The tragic death of Chester Bennington in 2017 seemed to put an irreversible end to the band’s career. However, in the music business, nothing is irreversible, and nobody is irreplaceable.
Linkin Park reunited after a seven-year hiatus and introduced two new members, co-vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain. They also announced a new album, From Zero, which would be released on November 15, 2024, and on September 5, they released a video for a new song and single, The Emptiness Machine.
To put the records straight, I never was a Linkin Park fan. My perception was that they were an alternative rock/metal/whatever version of Backstreet Boys, an artificially created band targeting teenagers.
Chester Bennington proved to be a potent and charismatic singer, and the band achieved sensational popularity, releasing seven albums and touring extensively. However, the obvious question is whether there can be more light without Chester.
Emily Armstrong, often called the “Janis Joplin for the arena rock age”, is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. In 2002, Emily Armstrong and Siouxsie Medley co-founded the band called Dead Sara. To date, they have released three albums. Dave Grohl said, “Dead Sara should be the next biggest rock band in the world”.
On the other hand, Emily Armstrong proves to be a clever choice. Any male singer would have been compared to Chester Bennington, but having a female singer avoids these insurmountable inconveniences. Not at least, Emily Armstrong is an undoubtedly talented artist. I would even say she doesn’t need Linkin Park as much as the band needs her.
I didn’t have any expectations, and after several listens, I found the new song unimpressive.
Better said, what The Emptiness Machine is not is not an unforgettable song. The verses are guitarless build-ups, and the chorus isn’t sticky. It almost feels as artificial as an AI-generated Linkin Park copy. It is unimaginative and predictable, and I am not sure that a spectacular video will be distractive enough to hide the emperor’s new clothes.
They continue to hold on to the Linkin Park moniker because of its commercial weight and because they want to perform the consistent back catalogue. Somehow, it feels like it is all about money and nothing about making music.
Linkin Park has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Their debut album, Hybrid Theory, was listed in the 2005 edition of the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It was also ranked #11 on Billboard’s Hot 200 Albums of the Decade.
Billboard estimates that Linkin Park earned US$5 million between May 2011 and May 2012, making them the 40th-highest-paid musical artist. Linkin Park became the first rock band to achieve more than one billion YouTube views. Linkin Park’s “Numb” is the third, and “In the End” is the sixth “timeless song” on Spotify. The two songs make Linkin Park the only artist with two timeless songs in the top ten.
The band’s fans probably remember that initially, they called themselves Xero, then Hybrid Theory.
Perhaps a new name for this new chapter would take away from the pressure of expectations. Inkin Ark would be nice, considering the circumstances. It is just a thought.
The new album would be suggestively called From Zero, referencing their original name, Xero, but with such an exquisite legacy, it is not really from scratch, isn’t it?
It will consist of 11 songs. Hopefully, the other 10 will be more inspired and convincing.
If this new incarnation of Linkin Park wants to shine again, they need outstanding songs and a great comeback album.
As for now, The Emptiness Machine shows an empty machine running on low fuel and going nowhere.
