According to Kevin “Noodles” Wasserman of The Offspring, Linkin Park’s decision to hire Emily Armstrong as their new vocalist is “amazing and bold.”
In September, Armstrong—who had previously been a co-founder of Dead Sara—was announced as the band’s new vocalist. Bennington, who passed away in 2017, had previously held the position.
Following the revelation that Armstrong appeared to have connections to both convicted rapist Danny Masterson and Scientology, the band’s reunion, which also included drummer Colin Brittain in the new lineup, was met with initial enthusiasm but soon turned sour.
Mike Shinoda has consistently maintained that their reunion tour is “not about erasing the past,” and she has since released a statement to “clear the air.”
In 2025, the band will go on a big world tour with their new lineup after releasing their eighth studio album, “From Zero,” which is their first complete body of work in seven years.
Wasserman, the guitarist for The Offspring, has now voiced his opinion regarding Linkin Park’s shift in focus. He called their inclusion of Armstrong “an amazing and a brave choice for them” (via BLABBERMOUTH) in an interview with Marcelo Vieira.
“For whatever reason, I am aware that many people will not accept a female singer,” he remarked. “I believe it’s a stupid excuse. Emily is incredible. Her voice is really incredible. We previously had the opportunity to tour with Dead Sara.
“I hope the best for those guys. Since Emily is incredible and those guys are just wonderful people who create excellent music, I hope they continue to be as successful as they have been.
Recently, Shinoda discussed choosing Armstrong over someone who had a voice like Bennington’s: “We just want Emily to be Emily,” he stated. “The songs are what they are. Emily is Emily. Early on, somewhere in 2020 or 2019, or whatever, I seem to recall viewing videos. I believe a video of a Linkin Park cover band appeared in my stream. It was a huge hit among fans. “Oh my God, this person is so good,” they all exclaimed. They resemble Chester quite a bit.
I thought, ‘That’s really wonderful, but it’s also weird that it sounds so much like Chester,’ as I saw this cover band’s YouTube or Instagram video. I find it strange, thus I don’t like it. I realized right away that it wasn’t the right choice for us. It bothers me. I don’t like it for us, but I enjoy it for [the cover bands]. Although these bands perform admirably, I wouldn’t include that in our band.
NME gave “From Zero” a three-star review, describing the album as having “some perplexingly tired songwriting and an intriguing mix of sensational, knockout stadium rock.”
On the other hand, Linkin Park’s 2025 tour will begin in Mexico City on January 31 and make a single appearance at London’s Wembley Stadium on June 28. Queens of the Stone Age, Spiritbox, AFI, Architects, Grandson, Jean Dawson, JPEGMAFIA, and PVRIS will be among the special guests for the lengthy run of performances. To get tickets for the UK, go here; for tickets for other countries, go here.