I figured this would be topical for a lot of Transformers fans, here.

Just announced today at an event going on at the time of this post.
Linkin Park Selects Emily Armstrong as Singer, Plots Tour and Album

https://www.youtube.com/live/IL1nlWOciL0?si=ppHOps7db0oh_2vY
Watching the livestream, I have mixed feelings. But live vocals never compare to the final, studio recording. Her cover of Lost is pretty good.

EDIT: And here is the new single. As I expected, she does great.

 

What a joke.

 

Hmm. I’ll give it a shot.

 

I dont mind it so far! Some parts from the live show were a bit rough but on the whole I don't mind the direction. At the very least I dig the new single! Chester will be sorely missed and a new vocalist will take some getting used to but, for me at least, so far so good!

 

Interesting, I need to give them a shot.

Chester had a unique voice, so I’m glad it doesn’t seem like they are even trying to slightly replace his talent but instead do something to stand on their own with the new singer.

 

Their new song sounds different. Not bad, but different. And like... maybe they have to be? They're never going to capture that sound again, the better part of a decade later and without Chester, and I think it'd be folly to try. The 'feel' of their previous work still feels present in this new iteration, I'll give them that, but when they played their old songs, as hard as Emily tried, it just sounded to me like a stark reminder that Chester's not around anymore and how special his talent was. Emily's not bad, by any means, but she's not Chester, you know? and it sort of feels weird seeing her try at those songs. I'll give the new album a listen when it comes out, at least.

I feel like bands should re-name/re-brand in situations like this, but get why there's likely immense business pressures (and artistic/personal feelings) to not do that. Maybe this new era for Linkin Park will do some stuff that I end up liking, I wish them well, but both they and I are in very different places than when they were in their heyday.

 

Linkin Park died with Chester Bennington. I'm glad I saw them in concert at their best.

 

I really like it! It’s different definitely, but even while Chester was around it wasn’t like they didn’t try new stuff. Still has the Linkin Park feel in there, just with a new flare too.

To some degree I’m just glad they’re back, this year has been kinda ass so this is really nice to see.

Yeah I think she’s a really good vocalist, but as I think she’s said when she sings Chester’s parts it feels kinda like karaoke. I don’t envy the position she’s in when it comes to live shows.

 

Yeah it’s hard because of the situation of who she’s replacing. I don’t have any negative feelings towards someone becoming their new vocalist at all but it’s very hard I’m not going to lie, listening to the parts Chester sung that were so iconic.

 

Could always pull a Journey.

 

Wow, she really does sound like a female version of Chester Bennington at times, I was skeptical at first but she's pretty good. That said I just don't know because of how Chester went they should be using the name Linkin Park anymore.

 

Linkin Park was always more than just Chester, and while it’s tragic the way he went, most of the band is still there. There’s been time for everyone to grieve, and now they want to move forward while keeping the spirit alive.
It’d be worse to let the name die, imo.

 

Won't go into detail here, but some major dirt has already been dug up on her. You can Google it for yourself.

 

And she has now addressed that dirt.

 

Good.

 

I honestly never liked this band's music. There were so many better crossover bands out there, and both their DJ and their rapper suck hard. Chester was probably the best aspect of the band so this lineup will be REALLY easy for me to ignore.

 

Of all the vocalists out there they went with a fucking hardcore scientologist?

 

Hardcore is an insane jump from what we know. She was born into it, exemplifies multiple traits the church opposes (queer, and her other band Dead Sara has multiple songs that touch on mental health), and hasn’t made any kind of known appearance at any Scientology gathering since 2013. It also feels more than a little bit coincidental that her first song as part of Linkin Park can read very heavily as a denouncement of cult mentalities, which is about as big of a “I don’t support Scientology” as people can generally get without putting the people they care about in the crosshairs of the church.

Maybe she’s still officially a scientologist in private but publicly she’s doing a pretty good job of showing counter-church values, even if she’s not able to outright denounce it.

 

Well this thread's getting shut down soon.

 

I hope this thread doesn’t get locked. This post should get deleted as well No discussion of politics and religion.