Variety is reporting that Chester Bennington‘s son Jaime said on his Instagram story that some Linkin Park fans have become aggressive towards him after he spoke out against Emily Armstrong becoming the band’s new lead vocalist.
Chester Bennington, who served as Linkin Park’s lead singer for over a decade, died in 2017 by suicide. Jamie criticized Armstrong’s hiring due in part to her ties with Scientology and her previous support of Danny Masterson, who was convicted of raping two women and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.
“There are a lot of people who do not like me. There are a lot of people saying some really awful shit right now to me,” Jamie said. “To be honest, I don’t think I feel safe going to the show under general admission because I don’t know who I’m around. I don’t know who would recognize me or take it upon themselves to respond to me in an aggressive manner when I’m just there to see the show. But I do need to see it.”
Read more at Variety.com.
Linkin Park - Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix, Joe Hahn, alongside new members Emily Armstrong [of Dead Sara] as co-vocalist and Colin Brittain [songwriter/producer for G Flip, Illenium, One OK Rock] as drummer - recently shared their first brand new music in seven years.
Along with a new single and video for “The Emptiness Machine”, the band held a global livestream performance, and the launch of six upcoming arena shows in Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg, London, Seoul, and Bogota as part of the From Zero World Tour.
The band then shared a behind-the-scenes look at the livestream, which took place at Warner Bros. Studios Sound Stage in Burbank, CA on September 5.
The livestream was available online for only 24 hours, but Linkin Park has followed up by sharing their live performance of "In The End" from the night. Check it out below along with the previously released video footage of "The Emptiness Machine".
Following their livestream performance, Linkin Park sat down with Zane Lowe for an in-depth conversation about their new song, forthcoming album, and the years-long-journey that led them to this point. Check out the full interview below.
Linkin Park’s first album since 2017, From Zero, will be released on November 15. Pre-order / pre-save here via Warner Records.
Tracklisting:
"From Zero" (Intro)
"The Emptiness Machine"
"Cut The Bridge"
"Heavy Is The Crown"
"Over Each Other"
"Casualty"
"Overflow"
"Two Faced"
"Stained"
"IGYEIH"
"Good Things Go"
"The Emptiness Machine"
Without expectations, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell, and Hahn quietly began meeting up again in recent years. Rather than “trying to restart the band,” their instinct was to simply spend more time together, and reconnect with the creativity and camaraderie that has been at the core of their friendship since college. During this time, they invited various friends and cohorts to join them in the studio; among the guests, they found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain. A natural chemistry drew these musicians back into its gravitational pull as they logged more and more hours in the studio. It was the sound of lifelong musicians rediscovering the uncontainable energy of a new beginning once again. Over this season, From Zero was born.
About the new era, Shinoda stated, “Before Linkin Park, our first band name was Xero. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future—embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what Linkin Park has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead.”
Right out of the gate, “The Emptiness Machine” channels the DNA of Linkin Park, harnessing the band’s explosive energy and retaining the hallmarks of their instantly identifiable and inimitable sound. A chameleonic and catchy anthem, Shinoda’s hypnotic melodies hand off to Armstrong’s blistering chorus, over distorted riffs and head-nodding drums.
Shinoda elaborated, “The more we worked with Emily and Colin, the more we enjoyed their world-class talents, their company, and the things we created. We feel really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energized new music we’ve made together. We’re weaving together the sonic touchpoints we’ve been known for and still exploring new ones.”
Ultimately, with From Zero, the band is looking to harness the purest energy of their past, present, and future. The new era has officially begun.
From Zero World Tour 2024:
September
11 - Kia Forum - Los Angeles, CA
16 - Barclays Center - New York, NY
22 - Barclays Arena - Hamburg, Germany
24 - The O2 - London, UK
28 - Inspire Arena - Seoul, South Korea
November
11 - Coliseo Medplus - Bogota, Colombia
For further details, visit Linkin Park on Facebook.
(Linkin Park photo credit: James Minchin III)
