an experience where he immediately clicked with Colin. Colin plays guitar, bass, keyboards, as well as drums, and also produces and mixes music. Mike felt that he and Colin had a similar way of looking at music and they "clicked" when working together. He said that when Linkin Park started making music, it just felt natural to invite Colin over. The band was not interested in tryouts or auditions, but instead wanted to work with people they felt comfortable with and compatible with. Due to the previous sessions with Emily and Colin, it felt natural working with them again. The guys in the band also valued the fact that they were from a younger generation, offering a different perspective on music while also still having a wide amount of experience in their field. In 2024, Colin added, "I grew up as the oldest of five... these guys really brought me in and sort of became my older brothers, especially in such a competitive industry. Myself and Em have both been doing this for 20 years in L.A. and other places and so it's like a continuation of a career... we've each put a lot of time into our own careers in addition to all of these guys."

Mike and Colin's chemistry bled into the rest of the band as he continued to help Mike with writing and production of new music. When it came about that the band needed a drummer, Mike approached him and essentially said, "Hey, dude, turns out we need somebody to play drums. I know that's his primary instrument, is that something you would want to do? I know it would mean stepping away from your production career." The conversations originally began when the band understood that Brad would not be playing live (as he did not like the touring lifestyle and prioritized his mental health) and before he found Alex Feder as his live-stand in. They essentially gave Colin the choice of being the band's live guitarist or their live drummer, before ultimately becoming a core member of the band itself. Mike said, "He was like a kid in a candy store. He said, 'I can't believe what you're asking me right now."

Speaking further of the chemistry built between Emily and Colin leading up to the band's launch show, Mike said, "I watched Colin and Emily have each other's back. They were like, 'We're the new guys! Let's rehearse more, let's get everything right.' And they kinda went on their own and spent time together to work stuff out that we knew because we've been doing it for 20 years. I realized, 'Oh my god. We accidentally ended up in this wonderful dynamic where they have each other.' Besides the playing, they can relate and talk about it, like 'Can you believe we're sitting here doing this? This is weird!" Emily affirmed this, saying "I couldn't have done this by myself. It's like a blessing to have him in this whole process with me, and I didn't realize until the pressure was o and we we're like, we have each other for this... I don't think I would have taken as much grace as I have without him." Colin and Emily began practicing the older songs for the live shows months in advance of the rest of the band in Colin's studio. She explained her difficulty to make the songs her own: "The older ones were harder, even though I knew when the song starts I know how to sing it. It was harder because there's layers to it, there's years... There's so much more to uncover with the song, like it's meant so much to me, it's solidified in the universe. So now I have to somehow crack that and make that something that's relatable to me and to you as a listener." She specifically cited 'Numb,' 'In The End,' and 'Crawling' as songs she had difficulty with. Mike added that they played an acoustic guitar version of 'Crawling' with Emily singing in his studio, and once they found the key to sing it in and she began belting it, he went "Yep! That's the fucking song! That sounds awesome!" Mike understood that some fans would not like it because they aren't comfortable with it "yet," but he believes more people will come around to it as they get more exposure to her singing the songs.

Emily described her emotions as, "What is good for this band? What would be the ideal fit? The ideal voice?" She said she took herself out of the equation but thought that it would be really fun. She (and other members of the band) would struggle to keep the secret about joining the band and the return in general from her friends and family. Shinoda said a friend noticed something was up when they said, "you look great!" and caused Mike to tell him a bit of the secret.

When working on a song called 'Breathing Underwater,' Mike, Joe, and Dave brought Emily into a room and broke the news to her that they would be possibly playing some shows the next year and would like for her to join them. Mike said to her, "you played it very cool!" Emily claims that she was trying to work around their schedule. The members of Linkin Park also asked her at this time about Dead Sara and if she and her bandmates in Dead Sara were comfortable moving forward with this. At that point, she had not sang on any of the older music yet, but Mike said, "I could already imagine you doing the stuff that we ended up doing. And in fact, to your credit, you were better than I imagined." The offer the band received was for Rock in Rio, but the plans to perform at it fell through because the festival wanted to exclusively announce their comeback, intervening with the band's longterm plans for their return announcement.

Brad Delson said about Emily, "I don't know if I said this to anyone out loud, but I really felt like when I met Emily in-person, I felt that was the clearest spark where I was like, "Oh yeah, I get it, this is great." Brad said Emily's energy was spectacular and felt great; he liked that her voice was genuine and authentic. "Emily's energy makes sense with Linkin Park. It's the exact feeling. There were even experiments I had heard where other amazing singers had come in to sing on stuff, and I really loved their voices, but when I heard it - it sounds cool but it doesn't sound like this band. But with Emily, everything she brings to the table, feels natural to the band. Chester was one-of-a-kind and was one of the best to ever do it, but Emily just being Emily works in Linkin Park." Mike claims that he sang on all of the demos for the songs from the record, but the band ultimately decided that Emily's vocals were better for a majority of the tracks.

Brad's involvement with the project wasn't set in stone until later on into the project's sessions, when Mike, Joe, and Phoenix convinced him to join in on a session with Emily and Colin. He loved it, and immediately was immersed into the band once again, even claiming, "I think we can write something heavier. Like, way heavier." The resulting sessions brought about the song 'Casualty.'

When preparing for the live shows, the band had several moments where they had to finally overcome the pressures and insecurities of making their return happen. When rehearsing for the September 5, 2024 return show, Mike said he felt very strange initially when they began performing with Emily for the first time, but knew that it just felt off because it was different, and that it would begin to make sense overtime. Colin took on a musical director role with the live shows, orchestrating changes and moments in the set with techs and the band members, which Mike said helped create the feeling that they could all rely on each other still. Speaking on playing the old songs again live, Mike said, "It's like a thing that you felt was taken away, but then being able to get it back, like 'Oh, you can't play shows as Linkin Park anymore," even though Linkin Park is part of my DNA. It's like, everybody's got a core identity... the things that make you you, right there in the middle of it, that's Linkin Park for me. There are other things too, but to have that one out was painful. So that have it back in was like... there was nothing like it. There will never be anything like it."

The album was originally slated to come out in early 2025, before being pushed up to December, and then ultimately November as of August 2024, a few weeks prior to when the teasers for the comeback began. Emily claims that because the album release was moved up, the band was able to add three new songs into the upcoming setlist because fans would be able to hear the new music sooner.

Composition

From Zero was started at Mike Shinoda's home studio with Mike, Dave Farrell, and Joe Hahn, working with Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain, before moving to EastWest Studios in Los Angeles where the band began working with Brad Delson. The timeline for new music greatly accelerated in 2023 when the band began talking and hanging out more, following writing sessions with a variety of musicians over the past few years. Leading up to the release of the album, Mike described the album as a "compact little fireball," speaking to both its shorter runtime and its energetic aura. He continued, "What I like about the album is that it sounds like a Linkin Park album, even though it’s different. It doesn’t sound like one era of Linkin Park; it sounds like Linkin Park in general. There are elements that are some of my favorite things we’ve done but maybe haven’t done in a while. It’s a very energetic album. There are some big guitar-driven songs. There are some melodic songs. There’s a lot of variety."

Artwork

Mike Shinoda said about the cover art, "This is super interesting. It's all photography, no CGI. It's closeup photos of real life elements, liquid and solid, and lights. We shot video too, and we're using that in different things."

In an episode of LPTV, Frank Maddocks went in depth with photographer Brian Ziff and artist Josh Foster on how the artwork for the record was created. The group experimented with a number of different canvases and liquid mediums to create the fluid textures seen in the promo artwork. They experimented with different chemicals, paints, dyes, and smoke. A 3D printed Linkin Park logo was made as another prop for the shoot - an image using it was used to promote the September 5, 2024 livestream. The album cover shot was taken with a camera, made by taking several layers of paint and glass and stacking them on top of one another. Additional photos from this session were used as tour posters for the From Zero World Tour dates in 2024.

Releases

Physical

Pre-orders for From Zero launched on September 5, 2024 and included physical editions for a CD box set, several vinyls, and a cassette tape. Multiple more variants of the vinyls and cassette tapes were announced and made available leading up to the release of the record, as well.

Vinyl Variants

• Blue & Orchid Splatter
• Translucent Sea Blue
• Blueberry Vinyl, Alt. Cover 1 (Brad)
• Blueberry Vinyl, Alt. Cover 2 (Dave + Emily)
• Blueberry Vinyl, Alt. Cover 3 (Mike + Colin)
• Blueberry Vinyl, Alt. Cover 4 (Joe)
• Translucent Magenta - Indie Exclusive
• Milky Clear - Amazon Exclusive
• Coke Bottle Clear - Spotify Fans First
• League Of Legends World Championship Picture Disk (available from September 24, 2024)
• Zoetrope (available from October 24, 2024)
• Translucent Magenta w/ Assai Obi Strip (available from October 25, 2024)

CDs

• Standard CD
• CD Photo Zine
• Alternate Art CD

Cassettes

• Standard Cassette (purple)
• Alternate Cover Cassette (pink) (available from October 22, 2024)
• Alternate Cover Cassette (light green) (available from October 22, 2024)
• Alternate Cover Cassette (yellow) (available from October 22, 2024)
• Alternate Cover Cassette (dark green) (available from October 22, 2024)

Box Sets

• CD Merch Box Set

Track Listing

Standard Edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1	From Zero (Intro)		0:22
2	The Emptiness Machine	Linkin Park	3:10
3	Cut The Bridge		3:48
4	Heavy Is The Crown		2:47
5	Over Each Other		2:50
6	Casualty		2:20
7	Overflow		3:31
8	Two Faced		3:03
9	Stained		3:05
10	IGYEIH		3:29
11	Good Things Go		3:29

Personnel

• Mike Shinoda
• Brad Delson
• Joe Hahn
• Dave "Phoenix" Farrell
• Emily Armstrong
• Colin Brittain

Live Performance

Songs Played Live

• The Emptiness Machine (September 5, 2024 debut)
• Heavy Is the Crown (September 22, 2024 debut)
• Over Each Other (November 3, 2024 debut)

Tours

• From Zero World Tour

Promotion

On August 24, 2024, Linkin Park started a livestream on their website and YouTube channel counting down from 100 hours, the title of the stream being simply "ø" and no further details. The countdown reached 0:00 on August 28, where the visual glitched out and began counting upwards again. The numbers glitched once again at the 9:05 mark and the 9:05:00 mark. Once the counter reached 100 hours again on September 2, a purple image (a still from the upcoming music video) was flashed and a synth swell sound was heard. An image, posted by Linkin Park and its members on social media, depicting a partial Linkin Park logo submerged in water, with the text "Be part of something. Tune in September 5 3PM PST" was then shown on stream. LPUnderground members received an email inviting anyone who could be in Los Angeles to attend an event on September 5, tickets limited only to 500 fanclub members.

Details about the event were kept tight-lipped, besides vague instructions to LPU members on procedures on the day and to stay hydrated through the extreme heat present in Western California at the time. On September 5, LPU members with tickets met at a parking lot in Universal Studios and were taken by bus and police escort to a different location - a studio on the Warner Bros. campus. A circular lanyard was handed out, the words "From Zero" emblazoned on it and a new version of the Linkin Park logo. Attendees entered to a small, round stage in the middle of a warehouse, complete with an LED ceiling and a band setup, including a drum kit with the new logo stylization on it. The event was livestreamed from the same channels as the countdown for fans who couldn't make it to Los Angeles and the otherwise curious, as well as on the screens at Times Square in New York City and in Shoreditch High Street Station in London. The stream changed to a new background (an image that would soon be revealed as the album art for the band's new album) about 45 minutes before the event began, followed by the noise of the crowd entering before the visual of the stage finally appeared.

The event began at 3:00PM PST, with 'The Emptiness Machine' being the first song the band performed together as a new unit. New drummer Colin Brittain and Brad Delson stand-in Alex Feder walked onstage with Mike Shinoda, Dave "Phoenix" Farrell, and Joe Hahn after a mashup intro to the show and burst into the song live, Emily Armstrong joining the rest of the band at the end of the first chorus. This was the world premiere of the song, though the band dropped multiple announcements at the same time as the stream started. 'The Emptiness Machine' went live on streaming platforms at 3:00PM PST globally, being announced as the first single from their new album, From Zero. The From Zero World Tour was also announced at the start of the stream, featuring stops across the world in September and November, including a show less than a week after the event (September 11 at the Kia Forum, slated to be the band's first full arena show since 2017). The music video for 'The Emptiness Machine' premiered right after the stream concluded, confirming that the image flashed on the countdown was a shot of Mike in the video.

Listening Parties

Linkin Park announced a worldwide series of From Zero listening parties on October 31, 2024, giving fans around the globe a chance to hear the album before it came out. These listening parties took place between November 4, 2024, and November 14, 2024 in record stores across dozens of countries. The band shared a website, listentofz.linkinpark.com, allowing fans to find the nearest location to them.

North America

United States

• Anchorage, Alaska: Obsession Records (November 9)
• Anniston, Alabama: CD Cellar (November 9)
• Benton, Arkansas: Retro Rose (November 9)
• Chandler, Arizona: Zia Records (November 9)
• Gilbert, Arizona: Rock This Town Records (November 9)
• Mesa, Arizona: Zia Records (November 9)
• Phoenix, Arizona: Zia Records - Bethany Home (November 9)
• Phoenix, Arizona: Zia Records - Thunderbird (November 9)
• Tempe, Arizona: Zia Records (November 9)
• Tucson, Arizona: Zia Records (November 9)
• Burbank, California: Run Out Groove Records (November 9)
• Davis, California: Armadillo Music (November 9)
• Napa, California: Folklore (November 9)
• Oakland, California: 1-2-3-4 GO! Records (November 9)
• Petaluma, California: Paradise Found Records + Music (November 9)
• Studio City, California: Licorice Pizza Records (November 9)
• Littleton, Colorado: Vinyl Valhalla (November 9)
• Wallingford, Connecticut: Redscroll Records (November 9)
• New London, Connecticut: Telegraph Autonomous Zone (November 9)
• Clearwater, Florida: Kingfish Records (November 9)
• Lauderhill, Florida: We Got The Beats (November 9)
• Oakland Park, Florida: We Got The Beats (November 9)
• Orlando, Florida: Park Ave (November 9)
• St. Augustine, Florida: Tonevendor (November 9)
• West Palm Beach, Florida: Rust & Wax Record Shop (November 9)
• Macon, Georgia: Fresh Produce Records (November 9)
• Boise, Idaho: Rollin' Records (November 9)
• Chicago, Illinois: Reckless Records - Milwaukee Ave. (November 9)
• Chicago, Illinois: Shuga Records (November 9)
• Elmhurst, Illinois: Elmhurst Records (November 9)
• McHenry, Illinois: Siren Records (November 9)
• Plainfield, Illinois: Left Round Records (November 9)
• Rockford, Illinois: Toad Hall Books + Records (November 9)
• Woodstock, Illinois: The Records Department (November 9)
• Evansville, Indiana: Space Monkey Records (November 9)
• Fort Wayne, Indiana: Welcome Back Records (November 9)
• Indianapolis, Indiana: Karma Records (November 9)
• Hutchinson, Kansas: Permanent Records (November 9)
• Bowling Green, Kentucky: Hard Copies (November 9)
• Mandeville, Louisiana: 22 Sound Records (November 9)
• Baltimore, Maryland: The Sound Garden (November 9)
• Lewiston, Maine: Bull Moose (November 9)
• Waterville, Maine: Bull Moose (November 9)
• Bangor, Maine: Bull Moose (November 9)
• Scarborough, Maine: Bull Moose (November 9)
• Dearborn, Michigan: Dearborn Music (November 9)
• Owosso, Michigan: Round Midnight Records (November 9)
• Trenton, Michigan: Slick Disc (November 9)
• Buffalo, Minnesota: Indie Earth (November 9)
• Burnsville, Minnesota: South Metro Music (November 9)
• Golden Valley, Minnesota: Down In The Valley (November 9)
• Mankato, Minnesota: Tune Town (November 9)
• Maple Grove, Minnesota: Down In The Valley (November 9)
• Joplin, Missouri: Dig It! Record Barn (November 9)
• Kansas City, Missouri: Josey Records (November 9)
• Kansas City, Missouri: Mills Record Company (November 9)
• Billings, Montana: Cameron Records (November 9)
• Bozeman, Montana: Cactus Records + Gifts (November 9)
• Raleigh, North Carolina: The Pour House Music Hall + Record Shop (November 9)
• Wake Forest, North Carolina: Record Krate (November 9)
• Wilmington, North Carolina: School Kids Records (November 9)
• Wilmington, North Carolina: Yellow Dog Discs (November 9)
• Lincoln, Nebraska: First Day Vinyl (November 9)
• Plaistow, New Hampshire: Bull Moose (November 9)
• Dover, New Jersey: Factory Records (November 9)
• Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey: Yearbook Records (November 9)
• Point Pleasant, New Jersey: Clarizio Music (November 9)
• Las Vegas, Nevada: Zia Records - Eastern (November 9)
• Las Vegas, Nevada: Zia Records - Rainbow (November 9)
• Brooklyn, New York: For The Record (November 9)
• Canandaigua, New York: Canandaigua Record Exchange (November 9)
• Horseheads, New York: Squatch Den Records (November 9)
• Poughkeepsie, New York: Darkside Records (November 9)
• Rochester, New York: Record Archive (November 9)
• Schenectady, New York: Love Vinyl Records (November 9)
• Syracuse, New York: The Sound Garden (November 9)
• West Babylon, New York: Looney Tunes (November 9)
• Williamsville, New York: Hi-Fi Hits (November 9)
• Troy, Ohio: Resignation Records (November 9)
• Yellow Springs, Ohio: Toxic Beauty Records (November 9)
• Tulsa, Oklahoma: Josey Records (November 9)
• Portland, Oregon: Exiled Records (November 9)
• Portland, Oregon: Music Millenium (November 9)
• Bethlehem, Pennsylvania: Compact Disc Center (November 9)
• Easton, Pennsylvania: Spin Me Round (November 9)
• Kutztown, Pennsylvania: Young Ones Records (November 9)
• Lancaster, Pennsylvania: Dreaming Human (November 9)
• Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania: Gallery Of Sound (November 9)
• Spartanburg, South Carolina: BJ Music (November 9)
• Rapid City, South Dakota: Black Hills Vinyl (November 9)
• Clarksville, Tennessee: Andvinyl Records (November 9)
• Nashville, Tennessee: The Groove (November 9)
• Arlington, Texas: ZT Records (November 9)
• Austin, Texas: Waterloo Records (November 9)
• Bryan, Texas: Curious Collecting (November 9)
• Dallas, Texas: Josey Records (November 9)
• Frisco, Texas: ZT Records (November 9)
• Houston, Texas: Cactus Music (November 9)
• Huntsville, Texas: Volume Music (November 9)
• Keller, Texas: County Line Records (November 9)
• Spring, Texas: Space City Audio (November 9)
• Spring / The Woodlands, Texas: Volume Music (November 9)
• The Woodlands, Texas: ZT Records (November 9)
• Taylorsville, Utah: Graywhale (November 9)
• Virginia Beach, Virginia: AFK Books & Records (November 9)
• Bellevue, Washington: Silve Platters (November 9)
• Longview, Washington: Square Dog Books, Movies, Music (November 9)
• Lynnwood, Washington: Silver Platters (November 9)
• Richland, Washington: AU Records (November 9)
• Seattle, Washington: Silver Platters (November 9)
• Spokane, Washington: Recorded Memories (November 9)
• Appleton, Wisconsin: Eroding Winds (November 9)
• Greenfield, Wisconsin: Volta Records (November 9)
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Lilliput Records (November 9)
• Oshkosh, Wisconsin: Eroding Winds (November 9)
• South Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Omen Alternative Music + Media (November 9)
• New Martinsville, West Virginia: Kraken Records (November 9)
• Wheeling, West Virginia: Nail City Records (November 9)

Canada

• Calgary, Alberta: Sloth Records (November 9)
• Edmonton, Alberta: Blackbyrd Myoozik (November 9)
• Vancouver, British Columbia: Neptoon Records (November 9)
• Toronto, Ontario: Kops Records - Danfort Ave. (November 9)
• Toronto, Ontario: Kops Records - King St. (November 9)
• Toronto, Ontario: Kops Records - Queen St. (November 9)

Mexico

• Mexico City, Mexico: Panoram Studios (November 14)

Europe

• Eisenstadt, Austria: CD Monroe (November 14)
• Innsbruck, Austria: Musikladen Pöschl (November 14)
• Linz, Austria: Vinyl Corner (November 14)
• Wien, Austria: Lennys Music Store (November 14)
• Ghent, Belgium: Music Mania at Ghent (November 14)
• Paris, France: Communal (The Club Room) (November 4)
• Aachen, Germany: Polycopy (November 14)
• Bad Neuenahr, Germany: Plattenkiste (November 14)
• Berlin, Germany: Dodo Beach (November 14)
• Bochum, Germany: Music Point (November 14)
• Buchholz, Germany: Smile Records (November 14)
• Darmstadt, Germany: CD Bessungen (November 14)
• Dortmund, Germany: EMP (November 14)
• Düsseldorf, Germany: A & O (November 14)
• Essen, Germany: Rock Store (November 14)
• Freiburg, Germany: Der Plattenladen (November 14)
• Hamburg, Germany: Remedy Records (November 14)
• Hannover, Germany: 25 Music (November 14)
• Hannover, Germany: Rockers Records (November 14)
• Karlsruhe, Germany: Musikhaus Schlaile (November 14)
• Leipzig, Germany: EMP (November 14)
• Lingen, Germany: EMP (November 14)
• Tübingen, Germany: Rimpo (November 14)
• Wuppertal, Germany: Popart (November 14)
• Dublin, Ireland: The Grandsocial Venue (November 13)
• Milano, Italy: Headbangers Pub (November 10)
• Amsterdam, Netherlands: Concerto (November 14)
• Apeldoorn, Netherlands: Plato (November 14)
• Delft, Netherlands: Sounds (November 14)
• Eindhoven, Netherlands: Skatepark Area 51 (November 7)
• Leiden, Netherlands: Velvet (November 14)
• Tilburg, Netherlands: Sounds (November 14)
• Warszawa, Poland: Winylowa Store (November 14)
• Lisbon, Portugal: The Music Station (November 13)
• Glasgow, Scotland: Assai (November 9)
• Belgrade, Serbia: Kuku (November 14)
• Ljubljana, Slovenia: Nika SI. (November 14)
• Madrid, Spain: The Music Station (November 12)
• Stockholm, Sweden: Icebar (November 14)
• Zurich, Switzerland: SIHL Records (???; SRF3 & SRF Virus Giveaway only)
• Brighton, United Kingdom: Resident (November 9)
• Kingston-Upon-Thames, United Kingdom: Banquet (November 9)
• Leeds, United Kingdom: Crash Records (November 9)
• Liverpool, United Kingdom: Jacaranda Records (November 9)
• London, United Kingdom: Rough Trade East (November 9)
• London, United Kingdom: Rough Trade West (November 9)
• Newcastle, United Kingdom: Reflex Newcastle (November 9)
• Oxford, United Kingdom: Truck Store (November 9)
• Preston, United Kingdom: Action Records (November 9)
• Sheffield, United Kingdom: Bear Tree Records (November 9)
• Southampton, United Kingdom: Vinilo (November 9)
• Whitstable, United Kingdom: Gatefield Studios (November 9)
• Witney, United Kingdom: Truck Store (November 9)

Asia

• Beijing, China: Lumiere Pavilions (November 13)
• Jakarta, Indonesia: Krapela (November 14)
• Tokyo, Japan: Tachikawa Cinema City2 (B Studio) (November 12)
• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Swee Lee Lot 10 (November 10)
• Manila, Phillipines: 12 Monkeys Music Hall & Pub (November 11)
• Bangkok, Thailand: The Rock Pub (November 10)
• Hanoi, Vietnam: NOXX CITI (November 10)

South America

• São Paulo, Brazil: Galeria do Rock (November 11-14; LPU ONLY)
• Santiago, Chile: ??? (November 14; Warner Music LATAM Giveaway only)
• Bogotá, Colombia: McCarthy's Irish Pub (November 10)
• Miraflores, Peru: La Matriarca Bar (November 14)

Australia & New Zealand

• Sydney, New South Wales: Utopia Records (November 7; Warner Music Australia Giveaway only)
• Auckland, New Zealand: Ding Dong Lounge (November 12)
• Brisbane, Queensland: Rocking Horse Records (November 7; Warner Music Australia Giveaway only)
• Footscray, Victoria: Co-Co Bananas (November 7; Warner Music Australia Giveaway only)

Pop-Up Stores

In addition to the listening parties, a number of cities also featured pop-up store events, some of which lasted over the course of several days.

• Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: Fortress (November 15)
• Brisbane, Queensland, Australia: Fortitude Music Hall (November 17)
• Melbourne, Victoria, Australia: OSHI Gallery (November 16)
• São Paulo, Brazil: Galeria do Rock (November 11-16)
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada: Arcadia Earth @ The Well (November 14)

Reception

External Links

Music Videos

• The Emptiness Machine (Official Video): LPTV

Live Videos

• From Zero (Livestream): LPTV