NEW YORK — Lincoln Park is back with a new lineup and debuting its first new music since the 2017 death of lead singer Chester Bennington.
On Thursday, the band launched a live stream to showcase new vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who will join returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix, and Joe Hahn in the new Lincoln Park lineup. Shinoda and Armstrong share vocal duties.
The new lineup was launched at the top of the stream with a new single, “The Emptiness Machine”. Armstrong’s performance style comfortably continues the band’s legacy: his full-throated vocals recall Bennington without attempting parody, which is immediately evidenced on the second song of the set: “Somewhere I Belong.”
“This is a very special day for us,” Shinoda said, leading the introduction as guitarist Alex Feder was filling in at Delson for the night. Every one of you is in the role of Chester Bennington this afternoon, Shinoda addressed the crowd.
New Lincoln Park also announced a new album, “From Zero.” It releases on November 15.
Supported by Bennington’s vocals, The rock rap band is one of the most commercially successful acts of the 2000s. At the age of 41, he died by suicide shortly after the release of the group’s final album, “One More Light”. In the years since, Linkin Park has dropped a number of re-releases, including “Hybrid Theory”, a 20th anniversary edition of “Meteora” and, this year, the career-highest-grossing compilation “Papercuts”.
Prior to Lincoln Park, our first band name was Zero. Shinoda said in a statement announcing the upcoming release, The title of this album refers to both those humble beginnings and the journey we’re currently embarking on.
Armstrong is from the alt-rock band Dead Sarah and Brittain is a songwriter and producer who has worked with Papa Roach, One OK Rock, and All Time Love. He replaces original drummer Rob Borden, who has “decided to part ways,” a band representative told The Associated Press.
The more we worked with Colin and Emily, the more we enjoyed their world-class talent, their company, and the things we created, Shinoda said. We feel truly empowered with this new line-up and the vibrant and dynamic new music we’ve created together. Together, we’re building the sonic touchpoints we’re known for and are still exploring new ones.
The band also announced the “From Zero World Tour”, which will feature five arena shows in Los Angeles. New York; Hamburg, Germany; London, and Seoul this month, and November 6th in Bogota, Colombia.