Linkin Park is back with a new line-up and presents its first new music since the death of lead singer Chester Bennington in 2017.
On Thursday, the band launched a livestream introducing new singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who make up the new lineup of Linkin Park alongside existing members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix and Joe Hahn. Shinoda and Armstrong share vocals.
The new lineup kicked off the stream with a new single, “The Emptiness Machine.” Armstrong’s performance style comfortably carries on the band’s legacy: her rich vocals are reminiscent of Bennington without parodying it, which is immediately apparent on the set’s second song, “Somewhere I Belong.”
“This is a very special day for us,” Shinoda said as he led the performance, mentioning that guitarist Alex Feder was filling in for Delson for the evening. “In the role of Chester Bennington this afternoon is each of you,” Shinoda said to the crowd.
The new band Linkin Park has also announced a new album: “From Zero”. It will be released on November 15th.
The rock-rap band is one of the most commercially successful acts of the 2000s thanks to Bennington’s vocals. At 41, he committed suicide shortly after the release of the group’s last album, “One More Light.” In the years since, Linkin Park has released a number of reissues, including 20th anniversary editions of “Hybrid Theory,” “Meteora,” and this year’s career-spanning greatest hits collection “Papercuts.”
“Before Linkin Park, our first band name was Xero. This album title refers to both that humble beginning and the journey we are currently taking,” Shinoda said in a statement about the upcoming release.
Armstrong comes from alt-rock band Dead Sara and Brittain is a songwriter and producer who has worked with Papa Roach, One OK Rock and All Time Low, among others. He replaces original drummer Rob Bourdon, who “has decided to exit,” a band representative told The Associated Press.
“Before Linkin Park, our first band name was Xero. This album title refers to both that humble beginning and the journey we are currently taking,” Shinoda said in a statement about the upcoming release.
Armstrong comes from alt-rock band Dead Sara and Brittain is a songwriter and producer who has worked with Papa Roach, One OK Rock and All Time Low, among others. He replaces original drummer Rob Bourdon, who “has decided to exit,” a band representative told The Associated Press.
The band also announced the “From Zero World Tour,” which includes five arena shows this month in Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg (Germany), London and Seoul, and a sixth in November in Bogotá (Colombia).
