Linkin Park has revealed that it has reunited for a new tour and music, seven years after the death of longtime frontman Chester Bennington, and has brought in rocker Emily Armstrong as a co-vocalist.
Armstrong — along with rock producer Colin Brittain, the band’s new drummer — debuted with the band on Thursday during a live stream showcasing their new single, “The Emptiness Machine,” alongside returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, and Joe Hahn.
“This is a very special day for us,” Shinoda told the audience, acknowledging their former bandmate, who died by suicide at the age of 41 in July 2017. “In the role of Chester Bennington, this afternoon is each of you.
Linkin Park debuts new vocalist, Emily Armstrong. pic.twitter.com/m1AxM24abi
— Pop Base (@PopBase) September 6, 2024
The California-based rock band invited Armstrong — also the lead singer of Dead Sara — to join the iconic group around September 2023. Armstrong said she consulted with her Dead Sara bandmates, who encouraged her to seize the opportunity before accepting the role.
“I was panicking in the best way: ‘Is it real?’ For three days at least, I don’t ever remember touching the ground,” she told Billboard. “And then everything was different when I came back down — knowing my life was going to be different, in the best way. I came back to a dreamland.”
As Linkin Park prepares to release their new album, From Zero, in November 2024, they are also gearing up for a global tour with stops in major cities like Los Angeles, New York, London, and Seoul.
