Linkin Park have announced they will be releasing a new album featuring a new co-vocalist, Emily Armstrong of the band Dead Sara.
Armstrong takes over the lead vocalist role from Chester Bennington, who unexpectedly passed away in 2017. Also joining the band on drums is Colin Brittain, a songwriter/producer who has worked with Papa Roach, 5 Seconds of Summer, All Time Low and A Day To Remember.
Last night (September 5), the Grammy-winning band made the reveal during an exclusive performance in Los Angeles for ticketed fans. The livestreamed event is still available to watch on Linkin Park’s official online channels until later this evening. You can watch it below.
In addition to the revamped lineup, the band also announced a new album, From Zero, will be released on November 15. It will mark their first new release since 2017's One More Light. The band also dropped the first single, "The Emptiness Machine," which is now available to stream.
According to a press release, the band reunited "without expectations." Surviving members "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."
Rumours of a return first surfaced back in the spring, when Orgy singer Jay Gordon accidentally let it slip on the Wired In The Empire podcast "they’re still going for it." He told host Mike Z, "It’s going to be tough without Chester [Bennington], but we’ll see. I hear they got a girl singer now. That’s what I heard.”
From there, the rumour mill was convinced that singer would be Evanescence's Amy Lee, however, during an interview with iHeartRadio Canada's Jesse and JD, she quickly denied any involvement.
Then last month, after posting that he would be making an announcement at the same time Linkin Park were scheduled to do the same, Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley was believed to be the new voice of Linkin Park. He too was quick to deny the claims, saying, Despite popular belief, I am not joining Oasis.... Or Linkin Park. Or any other band for that matter."
In a statement, co-founding membe of Linkin Park Mike Shinoda said, “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.”
“The more we worked with Emily and Colin, the more we enjoyed their world-class talents, their company, and the things we created," Shinoda added, about the new members. "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.”
Linkin Park will road test the new lineup with a six-date arena tour beginning next week, which sees them playing Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg, London, Seoul and Bogota.
Thanks for tuning in. Our new album #FromZero is out November 15. Pre-order now. https://t.co/81TjG5cyAZ pic.twitter.com/i22WgDUnTw
— LINKIN PARK (@linkinpark) September 6, 2024