After a seven-year break, the US band Linkin Park is back – with a new front woman. 38-year-old Emily Armstrong (“Dead Sara”) is following in the footsteps of singer Chester Bennington, who died in 2017. The band presented itself in a new line-up in a concert from Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon (local time) lasting just under an hour, which was broadcast live on Linkin Park’s social media channels. There will also be a new album: “From Zero” will be released on November 15th.
The band recently fueled speculation about a comeback with two countdowns on social media. Armstrong was not the only new face at the performance. Another new member, Colin Brittain, was on drums. Alex Feder played guitar – but probably only as a replacement for regular guitarist Brad Delson, as singer Mike Shinoda said. “And the role of Chester Bennington lies (…) with each of you,” Shinoda said to the audience.
Linkin Park concert in Los Angeles Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/dpa
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New album, new single, new tour
In addition to the new album, fans can also look forward to a worldwide tour of the band. Linkin Park will perform in Hamburg on September 22nd. Concerts in London, Seoul and New York have also been announced. The band also released a foretaste of the new direction with the single “The Emptiness Machine”.
Mike Shinoda said in a statement that the album title “From Zero” refers to both the band’s beginnings and the new phase that lies ahead. “Sonically and emotionally, it’s about the past, present and future – our typical sound, but new and full of life.”
Linkin Park became known in the late 90s for a mixture of metal, rock, rap and electronic sounds and is one of the most successful rock bands in the world. Singer Bennington committed suicide at the age of 41. The band has been on hiatus since then with an uncertain future.
