Mike Shinoda “not sure” if Linkin Park will make new recordings of Chester Bennington songs

9 September, 2024

Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. Credit - Timothy Norris

Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park is “not sure” if the band will make new recordings of older songs which feature the late Chester Bennington.

This comes after the band announced their comeback through a livestream event last Thursday (September 5) – debuting Emily Armstrong, formerly of Dead Sara, as their new singer.

The announcement came after weeks of anticipation, sparked by a cryptic countdown the band teased to fans. Their unexpected return featured a performance of a new track titled ‘The Emptiness Machine’ along with some Linkin Park classics. They also revealed a new album called ‘From Zero’ and provided information about a world tour.

Armstrong joins the line-up in place of late vocalist Chester Bennington, who died in 2017. Fans questioned if Armstrong’s arrival will impact the band’s older material. One person asked online “are we going to get new recordings of some of the older songs”, to which Mike Shinoda said he’s “not sure”.

At first, the response from both fans and fellow artists about Armstrong’s arrival was mostly positive, but controversy soon erupted when it was revealed that the singer appeared to have connections to Scientology and convicted rapist Danny Masterson. This came to attention after a message sent to Armstrong by Cedric Bixler-Zavala, frontman of The Mars Volta and former At The Drive-In, resurfaced over the weekend.

In response, Armstrong issued a statement on her Instagram Stories. “I wanted to clear the air about something that happened a while back. Several years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance, and went to one early hearing as an observer. Soon after, I realised I shouldn’t have,” she wrote.

“I always try to see the good in people, and I misjudged him. I have never spoken with him since. Unimaginable details emerged and he was later found guilty. To say it as clearly as possible: I do not condone abuse or violence against women, and I empathise with the victims of these crimes.”

In another post shared by Bixler-Zavala over the weekend, he wrote: “I fucking told you.”

Jaime Bennington, the son of the late frontman, has now expressed his thoughts on social media regarding the band’s reunion with Armstrong, and accused Shinoda of “betraying” Linkin Park fans with the decision.

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