Linkin Park has returned, but not as we know it.
New faces appeared on stage with original band members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson and Joe Hahn. New female vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain joined them to perform their first song 'The Emptiness Machine' as the newly reformed band at an exclusive fan event.
"Thank you so much for being here, this is a very special day for us," Mike Shinoda said to the crowd of fans. After introductions, he told the crowd, "In the role of Chester Bennington this afternoon is YOU."
The band has announced a new 11-track album titled 'From Zero' which will be released on November 15th.
The band had a countdown on their YouTube channel, ticking down 100 hours to 6am NZT on 29th August.
It turns out that when the timer ran out, Linkin Park Underground members received an email invitation to the exclusive live event happening today at 10am.
Fans were speculating that once the timer hit zero, the band would be announcing a reunion with a potential new lead singer, seven years after the tragic passing of former lead Chester Bennington in 2017.
Many thought the band's - and Chester's - legacy should be left untouched.
“Honestly, if Linkin Park announces a new singer, I'm about to be livid,” One fan wrote on X last week.
“Just make a different band, man. Like, realistically, why even try to live up to Chester? He set the bar way too high, and that's not even a knock at other vocalists,” they added.
Another has called the potential of a replacement vocalist “a slap in the face”.
“They should let the legacy be what it is, and reform under a new name if they get another singer,” they wrote.
Meanwhile, others reckon it’s time, and that the band’s probably thought long and hard about it.
“We're never going to get Chester back, and that shouldn't be what this is about," wrote one fan. "But I have a strong feeling Chester would want his bandmates and friends to continue playing, making music.”
Another said: “Over the years, I‘ve learned to trust their decisions to be the right ones for the band and for me as a fan."
Fans will be able to make their final verdict when the album comes out. I, for one, am keen to get my ears around it.
