I remember the dead sara debut was pretty dope and then never knew what happened with them

Single was a lot better than expected, interested to see where this goes.

Her shouts are very Chester-like

I really like how this blends different eras of the band seamlessly. I could see this being on pretty much anything from Minutes to Midnight onwards. She sounds impressively close to Chester when she gets a little rougher with it. Nothing that special but a nice comeback song imo.

Pretty good. This was the right move I think

I dunno, I'm not feeling it.

I understand it was their first live performance, tonight, but it was borderline dreadful.

I'll wait until the new album comes out, but I'm not connecting with the first single.

How was the live show dreadful? I thought they killed it and Emily sounded fantastic on just about every song. Hearing them play some of them live again brought me to tears.

The new single feels very Minutes to Midnight to me and I'm all for it.

New Linkin Pork is porky

Yawn

Emily sounds great, excellent choice there. The addition of Colin Brittain has me a little more wary because of his poor history with other rock bands as a writer/producer, but so long as they don't give him too much say in songwriting and he remains just a drummer, it might be fine

They made an inspired choice.

I mean all things considering this is about as strong as we could hope.

Fucking goosebumps when she sang Numb and One Step Closer.

I like the new singer's voice but I'm less thrilled that she's a scientologist who's besties with Danny Masterson.

That's quite unfortunate

The stream started rough, but she got better the longer it went on.

She was probably just nervous as all hell. I mean for fucks sake it's her first performance with one of the biggest bands of all time with shoes that were impossible to fill. Give her some credit, I think she did great.

Excited for the album

She's about as good a fit for the band as I could've hoped for. They really made the right choice with her.

Damn I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this one. We all knew it was inevitable eventually. Emily sounds good but I’m not quite sure it gels, and Rob not being involved is a bit perplexing.

Reading the Billboard article, it seems like Rob simply moved on after Chester. Understandable, really.

They may have the adjust the older songs to better suit her voice, but I can see her growing into the role with time.

I was ready to like this after seeing what others said but just to set the record straight, song and video are hilariously bad

Sounds like a Sum 41 b-side

Who let shinoda sing lol

Honestly her parts sound very similar to something Chester would have written on their later stuff, not that that's necessarily a good thing.

Live stuff sounded great for the most part, but I'm not excited at all for new material.

Shinoda has been signing in this band since like, Minutes to Midnight.

I enjoyed this. Keen to see what's next.

Honestly Shinoda’s singing is sounding better than it ever has lol. His live singing pre-ATS era was patchier.

She does a decent job, but really shouldn’t have called it Linkin Park. Even go with Xero but it’s not really LP without Chester.

Band has never been my cup of tea and this song is no different, but good for them for persevering in the face of tragedy.

"Shinoda has been signing in this band since like, Minutes to Midnight."

Very inclusive of them

Song is mid but just skimming some of the older tracks from that performance… she sounds fine. Don’t really see how she was “dreadful” or whatever. Then again I literally only listened to like four songs.

To be honest I really like what I heard from Mike Shinoda without any sarcasm. Fort Minor is really really good. Linkin Park I really only care about their first album (though the second one was fine too). After that it's probably just singles I liked that I heard on the alternative radio station here when I listened to that more.

Yeah this really doesn't sound like LP honestly. Shoulda just put this out as a separate project rather than a new LP album. Not to say it's bad or anything but it feels unnecessary, the true spirit of this band died when Chester did. Just a sad fact.

might as well get this party started - she's a fucking scientologist and a danny masterson supporter.

they couldn't have picked literally anyone else? chester's lyrical themes and adult issues came from being sexually abused...and you bring in a member of a cult who is infamous for covering up sexual abuse?

shinoda taking a massive l with this one

Also the whole “Scientology and Danny masterson” shit is fucking whack so there’s that.

Out of everyone they could’ve picked, she sounds fine, but there’s a million people that would sound just as good, but just aren’t like, yknow, in a fucking cult and defending an actual rapist

I'll play some and give some quick opinions. Gimme ten minutes.

Also I don't even know the band she was in or backstories. So my ignorance apologies for that. :/

lol me and scoot are on the exact same page

it's shameful - chester would be embarrassed

has absolutely nothing to do with gender or her voice, she's just a shit human being

The money is in the name so of course they keep the name lol. I hated One More Light and the new songs better than that album so I'm at least interested in hearing more.

I think LP and the music press can only avoid the scientology elephant in the room for so long - it's already getting significant traction on social media and eventually they're going to have to address it.

"she sounds fine, but there’s a million people that would sound just as good, but just aren’t like, yknow, in a fucking cult and defending an actual rapist"

This is what kills me lmao, if she was like, god tier or something, I could understand why they would overlook her bullshit, but she's just... Fine? You couldn't find someone else just a good or better that isn't in a really nasty cult? REALLY GUYS?

So I played the single and it's fine. Absolutely. She seems to have the vocal chops there so to speak. It's always a risk trying to bring back a band with a new singer even if Linkin Park always had two. Though I remember people joking about them debuting a new female singer on a different site (they probably weren't joking and were just paying attention more).

I can lay down more judgement later when I hear her sing old Linkin Park songs heh but I hadn't gotten there yet. Also is the Linkin Park brand that good anymore? Commercially/critically their last bunch of albums I thought did bad.

Scientology is wack but also specifically Danny Masterson is genuinely an evil yucky gross human to the extent that any association with him is an easy flush for me.

And for all the reasons above there's no reason a band of this stature should be overlooking something like that in a vocalist unless they truly don't care/embrace it. Fuckin embarrassing get fucked buttmetal nerds, WOOF. Bit of a shit on Chester's memory honestly.

Ok. I'll follow up, that scientology shit has been around since Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes (probs before) and social media as it is today wasn't even around back then. Is she just really good friends with Mike Shinoda because he played in her band? Is this thing with here that bad? Also this is Linkin Park and they have a "GURL" in the band now. Social Media is going to be firestorm I figured even if she didn't have the apparent baggage. I am trying to post here in good faith actually hehe

wonder what happened to their original drummer damn

He just wanted to be with his family from what I heard, no drama, he made his money and retired. Good for him if true.

Rob just didn't want to be involved anymore, left on amicable terms.

But if you want to spread disinformation that he left because he didn't wanna perform with a scientologist then go for it.

Damn the milkshake duck struck real quick on this one

Literally never heard of you in my life before Dats but everybody in this thread said the exact opposite of what yr accusing someone of saying. As fucking dumb as you are, you are also unintelligent and stupid too

“You couldn't find someone else just a good or better that isn't in a really nasty cult? REALLY GUYS?”

Fucking exactly. There are probably a million fucking vocalists that would absolutely kill to front maybe the biggest rock band of the 21st century? Like I said, I think she sounds fine but again with a band this huge, there is absolutely no shortage of vocalists that would be just as good if not better.

And yeah I didn’t even think about the whole “Chester sexual abuse shit”

…yeah. It’s fucking shameful to his memory to replace him with someone that has no problem with supporting, and I can say this enough, someone who is LITERALLY A RAPIST.

ugh I don’t even wanna listen to this shit now

didn't realize that she was a fucking masterson apologist, jesus christ

this is going to blow up in their faces

Good lol

im someone who never really liked this band, but its a really boring song even if I didn't know of LP.

if i was a producer on this, I'd be demanding Mike rap the verses instead of sing, and have the drumming be more bouncy and shuffly/breakbeat-y there. I figured they'd at least have a superficial idea of what people want if they were going to reboot LP

She doesn't sound bad at all, to be fair. She is probably the best choice they could have ever gone for, but I think Shinoda's songwriting hasn't really been that interesting ever since Meteora (though I like Hunting Party quite a bit). The new song sounds already old and tired for whatever reason.

“You couldn't find someone else just a good or better that isn't in a really nasty cult?

I'm no scientology proponent, but aren't all religions nasty cults?

"Shinoda has been signing in this band since like, Minutes to Midnight."

*Meteora*

There's a thin line between religion and cult but Scientology is definitely on the cult side of that line.

And Slex can't take a joke.

The easy choice would've been to replace Chester with the singer from the Hybrid Theory Linkin Park tribute band. That dude does an incredible job. While that guy would've fit perfectly, kudos to LP for being willing to go in a new direction with this vocalist. I've watched about half of the livestream now and she's pretty much killing it. The cracks in her voice when she screams will need to get ironed out, but other than that she's doing great. That chorus in the new song is excellent.

"He just wanted to be with his family from what I heard, no drama, he made his money and retired. Good for him if true."

absolutely. Great to hear

As for this new singer/song. Pretty meh not gonna lie

Oh wow. Anyway... scientologist singer? Ewwww.

I think she sounds pre dern good actually. don't really care about her cult affiliations.

I listened to parts of the livestream. I should have posted it here but I said oh "In the End" anyone can do that song maybe they should try Feint. And that was the next one. I don't know about all the bad social press online, and was the first one to bring it to another old website. Figured ppl there would have been all over it from the hop. But she did Feint really well and still felt feminine. Just I heard abut deathcore or w/e and sometimes the vocals I hear don't even sound human. It's basically why I don't like sustained growling.

Just she seems pretty good for the role. I don't know about all the outside circumstances but I wasn't planning on posting about new Linkin Park either. Life is Strange. Long Gone Days.

Yeehaw. My nostalgia goggles won't let anyone replace Chester.

Hooooly fuck. Had no idea she’s a Danny Masterson supporter.

I didn't like MtM when it first dropped so

lmao awful

Scientologist singer big yikes

I'm fuckin' with this ngl
As far as all that goes, i'm just hoping it's not what it looks like

Yeah new single actually rules and this is probably the best case scenario for the band moving forward. Just seeing them back in action after so long is enough to make a grown man cry. Hopefully the new album is better than what they've been putting out post MtM.

Great song. Singer's good at matching the coarse screaming cadence the band relies on. Drum mix sounds a bit off - both too punchy and too frail, if that makes sense. Not too bad of a problem.

Happy to have more LP material for the first time in a decade. Natural enough evolution from LT and THP.

Happily not reading every other post here after skimming
through a few drama vulture droppings toward the top.

Best pop rock band to ever exist, hope the whole album's up to par.

Actually pretty good

This actually got me pretty emotional, I'm happy for them. She sounds good.

I love the new song! Also love the new singer.

Should’ve just gone for Jonny Craig

should've got sponce so that the shitstain that is periphery would finally disband for good because there'd be no one to carry fraud mansoor in the band

lol nah should have been chino

Masato from Coldrain would’ve been a good fit

leave coldrain alone, they have some bangers

lol if anything, I don’t think he’d wanna leave for LP

“This actually got me pretty emotional, I'm happy for them. She sounds good.”

Nice try, but we all saw you on stage playing bass on the stream

Can't wait for her to authentically perform old LP songs of pain and agony as the emotional processing phase of their fanbase is gonna get hijacked by cancel culture fanatics in about two weeks. What a great way to commemorate your dead friend, Shinoda must be thinking.

The fact that this is happening is disgusting, fuck Mike Shinoda

It's absolutely ok for them to go on, fuck the gatekeepers

That being said, this song is almost offensively bad even for late LP standards, good to see people getting hyped and enjoying this tho, I expected a much worse reaction

Welcome back LP. Emily sounds good, no one will ever replace Chester but she did a great job at the live concert imo

New song is killer and the new vocalist sounds really good. Pleasantly surprised.

New song is killer and the new vocalist sounds really good. Pleasantly surprised.

That live recording they shared sounded way worse than I expected

You could tell she was a bit nervous and why wouldn't you be, anticipating the loads of criticism for every little thing she does and the comparisons and such. But she honestly did a really great job and will only become more confident with time. New song is solid, reminds me of Hunting Party era.

I thought the track was decent. Would never of guessed Emily would join but she’s a solid choice

cringed so hard I almost fractured my spine hearing her perform the old classics

she’ll be fine

She sounds pretty damn rough on the stream, surprised that people are responding positively to that tbh. When she sings with pure cleans it's solid, but as soon as she brings the grit in things get shit pretty fast.

not sure if anyone needs this at this point but song is decent

It'll be fine I'm sure, not great but fine, but damn if this doesn't make me nostalgic. Linkin Park were my first favorite band when I was 10 years old in 2000. This was unexpected!

New song is pretty solid, she's got a good voice. Her screams are kinda meh but oh well

new song is okay. drums sound like ass. she a good vocalist tho sounds a lot like chester

optics-wise this seems like its gonna age terribly. what a weird move

I don't think she sounds a lot like chester, she barely sounds like him at all imo lol

and yea, they certainly could've done better and not gotten a scientologist lol

Maybe Im deaf but this song is shit.

---------------------------

"Criiiiinging in my skiiiiin"

her thetan level must have been too high

The song's fine and her voice does work within the unit, but while I'm well-aware of what the band meant to a lot of people, I'm one of those that loved Hybrid Theory and kind of thought everything after was just okay. So, I'll be checking out the new album for sure...but I'm also feeling that I'll find it to be 'okay' as well.

Not a lot has gripped me this year, so looking forward to the album in a couple of months

They need a better drummer desperately.

This is one of the worst songs of the year

Songs weak, her baggage is a bit alarming. Thanks for the heads up Cedric. Think LP should've just ended once Chester passed, and they should've just continued on as a different project, sans Chester.

I was excited for this after the performance yesterday but the Scientology thing is really fucking with me too much.

She's out there singing Chester's words about mental illness and what he suffered through while being part of a church (cult) that doesn't believe in mental illness and then was possibly a supporter of Danny Masterson through his rape trial with Chester also being a victim of SA as a kid.

Feels like a complete disgrace to his legacy if all the rumors are true and there's not a reasonable explanation for it.

Smart move

Don't care enough about Linkin Park to be excited, she can sing fine I guess, scientology is mega cringe. LP fans are being kind of embarrassing about this though, not as far as calling out the scientology, just the "you're shitting on chester by continuing" stuff.

They can continue if they want, they've had one good album and like a couple okay albums and a lot of shit albums and I could care less about their music in 2024 if Chester was alive or not, but LightAndGlass pretty much nailed why this is a really really weird and gross choice and they should be embarrassed.

WHAT

Damn, that's unexpected. That's some heavy news.

"They need a better drummer desperately."

True, but their drums have always been pretty basic

True, I like them on The Hunting Party though.

"It's absolutely ok for them to go on, fuck the gatekeepers"

"She was probably just nervous as all hell. I mean for fucks sake it's her first performance with one of the biggest bands of all time with shoes that were impossible to fill. Give her some credit, I think she did great."

These commenters nailed it.

I don't know dudes. I just listened to 5 seconds of her performance of crawling and had to turn it off before my eardrums collapsed. Maybe she's better on others but I can't risk it

Crawling wasn't one of her better attempts. Check out Waiting for the End or What I've Done.

She's a Church of Scientology nutjob and is bestfriends with convicted rapist Danny Masterson

Band essentially wants you to listen to your 15yo self's fav band and stay up 'till morning while opening all your yu-gi-oh booster packs so they can earn mercy through nostalgia.

It's like watching bambi knowing the guy who voice-acted thumper has been gone hunting, killing hundreds of animals into extinction. What's the point besides egocentricism?

Oopsie I read the Scientology bits a few minutes ago. No longer excited. She can die in a ditch for all I care. Her cult is disgusting, and while she remains in it, she's complicit with brainwashing, manipulation, theft, homophobia, kidnapping, harassment campaigns etc etc.

Fuck the rest of LP for inviting a Scientologist into their group. Chester is currently spinning in his grave so quickly that we'll hear a sonic boom. Rob had the right idea to leave the band.
Embarrassing for everyone involved.

Should have gone with someone who also appeared in a Saw film

Lol grand opening grand closing

lmao

Song is mid idk

"Lol grand opening grand closing"

lol perfect

Surprised at how much this chick's voice just completely fits with the band. Expected to dislike this, but I don't.

Cedric Bixler-Zavala's wife (and survivor of Masterson) has made her thoughts pretty clear: https://x.com/WestinPlaying/status/1832135042883318062

It's catchy alright. Just doesn't really sound like LP. They should have just made this a new project and let the LP name rest with Chester.

Chester's wife Talinda appears to be okay with this. Commented some heart emojis on their Instagram post

sounds a lot like "guilty all the same" ugg

i like her voice tho. i personally thought deryck from sum 41 did well when lp and him played live so i was hoping for him

A scientology nutjob singing songs about depression and mental health is like a Trumper jamming out to RATM

I thought Australia was full of scientologists, Joshie

yeah, unfortunately pika, shit's weird, it gets more America-lite over here by the day, saw a dude the other day with a MAGA hat on, brother we live in a different country y'know

damn, that sucks

we should all flee to an uninhabited island and start our own community there

'we should all flee to an uninhabited island and start our own community there'

the British be like

somewhere we belong... ha!

I live in a trump-US state and ive actually never seen a maga hat tbh... but i have seen many a trump bumper sticker tho, big pickup trucks with trump flags as well.

Hoooo mannn this sounds very uninspired. Congrats on trying to keep the gig alive but holy shit is this boring

Well that aged like milk on a hot day.

It wouldve been better had the band laid out its legacy and just moved on from the LP name, this whole ordeal feels so inauthentic and upsetting.
New vocalist is so mediocre and can't even hit all the notes right. Why does every girl vocalist in hard rock have to have that stupid gruff rasp that sounds so played out.

Theyre gonna make so much money

smart

I can't tell if this song is good, or if LP has just sucked for so long that this sounds good by comparison. 7/10 song, will definitely be checking the full album. New girl's vocals sound decent. As for the drama, I don't know her, it's not my business. Scientology is really dumb though

what a mess

Brad announced he won't be playing guitar at their live shows since he likes working in the studio more.

So if you want to see Linkin Park live, you're only seeing 3 out of the original 6 members. This comeback keeps getting better.

"Cedric Bixler-Zavala's wife (and survivor of Masterson) has made her thoughts pretty clear: https://x.com/WestinPlaying/status/1832135042883318062"

God damn. Did not mince words there huh?

she's right tho

“she’s right tho”

Yeah fuck all this. I wasn’t really stoked on new music in the first place, but thought she did good enough on the old tracks that I’d consider seeing them on tour, but if she’s literally a fucking Scientologist… nope no thx plenty of other bands to listen to that aren’t into that insane bullshit

The new singer probably just set the world record for joining a band and getting cancelled

That’s not even to mention Chester… like my man literally fucking killed himself and was SA as a child.

From what I’ve seen Scientologists don’t believe in mental illness and loads of them regularly SA people, I mean shit it might as well be built into the fucking program.

Like, I sound like a fucking broken record, quite literally the biggest rock band of the 21st century. Hundreds of thousands of vocalists to choose from… why her??

This just seems hugely disrespectful to Chester’s memory or was just an insane oversight.

Given how big the band is and how calculated this comeback is, there's no way it's just an oversight. My naive hope is that she makes a statement that rationalizes everything by saying she's no longer a part of the "church" and denounces it along with explaining that she wanted to support Danny because she only knew him as a friend but that that changed once the evidence against him was presented in court.

I absolutely don't see that happening but I'm having a really hard time accepting that LP would just not give a fuck.

https://lambgoat.com/news/43949/linkin-park-vocalist-emily-armstrong-responds-to-backlash-over-danny-masterson-defense/

Feels like a pretty nothing statement. Completely swerves the legitimate concerns about her role in the Church of Scientology.

Honestly shocked that Scientology is even a thing still after South Park exposed how ridiculously stupid it is.

Linkin Park should have brought in Amy Lee from Evanescence, not this whackjob.

Honestly I was never a huge fan of this band but think she did a pretty good job on the vocals, especially the harsh vox.

Buddha, you made my day with that.

Vocalist did a nice job I think, it's not like Chester was flawless live lmfao. It's nice to have them change it up like this but it's weird having some of the songs transposed. Guess it is what it is, and also makes this 'second chapter' feel different than them just trying to replicate their past. Of course the new song is a bit boring but what the fuck, LP has always been boring songwriting-wise.

Love the chorus on the new single though, sounds like a better version of The Hunting Party ha

Just read Brad has backed out and will only be a studio member. Looking to be a sad, cobbled together reunion that just shouldn’t have happened. I actually had respect for LP for keeping it done, but clearly Mike couldn’t help himself. He needed that paycheck.

As for Armstrong; she’s clearly talented, and would be fine if it was just new material she was on, but I don’t think she gels well with the older material. Heard a live version of numb yesterday and it completely lacked soul and genuine emotion. But even with that out of the equation, from a compositional standpoint this new song is hot garbage. If this was a a project called something else, fair dos, but Mike shouldn’t have brought this back, especially when two of the remaining members aren’t even going to be fully in on it.

Song was fine but fuck this cunt. She deserves to get fired and if they stick with her I’m off board for the reunion. Disrespectful as fuck to Chester.

Wait, is Brad really not part of the live shows anymore? He was in the Zane Lowe interview after all

Just what I read. Could be crap, I never cared to follow it up tbh, I’m really not into this comeback. Glad people are happy they’re back but for me, it’s not necessary or well executed

Tbh i'm more or less the same on it, but his departure would be a big thing

Controversy aside not a fan of any of this. Song sounds like the most safe thing they could have done apart from just going back to being nu metal again to regain some popularity. Chester was just too iconic and now hearing Brad won't be touring and Rob is completely left the band feels like a.husk of itself.

There's an interesting ship of Theseus debate to be had - what is the identity of Linlin Park when most of what people know it to be has now gone. This just feels like Mike Shinoda and Friends covering some LP stuff. Hard agree that Mike should have just made a new band, bring back the LP guys for playing LP stuff with guest vocalists.

"but clearly Mike couldn’t help himself. He needed that paycheck."

That's a weird take, why do people always assume reunions are about money? most creative types I know are the type of people who become easily depressed when they're not actively creating art or engaged in that "bubble" of creativity. I would assume Mike has been unhappy not being able to do the thing he loves the most, and has invested in the most. You could counter that with saying he should just retire LP altogether and start a new project or continue on with the Forth Minor stuff, but it is their decision at the end of the day. Obviously, we don't know these people irl and whatever stuff is in the background behind the decision. I wont be seeing them live so Brad dropping out isn't that big of a deal, but I'm sad to see Rob Bourdon of the game completely. Underrated drummer for sure.

A lot of the same commentary I'm seeing with LP now echoes that of Alice in Chains reforming with William... I'm having flashbacks haha

I urge you all to watch the interview they did with Zane Lowe, answers some of the questions. Thinking bringing back LP is for the paycheck is an unhinged take for sure lmfao

I'm pleasantly surprised at how this turned out to be. I'm actually eager to hear this new album!

Just heard the guitarist won't be touring though...

Emily released a statement last night disavowing Danny Masterson and saying that she misjudged him and has never spoken with him since the trial. Nothing about Scientology, but the new song doesn’t seem to be a very pro-church pro-Scientology tune?

In any case, half of the controversy has been addressed

New singer is a Scientologist?! Hahahahahahahahaha what year is it

From what I understand, she was born into it. Considering she’s openly LGBTQ supportive, I don’t think she’s still in the cult? But openly speaking out against Scientology invites a ton of harassment and stalking and just generally dangerous shit, so…

Then again, I could be so excited for LP’s return that I’m grasping at straws to not be immediately disappointed about this news and have the whole thing ruined for me

"That's a weird take, why do people always assume reunions are about money? most creative types I know are the type of people who become easily depressed when they're not actively creating art or engaged in that "bubble" of creativity. I would assume Mike has been unhappy not being able to do the thing he loves the most, and has invested in the most. You could counter that with saying he should just retire LP altogether and start a new project or continue on with the Forth Minor stuff, but it is their decision at the end of the day. Obviously, we don't know these people irl and whatever stuff is in the background behind the decision. I wont be seeing them live so Brad dropping out isn't that big of a deal, but I'm sad to see Rob Bourdon of the game completely. Underrated drummer for sure.

A lot of the same commentary I'm seeing with LP now echoes that of Alice in Chains reforming with William... I'm having flashbacks haha"

it's not a weird take at all, and you've even touched on the whys for it. it's not like when LP imploded mike stopped writing music, he's been very active ever since. but the fact is, LP produces serious bank. if it was about celebrating the band's legacy, they could have just done some one-off gigs with guest vocalists -- which they've done in the past. people can skirt around it all they like, but chester was the soul of the band, with him gone the band is parading around in a skin suit, playing shitty covers. and with even more original members dropping out of it, the whole thing feels like a farce.

being frank, even when chester was alive, their creative output was volatile, but mostly sat at being average or trash. again, not to disparage armstrong, because she's a good singer, but she doesn't do the old material justice, and judging from this new song they've dropped, the poor lass wasn't given much to work with. all this reunion stands to do is diminish their legacy, and like i say, if people are buzzing for it, good for them, but it's not for me.

and being consistent with the theme, i abhorred it when alice in chains did it too.

It's completely reasonable to be a bit weary about her ties to Scientology, but at the same time it's seems that her views on SA, homosexuality, and mental health do not align with Scientology beliefs. We gotta understand that Emily is a victim of the cult as well as with most people who don't have the most power in these types of organizations, so it would be wrong to expect the abused to come out against the abuser especially when this very cult has a Mafia-like mentality when it comes to criticism or attacks against their own. Whether she's in it still or not was not the important issue to address, it was denouncing Danny Masterson and what he did and she did that, everyone should just move on.

Yeah, at this point, I’m going back to just being hyped for the new album and jamming The Emptiness Machine. I’m happy she spoke out against Danny and cleared those allegations.

Scientology (whatever) and Danny Masterson (eww) issues aside, this was a bad choice by Linkin Park. Armstrong is a great vocalist and fantastic frontwoman and Weatherman was one of my picks for song of the decade, but her vocal register is completely wrong for this.

The band has pitched up some of the songs by at least a whole step to help her sing them (One Step Closer, In The End, and Bleed it Out were the most obvious examples) which changes them pretty significantly. Apart from them just not sounding right, the Chester parts are now so high that people in the audience were audibly STRUGGLING to sing along, except for one tone deaf woman. Can you imagine the band playing In The End live and the crowd not being able to sing the chorus? That's kind of a crazy artistic decision for them to have made.

Ah yes, because arena crowds were notoriously in key and on pitch before this.

"the Chester parts are now so high that people in the audience were audibly STRUGGLING to sing along"

I think it's more to do with there just being an adjustment period to the new vocalist... also this is such a reach of a criticism to begin with lmao

don't care about the scientology association honestly, song slaps.

"people can skirt around it all they like, but chester was the soul of the band, with him gone the band is parading around in a skin suit, playing shitty covers. and with even more original members dropping out of it, the whole thing feels like a farce."

Chester may have been the most prominent member but every one of them has put 20+ years of work into this and to say they have to retire all that because of one member is pretty shitty tbh

It might sound shitty, but it’s the reality of it. It’s not like they lost phoenix — they literally lost the draw of the band for most people.

It’s not a radical POV. Queen sucked without Freddie. Nirvana would have sucked without Kurt. If Grohl died, would people be happy having someone replacing him for Foos? These people are integral to the sound of the band and if they aren't a part of the band, it’s no longer the band.

I hold this opinion for all legacy bands. If Mike decided to make this a new band, cool. But to me, carrying on without the thing that made it special, it comes across as a cynical payday.

Shinoda is as big a part of LP as Chester was, so I don't think the comparison is 1-1

It's meh.

“ Shinoda is as big a part of LP as Chester was, so I don't think the comparison is 1-1”

Correct, Shinoda is as integral as Chester was, and if shinoda had died, I’d be here mostly standing by this very argument. But even then, he still wasn’t the main front man for the band, so you could argue the impact isn’t quite as severe as Chester not being in the band. But both parties are needed to make LP what it is. If Chester is the soul, Mike is certainly the heart of it.

No thanks.

Her response is dogshit lmao. The combination of the scientology and the masterson association is the entire thing. Mentioning one without the other is fucking meaningless. They're an organization that as a rule protects abusers like him from seeing justice and tries to silence victims so I'm entirely uninterested in her fucking bullshit in that last paragraph too. Denounce the church or shut the fuck up. She says she was there as his friend but also was 'asked to' attend in support? By the church presumably? So are you the friend of a shitty rapist or just a shill for a shitty culty church? Which is worse? Accusations and details were available about this guy years and fucking YEARS before the trial. There was backlash about his being on the Ranch in fucking 2016, stories of him being a scumbag date back to that 70s show. Bad judgement call? This girl can get fucked.

"But to me, carrying on without the thing that made it special, it comes across as a cynical payday."

So fuck them for profiting off the band that they all helped build into what it was? It's a good thing being a musician isn't some kind of job.

never listened to this band but the new song sucks

The only way she has any benefit of the doubt is because she was born into scientology and could be afraid to speak out, but if she's that tied to this fucking cult she has no business fronting a band like this, it's actually fucking insane that more people don't see the issue here. Not mentioning the church at all in her response is fucking creepy. This is an organization directly responsible for silencing victims of abuse to protect abusers in their organization and under the spotlight like this she can't denounce them?

G R O S S.

@zemekis you really shouldn't try to speak for LP fans broadly. The biggest fan I know irl is thrilled at this and judging by the general reaction, he obviously isn't the only one

these are qualities inherent to every religion

I liked the song quite a bit, i think she's a great fit, stoked to hear the rest even tho i never cared about the band but this sounds good

"these are qualities inherent to every religion" I mean I largely agree but that's not really relevant or useful to this situation and it's pretty wild how people are not seeing the issue outside of crying that Chester can't be replaced (He was the best part of that chitty band though)

I think them transposing the songs is actually nice, it makes them feel different, and the new drummer also adds some new flair. Honestly baffled by people here missing Rob, with all due respect, he really is just a bottom tier drummer. I think that Mike & Co. like that the transposed songs are a bit different too, I think they would not like to have the songs be as similar as with Chester as possible.

“So fuck them for treating the band that they all helped build into what it was and profiting off it? It's a good thing being a musician isnt some kind of job.”

At least we’re admitting it’s motivated by money now.

why can it not just be both lmfao, stop acting so ill.

How am I acting ill exactly?

Agree with Beardog. Rob was a decent drummer at best and I think people don't miss him for any other reason other than nostalgia.

Trying so hard to make it seem motivated by money. Not sure why the guys should not continue their band after they lost a very important member. Seems like they just wanna get together again, write new stuff, with the main core of the band. Mike wrote most of LPs songs, vocals and lyrics included, anyway.

not impressed by this at all

Im not trying hard to do anything. And you completely missed the entire point, but carry on.

sure, whatever. I think the paycheck take is just weird

i think i'm a bit over linkin park but i see the appeal of this song

seems a bit thin production wise but that's my only criticism

@Zemekis, Scientology has a very good history of making people's lives hell if they explicitly speak out against the church, to say nothing of the lives of their loved ones. Emily's response is as vague as it is because saying anything super explicit would put a huge fucking target on her back

The dudes finished the game, now they are just completing the remaining sidequests

Hiring a member of the official church of rape apology/anti mental health to replace the dead SA victim who struggled with mental health is my favorite side quest yeah.
"Emily's response is as vague as it is because saying anything super explicit would put a huge fucking target on her back"
lmao even if we're giving her dogshit response the MAXIMUM benefit of the doubt like this, no one in this compromised of a position in a literal fucking cult should have the platform of fronting a band this size and the fact that it's unclear to so many people is wild.

Hot fucking garbage this is DREADFUL holy shit. New singer sounds good, shame she’s a piece of shit just like this song. Holy Christ, this band should have stopped after Chester died

I'm not entirely happy about it either, but I really don't think that LP would've done this without significant consideration and deliberation. They're Linkin fucking Park, no way they didn't do any research or background checks. Plus, Emily doesn't openly promote it, she's LGBTQ and an advocate for mental health, which goes heavily against the cult's mentality, and she gave as good an apology as her PR team could craft without endangering herself.

Like I said, I admit I could be huffing copium over this, but I really have a hard time thinking that LP would've done this without digging into her past and making a careful choice

Imagine being not straight and being a Scientologist

If you don't think this LP reunion is mostly money motivated you probably think the Oasis reunion is purely because of their love of the music lol

But as for the music, the turntable is back in fashion in nu-metalcore and shit, and this band is arguably one of the leaders when it comes to mixing rock and turntablism so why the hell aren't they using it more and making bloc happy?

"I'm not entirely happy about it either, but I really don't think that LP would've done this without significant consideration and deliberation. They're Linkin fucking Park"

clownmakeup.meme

another dei hire failing miserably, shocker! Kamala's America...

@bloc yes agree, this was their opportunity to bring back the nu metal, but they didnt, baffling and the disappointing

Ngl, I'm really mixed on Emily's statement regarding the controversy. On one hand, it does seem like she's dodging the main allegations, and Cedric's comments on her are quite damning. On the other hand, considering how ruthless the church of Scientology is toward its former members (provided Emily isn't still active in the church, granted), I can kinda see why she wouldn't address all that stuff in full. Don't want another Boeing whistleblower type of situation. I'm glad she at least distanced herself from Danny Masterson though... not that she should have supported him to begin with, but continuing to do so would have been a horrendous look on the band as a whole -- especially given Chester's history with trauma and mental health. I guess the real question here is this: did the band already know about all of Emily's past baggage before bringing her into the fold?

With all of that said, the new song is really bland and watered-down. It just sounds like a poor man's Hunting Party, which is not exactly what I'd be looking for from a new LP single. Honestly, given the resurgence of nu-metal in recent years, maybe they should have done something more in the vein of Hybrid Theory/Meteora. Idk, it's tough to say what they should've started off this new era with, given how many styles they've attempted over the years

Edit: just realized that my second paragraph is basically a variation on what Bloc said, lol

"At least we’re admitting it’s motivated by money now."

They call it the music business not the music part time unpaid internship.

I mean we havent heard them do nu metal in TWENTY FUCKING YEARS. Sure, theres a possibility it could have sucked and that's why they decided against it. Either way, I would have preferred the nu metal. However, I do find this song about as good as anything on Minutes To Midnight. It definitely has the LP distinct style.

I really think you'd have a better case for getting back together in a situation like this if they weren't one of the biggest musical groups ever. It's not like the band members didn't already have side projects they could've continued or just start something new? This doesn't feel like an authentic way of continuing the LP name and it just kinda lame especially after such a long hiatus.

Throwing in a few wiki wiki waa's here and there isn't too much to ask for from LP is it?

Controversy aside, the new song is solid. There were some rough spots but I think she was generally pretty damn good at the live show. It's different enough from Chester while still having some solid cleans and screams. MUCH better than pretty much everyone that covered LP at that remembrance show. That was rough. And those were some big names.

Her voice is particularly suited for those Minutes To Midnight/A Thousand Suns era tracks which is probably why the new single leans in that direction as well. Wish I could be fully excited for this whole thing but scientology is fucking gross. At least she distanced herself from the convicted rapist which I honestly wasn't expecting given how the church operates. Whether she's still a member or not.

reminder: Chester's wife, albeit tacitly, endorses this relaunch

chester would not tho lol, not with her specifically at least

The new singer is a Scientologist who defended Danny Masterson and thinks mental health does not exist. Knowing what happened with Chester, the latter especially is a total slap in the face to him. No way the rest of the band were not aware of this.

"No way the rest of the band were not aware of this."

No way the band would accept this, it might be a bit more complicated than this.

This reunion is such a nonstarter lol
I guess the real question is - why the fuck is this even happening?

Because the five other members aren't dead wand wanted to continue? Why shouldn't it happen?

Everyone complaining like they didn’t watch Mission Impossible or Top Gun.

Scientology is obviously stupid. Let’s move on.

https://www.reddit.com/r/themarsvolta/comments/1fblcgm/cedrics_wife_crissie_shots_fired_at_emily/

Literally at a rape trial to intimidate a victim, fuck this person and anyone who defends her so fucking much and truly shame on the band.

"Because the five other members aren't dead wand wanted to continue? Why shouldn't it happen?"

I meant - how did they get to know eachother? Why der didn't anyone think this might be a stupid idea to hire a scientologist? Didn't they know anything about her backstory? It's so weird

Lol this was a terrible idea. The Masterson/Scientologist ties were bad enough, but she's terrible live too. Now the guitarist is ducking out of their live shows, so this is more like Scientologist Chick + Least important guys in LP + touring dudes

XDD Mike Shinoda least important guy in LP agreed

Who is this Shitnoda guy anyway

Sometimes he talks in quick, sometimes he talks in a some sort of changing frequency. Idk

i heard he once got thrown out of a subway for ordering just a cheese sandwich

fucking sycophant

"I meant - how did they get to know eachother?"

A. They're musicians who play roughly the same genre of music and networked at an event or through common friends or their record label; or,

B. Someone in the LP camp was already a scientologist; or,

C. Some combination of the above.

As far as I'm concerned, they are all under the Warner belt so a link-up has most likely happened due to some domestic manager's benefit. What actually got me mad the most besides the obvious was the overall introduction that came with the announcement. Making it look like they just casually met in their side projects and formations and jammed together and then sticked with these two. Wanting to give something back to the longterm fans from the start, wtf. If they sat down and self reflected for a minute on what made the band so big and how their fanbase emotionally resonated with them through their music, they wouldn't have restarted.

Oh yall so on the biz. Let it go daugs

Cedrix Bixler-Zavala just went in hard on Emily in his new Instagram post. There's a long-ass caption to go along with his wife's message but they directly state that Emily was one of the people trying to intimidate Jane Doe 1.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_o3ZNtPXvK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

I realize that this is a (s)he said, she said situation but this whole thing feels gross to me. I want to huff copium because I love Linkin Park but none this is sitting right with me.

"B. Someone in the LP camp was already a scientologist.."

Mike def is.

"Everyone complaining like they didn’t watch Mission Impossible or Top Gun."

believe it or not, i haven't lol

"I realize that this is a (s)he said, she said situation but this whole thing feels gross to me. I want to huff copium because I love Linkin Park but none this is sitting right with me."

I mean Cedric hass been saying this for years, the last mars volta album is about specifically this and mastertons in jail. I'm inclined to believe the guy and his wife. Not the person with the carefully worded half-apology.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDkZgTXuYkU&pp=ygUXbGlua2luIHBhcmsgdm9jYWwgY292ZXI%3D

i want this dude to be the new singer

Wait, what makes you think Mike is in Scientology? @starboystargirl

Idk this ladies backstory aside from the comments here but I think LPs show with her sounded really preally solid. Bummer she appears to have baggage

to me this sounds generic and faceless af but i was never a lp fan to begin with so idk

The new album From Xenu is gonna get review bombed hard regardless of how good it is.

"I mean Cedric hass been saying this for years, the last mars volta album is about specifically this and mastertons in jail. I'm inclined to believe the guy and his wife. Not the person with the carefully worded half-apology."

No argument there from me in terms of the abuse happening. It's more so how involved with the intimidation and support of Danny Emily was. I do lean towards believing Cedric and his wife though because they don't have anything to gain by having singled her out years ago.

She was at the trial or sentencing or whatever to show support

^ not only that, but she was also apparently one of the people intimidating the victims into changing their testimonies. Gross stuff

All Cedric and Chrissie have to gain from speaking out, is more harrassment not only from Scientologists but also the stupider side of the Linkin Park fanbase.

Cedric's also explicitly told them to stop playing ATDI songs before shows.

To add to my previous comment: The more that comes out about Emily, the more I uncomfortable I am with supporting LP and their decision. I think I might have to recant what I said earlier in this thread

Man I just don't care about any of it lol

same mims

^ well, it doesn't exactly help that I don't like the new song either, and I'm not the biggest fan of her vox. So I'm not really excited for this on any level 😂😂😂

The band had seven years to find a damn replacement for Chester and came up severely short.
Shoulda jus got Jeff Gutt and called it a day. That woman singing for them is terrible.
I wonder if anyone in the audience bailed during the live event?

again, what a mess

People will go to their shows for the old stuff, she can’t do those justice so seems pointless

"She's into scientology guys, what a pos"

Who cares, is she a good fit and a good vocalist?

If I go to a Linkin Park show and get proselytised by Scientologists I'm gonna get into a fight

Just saw on reddit Chester's son has publicly called out Mike shinoda and got screencaps from what looks like a slack conversation. This is easily the most interesting thing related to linkin park since reanimiation came out.

Super important context to add from Twitter though. https://x.com/thetipsterVG/status/1833179413317628219

"worth mentioning that this is his oldest son and chesters widow has a restraining order against him. Mike restricted him ages ago because he kept tagging him in conspiracy theories about how he thinks his dad was murdered and mike was having an affair with chesters wife. He's also made many gofundmes to try get money from his dads fans over time."

The idea of someone singing songs like Breaking the Habit and In the End while not believing in mental illness is as sad as it is funny

No thank you!

Personally, I think it'd be a way more integrity driven move to just do a new band entirely, but of course not cause money. Whatever good this band had to it was on its way out well before Chester's unfortunate passing. A glorified pop band shitting out drivel at this point. Is what it is. I think the people that are still bonded to the group are just holding on to nostalgia from the previous records and putting up with it lol. Like a bad marriage.

News makes me lol

Even as a big LP fan I can't even be bothered to listen to the single, I have no idea what this new vocalist sounds like and i might keep it that way

As a casual fan of LP singles, I enjoyed this new single and it resulted in me diving in and finally listening to Meteora/Hybrid Theory for the first time, so in all your eyes at least it caused some good.

agreed if you're gonna do linkin park without the original linkin park vocalist, guitarist, and drummer you may as well do it under a new name.

Mike said on Discord that he's unsure about re-recording the old songs with Emily doing Chester's parts and the fact that they're even considering says enough about the integrity of the band to me.

bruh are you serious

think that would cause even the most loyal lp stans to turn on them if they did that

wtf

I wish I was lying. Here's a screenshot: https://x.com/LinkinParkShows/status/1832865906382496072

https://variety.com/2024/music/news/chester-bennington-son-slams-linkin-park-emily-armstrong-1236138222/

looks like any good faith LP had to tide this over with is absolute toast

tbf Chester's son is clearly not mentally well

not that that discredits his grievances with Emily joining the band but he also believes that Chester didnt actually commit suicide and was instead murdered

his grievances with emily are p. valid tbh

https://tonyortega.substack.com/p/mike-rinder-i-was-in-scientologys

Mike Rinder, former head of the OSA until he left Scientology in 2007 and became a target of his own Fair Game tactics, reckons Emily's mother is still a high ranking member of the OSA and that he spent time in The Hole with her.

...what the fuck is The Hole

According to that article, basically a prison for high ranking members who get essentially tortured in order to cleanse themselves and ensure their loyalty to the church

😬😬😬

As someone who's done research into Scientology (mostly because the Church of Spiritual Technology was 15 minutes away from where I used to live), The Hole is scary as fuck. It's essentially two trailers smashed together, where all the prisoners are crammed into a small space and have to sleep on cots. They're barely given any opportunities to leave the building, and the space has been known to be infested with bugs. And the prisoners are supposed to force each other to "confess", even if it's for something they haven't done.

Btw, the Church of Spiritual Technology I mentioned is supposedly where David Miscavige's estranged wife has been held for decades. Crazy to think I lived so close to that property for so long. I literally passed by it every day to go to work, and the entire area was gated off with extremely sharp razor wire

They probably watched you drive to work and looked you up at one point to see why you always drive by.

"tbf Chester's son is clearly not mentally well
not that that discredits his grievances with Emily joining the band but he also believes that Chester didnt actually commit suicide and was instead murdered"

Youre fuckin nuts to think that is true.

Though the church claims the Hole is "voluntary". Probably in the sense that if you don't volunteer, you get declared a Suppressive Person and get disconnected and harrassed.

I'm not sure that it's Linkin Park, but it's not bad. Emily reminds me of the vocalist from Spiritbox.

Xenu Built My Hotrod

song is trash. Mike really gotta call it quits.

Where was everyone's concern about Scientology for the last like 15 years? Everyone's acting like Chanology is back in fashion all of a sudden.

Been the same for 15 years really

because it's being revealed more of how much of a fucking psycho cult it is/was with each passing year

i forget stuff

>"This is easily the most interesting thing related to linkin park since reanimiation came out."

x2

This is so paint-by-numbers, hopefully that have some more interesting cuts on the album

how bland does a band have to be for this to be an exciting release for them lol D:

I don’t think it’s that bad. Actually very digestible, like I wouldn’t even be mad if I heard this not by my own choosing.

Pen, you can even see him paint the numbers in the video. It's probably the canvas from the Numb video.

"I don’t think it’s that bad. Actually very digestible, like I wouldn’t even be mad if I heard this not by my own choosing."
True, but that doesn't mean it's not bland tbh.

anything goes wrong with this band after Meteora.

as i grew up, i ain't even follow this band anymore

shit band yeah

Band needs to forfeit the game. They've already been taken out of the frame, and their name's been put to shame.

they need to cover up their face, they can't run the race, the pace is too fast, they just won't last

They're guilty all the same

I think she sounds pretty sick

Stoked to see where this gonna go

If *anything* were further needed to put this cluster fuck "reunion" on ice, it would be this:

https://metalinjection.net/news/chester-benningtons-son-is-pissed-about-the-linkin-park-reunion

Add that to the heap.

I mean they tried so hard, and got so far, but in the end it doesn't even matter

They really gotta find their way...across this new divide.

Fuck I'm not good at this.

They are living behind their own illusion. They lost all of their dignity, living inside their own confusion.

hehe, they're having a world tour with 6 dates

One minute they're on top, the next they're not, missed their shot. Making their heart stop, they think they've won, and then it's all gone.

i've become so numb

I don't know how they got this way
They'll never be all right

They better have some place to go
'cause they can't come back around here

Now they are a little bit insecure, a little unconfident
'Cause you don't understand, they do what they can, but sometimes they don't make sense

"They are living behind their own illusion. They lost all of their dignity, living inside their own confusion"

You'd like to think you're never wrong. You want to act like you're someone

Kinda digging the new song now lol

They should have had oli Sykes jump in for a final tour as he has been ripping off Chester for a decade

should've picked tillian smh

"You'd like to think you're never wrong. You want to act like you're someone"

I am a little bit of loneliness, a little bit of disregard
Handful of complaints, but I can't help the fact that everyone can see their scars

I *might* check the album when it comes out, just to see if it's actually any good, but I still reserve the right to make fun of Scientology

This is not particularly great, but Linkin Park wasn't making good music before Chester's death either unlike SKSK with Tyson

Linkin Park was making the best music they've ever made before Chester's death.

Sounds like Linkin Park.

Whoops

"They should have had oli Sykes jump in for a final tour as he has been ripping off Chester for a decade"

Linkin Park x BMTH would make a good tour tbh

The fan base is extremely split now. In Linkin Park forums, is it now forbidden to talk about Scientology, which is extremely suspicious tbh. And quite a few people think Shinoda is in it too, but ofc the band refuse to talk about it at all

While I find it unlikely Shinoda's been recruited into the cult it also wouldn't shock me at this point.

This is a Scientology ploy. The only way to explain this cancer. It makes MKG sound good. Please die with fire.

Weird how the lyrics of this song almost feel like they are deliberately calling out Scientology...

"Linkin Park was making the best music they've ever made before Chester's death."

Yes, years before his death. Specifically between '99-'03

One More Light is good I won't stand for slander

Funny enough, One More Light is the album that got me into LP in the first place... specifically Heavy, which I absolutely loved upon first listen. I don't think One More Light is amazing by any means, but I do think it's a solid 3/5

It's trash but it doesn't change my opinion of you

OML sucks on so many levels, it's really a shame because THP and ATS were easily their most accomplished albums, at the very least from a technical standpoint

One More Light is way overhated. It's not my favorite at all but it's a good enough pop record.
The title track is actually one of my favorites from them. It hits me really hard.

^this

I think it's a pretty poor paint by numbers pop album with a couple good songs but I'm not going to hate anyone for liking it.

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/mike_shinoda_often_put_chester_down_benningtons_mother_says_were_going_to_replace_you_with_a_girl.html

Holy Shit now Chester's mom is entering the fray

yikes

Meanwhile, the copium in the LP subreddit is fucking nuts right now. A whole bunch of people actively attacking and downvoting anyone who has the slightest bit of criticism toward the new song or Emily Armstrong, all while saying shit like "Chester would've wanted this!" as if they suddenly have the right to speak on behalf of the dead (something that really aggravates me btw). It's an absolute warzone in there at the moment

Oh, and the other one I keep hearing is "she's not replacing Chester, this is just a tribute to him!" Is that why she's literally in the position he occupied in the band, and why they haven't changed the band name? lol

that post by Chester's mom is just a World War III initiator lmfao

Lol that shit reeks of entitlement. Not sure why anyone not in the band thinks they should have a say in what the band does.

Must say though that it would have been nice from Mike or Joe to at least inform Chester's family what their plans was. But through, they are not obligated to do it.

The outrage should be about the nutter they chose to bring in rather than the fact they brought in a new person. That being said not even giving Chesters family a heads up of "Hey we are going to continue as a band" is a pretty shitty thing to do.

It would have been nice of them to warn her yeah although based on her reaction I'm starting to see why they might not have lol

"Lol that shit reeks of entitlement. Not sure why anyone not in the band thinks they should have a say in what the band does."

this is a fucking weird and gross take.
It has nothing to do with thinking you can police what the band does, it has to do with judging what the band does and reacting accordingly, if what they did is reprehensible and disgusting, people are going to react and probably say that they should have not done those things. And people are entitled to those opinions. So yeah huge entitlement issue. Also if it's specifically about the mother of their dead singer thinking she should have a say or be informed, even weirder and grosser comment, because while obviously they don't *need* to and didn't, it would've been a lot less shitty if they did, and if they weren't picking an obvious dogshit choice they would've had no problem doing this.

NO MATTER WHAT. song is trash.

It’s ok but no OG Linkin Park

Mike Shinoda looks like he prolly acts


Like a douche

Now you got him caught in the act

Damn second new track really is just a rewrite of Faint lol

I’m honestly vibing pretty hard with both these tracks

Faint with a Hunting Party twist. Don’t mind it, I actually vibe with it more than Emptiness Machine! It feels more Linkin Park-ish to me

"Linkin Park returns"

to take a dump on their own work.

The whole thing about Chester's mother is more about how she and the band spoke after Chester's death and they specifically promised they would tell her if they planned to continue. Yeah OK they might not have needed to do it but if they promised to, then it's just common decency to honour that promise.

"this is a fucking weird and gross take."

Did you read the mom's comments? The thrust of her grouse is that Shinoda supposedly made a promise 5 years ago to her and Chester's ex-wife, who coincidentally says that never happened.

She's also upset because LP is supposedly trying to erase Chester's memory by having a woman sing "her son's songs". Super reprehensible and disgusting of LP, amirite? Smh

Agreed. Idk how they can say it has nothing to do with trying to police the band when she outright says
"I thought Mike would go out and sing the songs, and they just wouldn't sound the same. They wouldn't be as high or as loud, and it would just be very different. And I would've been OK with that, but I'm not OK with this, to have somebody replace him and try to do what he did."

Like, that's essentially what that is.

Fwiw I can definitely understand why she'd be upset, especially if the band said they'd give her a heads up and then didn't but that doesn't make the extent of this reaction ok... there's a whole band involved here, they aren't just "her sons" songs and they definitely aren't her songs...

Not gonna lie, Heavy is the Crown kinda goes.

New song is quite similar to faint, isn't it?

New song sounds like such a Linkin Park mash up, not bad

New one's not doing it for me, might just be the League of Legends association making it feel worse. Fucking hate that game so much