Should Linkin Park Exist Without Chester Bennington?

Recent Linkin Park announcement that they coming together as a band again, and even going on a tour with a new lead singer, caught the music scene by surprise. It came as a shocker for many LP fans, who believe that Linkin Park can not exist without Chester Bennington.

Some say that the band should have changed the name, as without Chester it’s not Linking Park. Some show support for the new singer Emily Armstrong. While others express certain caution or fear that it’s not going to be the same group anymore.

And while everyone is entitled to their opinion, I think it’s pretty clear WHY there are so many polarizing points of view on this matter. It’s because Chester was such an immense presence, and a huge figure for the band and for the music overall. It’s hard to even imagine things without him… My personal opinion on the news is this:

While Linking Park members are free to decide the future of the group, because they are the ones who created all this amazing music and have the rights on it, they should also realize that for many fans Linkin Park as a band is impossible without Chester.

So whatever Mike Shinoda and the rest of the group does with the band, they should never try to “replace” Chester. He is simply irreplaceable. Instead they should focus on creating new music, new songs that are not trying to copy what Chester did, or try to imitate his sound. Because that would be playing on the emotions of millions of music fans, for whom LP heritage is forever going to be bittersweet.

Who is Linkin Park New Vocalist

Emily Armstrong is now a new vocalist for Linkin Park. She is an American singer/songwriter, and co-founder of the rock band Dead Sara. She was born in Los Angeles in 1986 and got intereted in music from a young age. Emily mentioned artists like Nirvana and Fleetwood Mac as her major influences.

The very fist official song released by the band with with new co-singer is The Emptiness Machine. I think it turned out good as a stand alone composition. It does have the recognizable elements of LP signature sound. But at the same time it’s not trying to be a direct copy of their older music. Here’s the clip, I’ll let you be the judge:

Can Linkin Park Exist Without Chester Bennington

So, is Linkin Park even possible without Chester Bennington? To answer this you should look at this question from two different perspectives. One is a more formal, practical standpoint. The other one is more of an emotional point of view.

From the formal (music business) side of things, the band has 5 original members. Well, now it’s 4 members, because Rob Bourdon did not return as a drummer after this 2024 reunion. Colin Brittain replaced his on drums. But the point is the same – almost all of the OG founding members are here, and they all are willing to continue working on Linkin Park’s music. And they 100% have the right to do it. No one can stop them. Linkin Park can exist without Chester Bennington.

Music history saw this happen many times. Multiple bands lost one or even several members but still continued releasing music. Some bands faded away never reaching their previous popularity and recognition. While a few groups actually did very well. One of the best examples that comes to my mind is AC/DC, and the tragic death of Bon Scott. After his passing the band considered quitting but eventually decided to go on with a new vocalist Brian Johnson. The rest is history, the band achieved great success in following years.

Then there’s emotional point of view. The decision to continue Linkin Park without Chester will always be a mixed bag of arguments and feelings. Some people might view it as disrespect towards the late singer. Others see it as desire by remaining members to have more spotlight on themselves.

Others, on the contrary – perceive it as a gesture of appreciation of everything the group has done together. Because as more new fans discover Linking Park now, more of them will check out previous albums.

If Linkin Park does it the right way and honors Chester’s legacy and his heritage, I believe they have every moral right to continue. As long as they respect what he brought to their music, and focus on creating new hits, they should be able to pursue whatever their creativity calls for.

Why Many Fans Oppose This New LP Era

Before the official statement there were many rumors and speculations about who will be the new LP front-man. Many though it could be Derek Webley from Sum 41. Mostly because the two groups collaborated on a couple occasions, where Derek sang LP’s songs. The most memorable is from 2018 Reading Festival, when Sum 41 with Mike Shinoda did a version of “Faint“. Check it out:

Not everyone was happy about the news of Lining Park re-uniting. Many fans have a strong attachment to the band’s music. And because their music is expressed through Chester’s voice, people have an emotional connection to Chester himself. So no matter who would’ve been chosen as a new lead singer, some fans would not like it. For them it would be a move trying to replace something very dear to their hearts.

I’ve seen plenty of comments online that Mike Shinoda just wants to have more attention on him, and that he should have changed the band’s name to something else. People associate LP with Chester’s voice, and anything different will juts appear as imitation.

But as fans people don’t always put themselves in the shoes of the bands they love. Meanwhile groups are made of the same human beings as the rest of us. Band members also have their feelings, dreams, struggles. And it’s not fair to assume that they were not hit by the sudden passing of their friend. I’m sure everyone in LP dealt with grief and loss in their own way.

And the fact that they chose a female singer shows to me that they actually wanted to avoid imitating their classic sound. It is a sign that they wanted to limit the comparisons and create new music.

What Fans Think About New Lineup

Good old internet is a perfect platform to voice opinions. So when all the LP “drama” started, thousands of people went online to say their piece. I went though most of the threads and discussions on major platforms like X (former Twitter), FB, Reddit, YouTube, etc., to get a feel of that the main vibes and prevailing thoughts are. And from what I see LP fans are mostly OK with this move.

Here are some of the most common thoughts you’ll see there:

Overall there are many excited comments, with people just being happy to visit new concerts. There’s definitely a lot of positive reviews of new songs. But of course, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, some fans are not going to consider this new lineup as genuine Linkin Park, for them the band has stopped after Chester was gone.

And there are also those who are not ready to make a definite conclusion, and are waiting to see what the band does in the future.

Conclusion

Meanwhile as fans keep arguing about the band’s future, LP is still here. They have a new active line-up, and they started touring again. Will it last? How successful are they going to be? Only time will tell. The band made their discussion, for better or for worse. Now we just have to wait and see what they make during this new era.

Personally, I’m fine with them going on with a new lead singer. As long as they respect the memory of Chester Bennington and their previous work, I wish them all the best.

And if you want to re-live the best songs by the band, feel free to check my list of their TOP 10 Greatest Hits.