Linkin Park Should’ve Started a New Band Instead of This Nostalgic Cash Grab

Linkin Park was one of my first loves when it came to music. There was something so raw about Hybrid Theory the first time I heard it. Something that connected me to Chester Bennington’s emotional and powerhouse vocals. And it took growing up with this music, attending Linkin Park concerts, joining the LP fanclub, meeting people from all over the world who cared for this band as much as I did, and experiencing the heartbreak of Chester’s death for me to realize what connected us. Pain. Chester had experienced pain, loss, and turmoil that he poured into his singing. And as much as it was a relief to him to get this pain out in the form of music, the same could be said for me as someone who listened to this group. It was cathartic.

After Chester’s death, I didn’t listen to Linkin Park again. It was too painful. Some might call it melodramatic. Others might say it’s a little too parasocial. It could be both. Either way, his death hitting me like it did had less to do with him and more with me. From what we know of Chester, I share those similar demons. Even til his very end. And if he chose this path after being a pillar of strength, at least in my mind, what did that mean for me? Because I’ve been on that edge. Sometimes I feel like I still am. I didn’t feel strong enough anymore. So I haven’t listened to their music, burying my love for this group way deep down because if there’s anything I’m good at is ignoring the problem.

A new direction…

When Linkin Park announced a new singer, I was curious. When I realized it was a woman, I was intrigued and opened up that livestream to see her perform live. She wasn’t terrible. But she wasn’t good. She was ok, reimagining some of the impressive vocal sounds of Chester. And I got emotional. Not because of her. But because I hadn’t listened to these lyrics for such a long time that I found myself stumbling to remember them. I felt like I had failed a test or something. Like it had been so long that I no longer felt that raw sadness at Chester’s loss. Instead, I wanted to embrace the music and revisit my old stomping grounds with Linkin Park. But not like this and not with Emily Armstrong.

Part of this resistance to the new direction Linkin Park is going in is due to Armstrong, of course. Only an hour after the live performance premiered and already allegations were surfacing that Armstrong had been one of Danny Masterson’s defenders during his trial in 2022. Then photos popped up of Armstrong at Scientology celebrations and accusations from former friends about her silence surfaced. There also came allegations that the Linkin Park Reddit was deleting comments about these allegations and that the Discord was blocking the words “Danny Masterson” and “Scientology.” That gave me the ick. It also gave me the ick that Linkin Park had ticket sales immediately after the performance, conveniently locking in fans to tickets they might not want after digging through Armstrong’s past to figure out what kind of person she was.

Here comes the nostalgia machine…

At the heart of why I’m not supporting this direction for Linkin Park, and why I think they should’ve started a whole new band, is that nostalgia doesn’t work in this instance. All around us we have nostalgia. Reboots and remakes in the TV and film industry and bands coming back for reunion tours. That’s not Linkin Park. Their lead vocalist is dead. And yes, I understand the remaining band members want to keep those good memories alive because it was part of their lives as well. But they’ve lived in nostalgia for years now to the point where this move feels like a cash grab built on the grave of a band that is no more. The songs are still around and Armstrong can try to sing them as best as she can. Nevertheless, Linkin Park has closed this book in their history. And instead of starting something new, the band has decided to feed the nostalgia machine.

So, no. I’m not going to listen to the new Linkin Park. I’m not going to welcome Armstrong into the fray and let her do covers of iconic songs like “Breaking the Habit,” “In the End,” or “What I’ve Done.” And I’m going to trust this gut instinct I have about this move, especially after the endorsement of AI and NFTs by Shinoda, the fact that OG member Rob Bourdon isn’t returning, Armstrong’s past despite the statement she released, and the tight turnaround on the tour. There’s something fishy here. Something that doesn’t smell like honoring who they were or Chester’s legacy within the band. Instead it feels like every other nostalgic cash grab we’ve been seeing in the last decade or so. And if I want nostalgia, I can just listen to their old albums. For the first time in years, I plan to. Because that is Chester’s legacy. Linkin Park’s legacy. Not this new version.

Photo Credit: Kristina Servant via Wiki Commons

What do you think about this new direction for Linkin Park? Let us know in the comments below!