MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – JUNE 23: Silhouette of Chester Bennington of Amerucan band Linkin Park during … [+] a show as part of of The Hunting Party Tour at Arena Ciudad de Mexico on June 23, 2015 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez/LatinContent via Getty Images)
Linkin Park’s long awaited announcement has finally been revealed — nearly all former full-time Linkin Park members have reunited and recruited Emily Armstrong (vocalist of Dead Sara), as their new lead vocalist. In addition, the band has announced a new studio album FROM ZERO (releasing November 15th, 2024), as well as a world tour in support of it. “The Emptiness Machine” is the band’s latest single and marks Emily Armstrong’s debut as Linkin Park’s new lead singer.
The band has revealed the news in quite a unique and remarkable fashion, by way of inviting fans to a secret concert where Linkin Park performed live for the very first time with their new lead vocalist. This event marks the band’s first official return since former lead vocalist Chester Bennington’s death in 2017.
Surviving Linkin Park members Mike Shinoda (vocals), Brad Delson (lead guitar), Joe Hahn (turntables), and Dave Farrell (bass) are all participating in the new lineup. However, former drummer Rob Bourdon has not returned and instead Colin Brittain has stepped in as the band’s new drummer,
Rumors began to surface earlier this year that Linkin Park were in fact planning a reunion with a new vocalist. This news was first brought to light by Jay Gordon, vocalist for the late 90s alt-rock outfit Orgy, who stated in an interview that he had heard Linkin Park were “still going for it,” adding “I hear they got a girl singer now. That’s what I heard.”
A Linkin Park reunion couldn’t be more timely in 2024-2025, especially seeing that the band’s most celebrated album is also celebrating its 25th anniversary next year, 2000’s Hybrid Theory. The genre bending album produced many of Linkin Park’s most respected and popularized hits, and today it’s still often a gateway record for new fans of Linkin Park and for people dipping their feet into the heavy music genre. Hybrid Theory has also seen a massive resurgence in recent years with younger generations, specifically through social media platforms TikTok and Instagram.
While all this reunion news is certainly a means to celebrate for fans, it’ll be interesting to see how Linkin Park’s overall fanbase takes this news and these reunion shows, more specifically fans who are less thrilled about a new vocalist joining the band. There’s no doubt that Chester Bennington is one of the most beloved modern rock singers, and it’ll be no easy task to fill his shoes. However, the band’s aim seems to be starting an entirely new chapter from here on out, and that’s something fans need to keep in mind. This reunion will surely be a celebration of Bennington’s legacy and untouchable contributions to the band, while also being the start of something brand new for both Linkin Park and their fans.