How are you guys feeling about Linkin Park these days?

So… it’s been over a year since the band came back with Emily and Colin, plus a new album and a whole world tour. I know this topic popped up a bunch of times already, but now that we’ve all had some time to process everything, I’m curious where everyone stands.

Back when the announcement dropped, opinions were all over the place. Some people were 100% against anyone stepping in after Chester, others were more open to the idea. And it feels like those views shifted a lot over the past year. Now that LP is officially back after seven years, with a new lineup and a new era… how do you feel about the band right now? And how have your thoughts on Emily changed over the year?

For me, I was happy when they announced the return, and I supported the idea from the start — but I wasn’t super hyped. It just felt different. I liked “From Zero” when it came out, but I wasn’t blown away.

Then I saw them live in Buenos Aires a couple weeks ago and OH MY GOD. Everything flipped for me. The band sounded insane, Emily absolutely killed it, and the vibe between them on stage was genuinely heartwarming. And honestly, the crowd added so much to the experience. People were crazy emotional, super supportive, and the new songs — Two Faced, The Emptiness Machine, Casualty — were treated like absolute classics. There were moshpits with the same intensity as APFMH. That usually is not the case with brand-new tracks. Usually crowds chill a bit with recent material, but here? Everyone went all in. It really felt like the entire venue had accepted this new era with open arms.

A few days later I rewatched the 2017 Chester tribute show, and it really put things into perspective. The band needed dozens of guest singers to get through the set — and yeah, there were some cool moments, but most of it didn’t fully click for me. Now hearing Emily handle all those songs with the versatility they actually require… man, it’s wild they found someone capable of doing that.

I’ll admit it: at one point I thought LP could move forward with just Mike on vocals. But looking back, I was totally ignoring what really makes this band this band — the contrast and interplay between the two voices. That back-and-forth between Mike and Chester (and now Mike and Emily) is the actual core of LP. Without that dual vocal energy, the whole thing would’ve felt empty.

So yeah, I genuinely love this new era. It’s different in the best way. Emily and Colin bring a fresh vibe that feels super authentic, and right now I’m honestly as hyped as when I first discovered LP. This whole era feels like rediscovering the band from scratch.

Curious to hear where you all are at with this.

 

With the live shows, I think the band has done
the almost impossible, the world tour of 2025 may well be one of their best. The energy level has been insane from beginning till the end, the crowd reception has been amazing, the performances have been super strong.

And then personally, From Zero is probably my favorite thing they have dropped since ATS. Super fun record.

Also, the band seems to genuinely have a ton of fun together, Emily and Colin for sure brought a fresh energy to the group dynamic, it's really wholesome to see. And I think it can only benefit the writing of the next record.

Yeah. This new era made me a fanboy again, and I was one that didn't buy the idea of a comeback initially. Like I just though there was no way they could make it work. Boy was I wrong.

 

I can listen to Chester or Emily back-to-back and either way it's Linkin Park. And that's a testament to the band's decision to dive into the unknown for a comeback chapter. They somehow struck lightning in a bottle twice.

I never would've imagined From Zero would still be under my skin a year later. Every song is still in my daily rotation, which is something no other LP record has accomplished. Most days I find myself skipping other songs just to find the next From Zero track. Maybe it's because I'm not taking another second of this band for granted, or maybe the songs are just that fucking good.

 

I see it as two separate bands with the same name. I dig the new version, but I still can't listen to Emily singing Chester's songs.

From Zero is a great album, the best thing they released since 2012.

 

This is what surprised me the most. I find myself listening to random LP songs and both Chester and Emily flows natural. It doesn’t feel like two completely different worlds.

 

It is true Emily doesn't sound like Chester, and Mike has complimented many times the fact she doesn't try to, but instead sound like herself.

But I think she also hit the sweet spot between sounding like her own, while still channeling the "LP" spirit, if that makes sense. Fair enough, Mike production and melodic signature sound plays a part in that too.

What I mean is, there are many moments on From Zero where the vocal inflection and production undeniably sound like Linkin Park. For example, the outro of Overflow, that sends me back to the Reanimation era. Same about the echoed vocals in songs like TEM (that ghostly screamy thing in the first chorus) or HITC (the fade-in right after the 2nd chorus). The sing-scream layered vocals on CTB chorus, that's also some old raspy LP vibes here.

It's funny, because often the elements that give me the biggest flair of "that's LP right here" are not even the most prominent in the songs, more like spices there and there. Another example of that would be the scratches tones dating back from HT EP. This all succeeds in giving that big sense of familiarity.

 

Yup. There's no moment where I think "this is old/this is new LP". It all just blends so seamlessly.

Totally agree. I've said from my first listen to The Emptiness Machine that she channels Chester's spirit, his energy, and his conviction.

I'd say the biggest difference is Chester's screams clearly stemmed from a place of pain whereas Emily's are pure, unbridled fury.

 

For me personally, I love how Emily performs Crawling with the raspiness that Chester couldn’t pull live in his later tours.