Seven years after vocalist Chester Bennington’s death, Linkin Park has returned, introducing a new vocalist, a new record, and an upcoming tour to mixed reviews from fans.
On Thursday, Sept. 5, Linkin Park performed their first concert since the death of Bennington in 2017 by suicide. The band live-streamed the event to make a few announcements.
During that show, band members Mike Shinoda, 47; Joe Hahn, 47; and Dave Farrell, 47, introduced the band’s new singer, 38-year-old Emily Armstrong of the band Dead Sara. They also introduced new drummer Colin Brittain, who replaced Rob Bourdon after he decided not to return with the band from hiatus; and Alex Feder, who was filling in on guitar for Brad Delson, 46, for the show and the upcoming tour.
Linkin Park announced a new single, “The Emptiness Machine,” which they performed during the show and that was released simultaneously online. They announced a new record called “From Zero,” which comes out on Nov. 15, 2024. They also announced a tour that would kick off immediately on Sept. 11 in Los Angeles and will visit London, New York, Bogota, and Seoul.
Armstrong’s performance received mixed reviews, with some fans praising the band for daring to move forward without Bennington, who was such an iconic part of the band’s sound. Others were disappointed by her abilities or could not accept any substitute for the fallen singer. Those unfamiliar with Armstrong also started digging into her background and discovered she was a practicing Scientologist and blasted her for supporting convicted rapist Danny Masterson.
Armstrong addressed the controversy the next day and clarified that she did attend Masterson’s trial to support him and later realized it was a mistake. Armstrong said she once considered Masterson “a friend,” that she tries to always “see the good in people,” and that she “misjudged him.” The singer said “unimaginable details emerged” in the case and that she doesn’t “condone abuse or violence against women” and empathizes with the victims.
Armstrong co-founded Dead Sara in 2005 in Los Angeles and released three records with the band and multiple EPs. Shinoda said the band found “kinship” with her and with Brittain while they were “quietly meeting up again” over recent years to discuss playing music again.
