Linkin Park reunite 7 years after Chester Bennington’s death, with new music

Linkin Park is back with a new lineup, performing their first new songs since the death of lead singer Chester Bennington in 2017.

On Thursday, the band kicked off the livestream with new vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who join returning Linkin Park members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix and Joe Hahn in the new lineup. Shinoda and Armstrong handle vocals.

The new lineup kicked things off with new single “The Emptiness Machine” at the start of the stream. Armstrong’s performance style comfortably continues the band’s tradition; her rich vocals are reminiscent of Bennington without the parody. That’s immediately evident in the second song of the set, “Somewhere I Belong.”

“Today is a very special day for us,” Shinoda said as he led the performance, noting that guitarist Alex Feder would be filling in for Delson that night. “You’re all going to be taking on the role of Chester Bennington this afternoon,” Shinoda told the crowd.

New band Linkin Park 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 bands of the 2000s, thanks in part to Bennington’s vocals. At 41, he committed suicide shortly after the release of the group’s last album, One More Light. Since then, Linkin Park has released numerous re-releases, including Hybrid Theory, a 20th anniversary edition of Meteora, and this year’s career-spanning greatest hits collection Papercuts.

“Before Linkin Park, our first band name was Zero. The album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we are currently on,” Shinoda said in a statement about the upcoming release.

Armstrong is from alternative rock band Dead Sara, while Britten is a songwriter and producer who has worked with Papa Roach, One Ok Rock, All Time Low, and others. He replaces original drummer Rob Bourdon, who has “decided to step down,” a representative for the band told The Associated Press.

“The more I worked with Emily and Colin, the more I fell in love with their world-class talent, their company, and what we created,” Shinoda said. “We feel truly empowered by this new lineup and the vibrant, energetic new music we’ve made together. We continue to explore new touchpoints while weaving together the sonic touchpoints we’re known for.”

The band also announced their From Zero World Tour, which will see five arena shows this month in Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg, London and Seoul, followed by a sixth arena show in Bogota, Colombia in November.

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