The band kicked off a livestream on Thursday, September 5
showcasing new singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who will join
returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix and Joe Hahn in Linkin
Park’s new lineup. Shinoda and Armstrong share vocal duties.
The new lineup launched into a new single, “The Emptiness
Machine,” at the top of the stream. Armstrong’s performance style comfortably
continues the band’s legacy: Her full-throated vocals recall Bennington without
attempting parody, immediately evidenced on the second song of the set,
“Somewhere I Belong.” “This is a very special day for us,” Shinoda said as he
led introductions, mentioning that guitarist Alex Feder was filling in Delson
for the night. “In the role of Chester Bennington this afternoon is each of
you,” Shinoda addressed the crowd. The new Linkin Park also announced a new
album, “From Zero.” It releases November 15. The rock-rap band is one of
the most commercially successful acts of the 2000s, aided by Bennington’s
vocals. At 41, he died by suicide shortly after the release of the group’s last
album, “One More Light.” In the years since, Linkin Park has dropped a number
of re-releases, including 20th anniversary editions of “Hybrid Theory,”
“Meteora” and, this year, the career-spanning greatest hits collection,
“Papercuts.”
“The more we worked with Emily and Colin, the more we
enjoyed their world-class talents, their company, and the things we created,”
Shinoda said. “We feel really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant
and energised new music we’ve made together. We’re weaving together the sonic
touchpoints we’ve been known for and still exploring new ones.” The band also
announced the “From Zero World Tour,” featuring five arena shows in Los
Angeles; New York; Hamburg, Germany; London and Seoul this month, and a sixth
in November in Bogotá, Colombia.
