Linkin Park has reformed and is making music again – seven years after the death of frontman Chester Bennington.
On September 5, the California-based band announced Emily Armstrong as their new singer and announced plans for a new album and tour in the fall. Armstrong, previously with Los Angeles-based rock band Dead Sara, made her debut during a livestream concert the same day.
What was Linkin Park’s big announcement?
After a big announcement with a countdown clock on social media, the rap-rock band dropped the news that they had reunited following the hiatus they took following Bennington’s death.
Armstrong joins as co-lead vocalist and there is a new drummer, Colin Brittain, replacing Rob Bourdon. The group, consisting of longtime members co-lead vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell and DJ Joe Hahn, was formed in 1996.
Linkin Park, one of the most successful bands of the 21st century, will release an 11-track studio album, From zero, on November 15th, the band’s first concert since 2017 Another light. The first single “The Emptiness Machine” was released on Thursday.
The band will embark on a six-city tour with performances in Los Angeles (September 11), Brooklyn, New York (September 16), Hamburg, Germany (September 22), London (September 24), Seoul, South Korea (September 28) and Bogotá, Colombia (November 11).
A longer tour is planned for 2025.
What happened to the band after Bennington’s death?
Two months later Another light was released and just days before the band was scheduled to go on tour, Bennington committed suicide at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, on July 20, 2017. He was 41. The singer struggled with depression and substance abuse, said his wife Talinda, who has since become an advocate for mental health awareness.
Shortly after Bennington’s death, the band went on hiatus, but performed a tribute concert for the frontman later that year. Since then, the group has released several re-releases, including 20th anniversary editions of Hybrid theory in 2020 and Meteora in 2023. Earlier this year it published Paper cuts (Single collection 2000–2023).
What the band members have done outside of Linkin Park, Shinoda has released two solo albums, Posttraumatic in 2018 and Dropped frames in 2020. Delson, Farrell, Hahn and Bourdon (the band’s drummer, who is not returning for this re-formation) have mostly stopped making music.
What do the band members say about the new chapter?
The four remaining founders of the band – which was initially formed as Xero before Bennington joined and the name was changed to Linkin Park – said in a statement that they had begun spending time together again in recent years to “restore the creativity and camaraderie” of their early days.
The title of the new album, From zero, The band’s eighth studio album is a nod to their original band name and symbolizes both their “humble beginnings and the journey we are currently on. Sonically and emotionally, it is about the past, present and future – it contains our signature sound, but is new and full of life. It was created with a deep appreciation for our new and long-time bandmates, our friends, our family and our fans.”
In an interview with Billboard, Farrell said that there is “no endgame” in Linkin Park and Shinoda said, “Everyone is always close, even if they don’t talk to each other all the time.”
They have been meeting and making music on and off over the past few years. They met Armstrong in 2019 when she came to the studio for three days. They stayed in touch and worked together again. Shinoda said the idea was never, “Hey, come in, we’re going to do Linkin Park sessions.” It just evolved.
A year ago, they decided to bring the band back with Armstrong, but kept it a secret. Hahn explained, “Part of working in the dark was simply not knowing how far we would get with our efforts. We didn’t want to disappoint ourselves or anyone else if we didn’t make it.”
They weren’t even sure if Armstrong would say yes because she had her own thing going on. When they asked her and she said yes, she remembered thinking, “Is it real? For at least three days, I don’t remember ever touching the ground. And then everything was different when I came back down – I knew my life was going to be different, in the best way.”
Shinoda said that now that they’re going on tour, they’ll see how the new grouping is received. For him, “it’s better than I imagined. Emily has always been able to hit the notes and scream out the parts. The question now is, ‘How will people respond to it?’ And I don’t know what it will be like. But I know that when I hear it, I love it.”
Of taking up the torch, Armstrong said, “This band has so much to offer – it’s a very, very important band for this world. … It’s Chester’s voice and it’s mine, but I want it to still feel the way I feel when I hear the song, because that’s what the fans love. There’s a passion in it that I hope I can live out.”
Shinoda also spoke about the departure of drummer Bourdon. He said he has wanted to “put some distance between himself and the band” for a few years. “Although it is sad, as long-time friends, I want him to do what makes him happy and of course everyone wishes him the best.”
So Linkin Park moves on – but without forgetting the past, especially Bennington’s spirit and legacy.
During the livestream, Shinoda told the crowd, “Each of you is playing the role of Chester Bennington this afternoon.”
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call 911, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-8255, or text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
