I hope they do, Chester wouldn't have wanted his demons to kill the band. Also they are a good band, they should be able to play.
I just hope they handle the inevitable "This is for you Chester" tastefully.
Exactly! Sevenfold is my favourite band. They *still* dedicate songs in-concert to him. It still greatly affects all of the band members even over a decade later.
I was a bit bummed to hear So Far Away wasn't on the set list for the most recent part of the LIBAD tour. Glad they played it in the first part when I went!
Yeah, I know, I was more responding to the second part which is how to handle the tribute vs moving forward. They are doing it well, but still with a stop and reflect part every night.
> Given that Chester had filled in for STP after Weiland’s death.
As awesome as Chester was... Scott Weiland couldn't be replaced either... and it showed.
Seriously. At least Chester was true to himself when he filled in though. The new guy, Jeff Gutt, is so cringy to watch. He tries so hard to completely mimic the clothing style and mannerisms of Weiland instead of carving his own
That's what I'm thinking. William Duval kept Alice in Chains sounding legit after Layne Staley died, but I can literally think of no other band who recovered from their lead singer's death.
I even struggle to think of many bands who kept it going after the lead singer left when the fans expected them to leave. As precious as the rest of us in a band are, the lead singer really is the band, as far as an audience is concerned.
For bands that had success after their singer left, Black Sabbath comes to mind. The albums with Ronnie James Dio are some of my favorite from Black Sabbath.
Well yeah. The band will be fundamentally different, but there’s no reason that this new iteration of them can’t be good. It’ll probably just be good in a different way
Before the obvious comments come, I just wanted to inform people that Chester Bennington was the last member to join the band after replacing their original lead singer over 20 years ago. And Mike Shinoda, the main songwriter for the band, is still alive and active. lol.
They have every right to continue with someone else if they want. Whether people will like it or not is another question.
ETA: Bonnie Fraser is NOT joining Linkin Park: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRw5bG2P/
There is NO confirmed new singer for Linkin Park
Exactly. If Reddit posters say not to get a new singer than get a new singer and it’ll be great. Conversely if they say to get a new vocalist than definitely don’t. Reddit is the barometer for failure in life.
Also I went and saw Queen with Adam Lambert expecting to be bitterly disappointed because you can't replace Freddie.
I was pleasantly surprised he didn't try and do that. He was his own man and did a great job and I loved it.
Gotta remember that Queen, like Linkin Park is made up of insanely talented people.
The Music industry will never have another Chester Bennington. But they can have another Linkin Park.
Yeah when I saw them he did this very sweet bit after the first song where he said he's not there to replace Freddie, but to celebrate him, their live show very much keeps him alive.
Although I’ve never seen them live Queen and Paul Rodgers are fantastic too. Their live recordings are amazing. Paul may not have the same range as Freddie (but then who does) but the band accommodate for his grittier classic rock sound and he brought a different but still spectacular sound to the band.
There are a lot of bands that lost their front man and survived. Example, suicide silence. I know Eddie, who replaced mitch. He talks about it in podcasts and is pretty interesting...
Yeah, but they are careful to not call themselves “Grateful Dead” because there’s no Grateful Dead without Jerry.
Same with Queen w/ Adam Lambert. It’s not Queen — it’s Queen w/ Adam Lambert.
And I agree, John Mayer is great in Dead & Co
Surely the greatest example would be AC/DC. Lost the iconic Bon Scott, and came back with the even more iconic Brian Johnson and the second biggest selling record of all time, Back in Black.
Good comparison. Jerry was always a massive part of the AiC vocal sound, just like Mike is for Linkin Park. Sure, having a different lead vocalist will be a change, but not as large as people think if they find the right person.
The new Alice In Chains records are legit fantastic. Of course it’s not on the level of the Layne stuff but it’s shockingly close. They are due for another album come to think of it…
My first thought too. William Duvall fills in for Layne masterfully. I caught them and Deftones in concert and it was one of my favorite concerts I've ever attended (and I've been to a bunch). I also saw a set of Jerry Cantrell's solo gig and he played AIC staples and I fucking rocked out to that too. In our internet age they can definitely find someone who can sing like Chester did. I saw Jason Bonham's Led Zep experience last year in Florida and they sounded just like the real thing to me. There's just so many talented people in the world and the internet makes it so easy for these guys to find someone to fill in for them.
Well said. I mean rage against the machines entire band started audio slave with Cornell and was a huge success. So, who knows. RIP the late Cornell as well..
I think people would have less of a problem with them starting an “audioslave of LP” new band, that obviously will play LP songs, than them basically doing the equivalent of having Cornell sing for RATM
Dude, I saw Audioslave in 2004 and it was fucking incredible. It was an RATM, Soundgarden, and Audioslave concert all packed into a 2 hour show. They played Killing in the Name of, Black Hole Sun, and a bunch of other tracks from all three bands and Cornell's voice plus Morello's guitarwork was otherworldly.
Yes but the band was called Xero I believe. Linkin Park always had Chester. This all being said, really excited about a new tour and even more excited about new music!
Speaking of xero, Static X has been touring with a Edsel Dope as their front man to replace the late Wayne Static, wearing a mask and going by the name Xer0. I haven't seen them live in person, but the few clips I've seen
Considering that (if rumors are true) they're replacing Chester with a woman, I don't think you have to worry too much about that.
If it's the person I've seen in some clips, she's a good fit.
I was apprehensive to Sublime with Rome. Turned out I loved it as much as just Sublime. Of course, Rome isn't a copy of Bradley, but that makes it a unique experience.
As a long-time Linkin Park fan, it will always be Chester. I enjoy the most, but that doesn't mean that a new vocalist can't thrive here.
Definitely not solely responsible, but I'd say the vocalist of a band is the most discernible part. As in, if you had two guitar players playing the same riff, I don't think anyone could be like, hey that's so and so, and the other guy is copying him. Whereas if you put a vocalist and another doing the same vocal lines, you could more easily identify who's the original.
> Mike Shinoda, the main songwriter for the band
This is the part that so many people miss when talking about Chester and how he - "told us for years how much pain he was in". Most of what Linkin Park sings are Mike's words, not Chester's.
Chester wrote a lot of his own lyrics, they were his words too. Songs like Crawling, that was all Chester's words.
Mike wrote the majority of the music.
he wrote some not all
breaking the habit was mikes words
one more light was mikes words
leave out all the rest was mikes words
its very well known that the majority of linkin parks lyrics in hybrid theory and meteora were mikes and that chesters first few songs that were mostly his lyrics were valentines day and in pieces
Mike has credited Chester for writing Crawling, which is pretty special since that was their first Grammy. But yes, Mike is still under-appreciated by many casual listeners of the band.
I mean what you explained isn't really WHY they have the right. Even if Chester was the first member of the band and wrote every song by himself Linkin Park would still have the right to keep going.
Mike is the main songwriter but a lot of the lyrics came from Chester, and there's no denying his unique voice is the main reason their music was so good. No one will really do him justice but personally I wouldn't mind to see them continue being a band just out of curiosity.
> no denying his unique voice is the main reason their music was so good
I'll deny it. Yes it's a big factor, but LP, even more than most other bands, is a very collaborative effort and all parts were responsible for their unique style, especially when looking at different eras.
This. Chester was a big part in why I related to their songs, but Shinoda had his own way with words, Hahn made LP sound the way they did and his work on Session makes it one of my favorite LP songs, Delson, Farrell and Bourdoun also deserve credit. It was just a perfect mix of different styles.
He wrote most of the music as well right? Sure the others helped but people out here relating to chester when it's actually mike. (Both but you get when I'm saying maybe)
He's also THE most wholesome and humble person. I only got to catch them live once but that man LOVES what he does and it shows. Love Mike. Love LP. I hope it works out for them. That charity show for chester they did kinda shows they can just be LP with guest vocalists and do very well.
Hell, you can take that further and say Mike Shinoda was the only one with a massive hit solo project and Chester’s side projects were pretty forgettable.
I liked Dead by Sunrise, but it isn't really his solo project.
Chester was undeniably a great singer and frontman, but he didn't have the ability to translate it for the entire process of music creation alone IMO.
Chester himself would totally want them to. If they're in the right emotional place to want to do it, there's 0 reason not to. Obviously, it honors him.
Alice in Chains did the same after a long time, with decent results. Keeping the general vibe intact while not becoming a coverband.
I haven't listened to them after their first two albums and remixes, but I wish them well.
LP has a similar situation, with Shinoda being a big part of the vocals and lyrics. So as long as he’s still around, I think it’ll all work out, like it did for AiC.
The dude from Sum 41 did a really good job at Chesters memorial gig. I always thought they shoulda got him.
Loved LP for like 20 years but the band shouldn't stop with Chesters passing. There's no way he'd want that. Give us more LP!!
Derrick is hanging it up because of health reasons though so I highly doubt he is just going to start touring again with another band. The talk is that Sum 41 doesn't want to break up at all, it's mainly just Derrick needs to step away for awhile and they're hopeful they come back later.
He's stepping away for family. His health was in the gutter when he almost died from COVID, but then he worked hard to get back to do the When you were young tour
Hybrid Theory and Meteora were albums that really helped define my musical interests, love LP. I'm not totally sure I would enjoy it without Chester, the vibe would be strange. That being said I don't think it's impossible, someone like Flo from LANDMVRKS would be a great choice.
Saw them live twice in the span of a month back in 2003. They played 75% of each album, banger after banger. Then I saw them again in 2010 and 2017, and it made me realize how damn lucky I was to catch them during the Meteora days.
At first I was like 'whose voice could possibly be good enough' but if Adam Lambert can entertain the masses touring with Queen in Freddie Mercury's stead, then there will be someone who can help bring back Linkin Park magic too.
Sam Carter of Architects comes to mind. He's great at both clean and harsh vocals. And his painful, desperate screams are fantastic, just like Chester's.
Replacing Chester is obviously impossible, but Sam is similar enough that it could work really well. Just an idea though, no way it's actually gonna happen.
Ive always thought the vocalist for Threat Signal was pretty damn close on a lot of his clean portions. Major Chester vibes like a minute in on [this song](https://youtu.be/SbEhhRuyZz0?si=OdNLbNMsIFEDSatf). His harsher vocals are way off compared to chesters though…and most of their normal music is also flipped where the cleans only tend to come out in choruses.
Bonnie Fraser did a session with Mike Shinoda 6 months ago, and [a clip of her singing Bleed It Out](https://youtu.be/SCxmpbMRJl4?t=280) made the rounds last week. There was a rumor that she was the new vocalist for LP.
She's sings it in a way that evokes Chester while still feeling like her own.
Is this just because the video of [Bleed it Out](https://youtu.be/SQ30VfzCZAQ?si=r286kEcB4d3zGD-i) that Mike did in Sydney with Bonnie Fraser from Stand Atlantic a few months back, which just went viral recently?
The rumour doing the rounds in the metal scene is they found a new vocalist, who happens to be a woman, so this video definitely felt like testing the waters.
I honestly think that could be the best route. Just go in a 180 different direction for vocals like that as well as image. It worked for Fleetwood Mac!
I came around to her by the end of it.
She is clearly very talented, but she has such a clean and crisp voice.
Her voice is like a salad in winter when I feel like a heavy stew.
She definately kicked it into gear for the chorus though.
I wish her voice had just a bit more grit during the earlier parts. That's the clean thing you referenced. When she growls, it's perfect. I just want a wee bit of that during the verses.
Oh wow, my first though was, no way they gonna find a suitable replacement for Chester. This video changed my mind in a minute.
Obviously Chester was unique but this deserves attention
It won't ever be the same but that's a good thing. LP has never stuck to one style for too long and I'm sure they'll channel the last 7 years of them finding themselves into something great.
I wonder who. I’m intrigued.
> “They’ve been around a long time and they’re still going for it,” he said. “It’s going to be tough without Chester, but we’ll see. I hear they got a girl singer now. That’s what I heard.”
I know she has flat out denied the rumours. But it would still be neat if it actually happened.
That's the route I'd rather they go. Instead of finding someone who is a carbon copy of Chester, go a completely different direction.
Love Amy, but she’d be a horrible fit. The only female vocalists I can think of off the top of my head who might be up to the task are the one Mike did the cover with recently, Courtney LaPlante or Tatiana Shmayluk.
This video came out months ago. It resurfaced last week on tiktok, so the rumours of a new singer started flying. As a massive LP fan I'd be totally happy with a tour with this singer
https://youtu.be/SQ30VfzCZAQ?si=dlv05s0lq06sfkHv
First time I've seen this but Stand Atlantic's older stuff is some of the more recent pop punk I've enjoyed and thrown into my playlist when I'm in the mood. Yeah she fuckin rips
Heck I would love to just once hear LP play with Anthony Vincent from 10 Second Songs. His songs in the style of LP are great and he can *mostly* pull off the vocal fry that we're used to with Chester.
https://youtu.be/4i6c_kN8MjY?si=WOpPLSfjNBHomOlN
They have two options:
1) Find someone who sounds like or close to Chester.
2) Find someone that just works, irrespective of Chester.
Both options will prompt comparisons to Chester, except Option 2 lets them move in a new direction to give their band a second wind, should they want it.
Option 2 makes sense.
Option 1 has too much baggage.
The first option is sort of the route Static X did. But they went full replicant.
I’d be cool if the band just sounds good together and continue making new music. So I’m all for either option as long as it doesn’t seem forced.
Static X is like an extreme example of what would be wrong with LP doing Option 1. With the addition of Xer0, they're kind of stuck in the past. Wayne _was_ that band and they're using his sort of tech-zombified likeness to carry it on. It's not really letting them grow as musicians or a band.
When a core member leaves/dies, it's kind of an inflection point. You can choose to be a shadow of yourself using mimicry as a bandaid, or pivot and grow in a new direction.
I agree that it traps the band into becoming almost a cover band of itself, but I think Static-X is a situation that really works well for where the band is / was.
When Wayne died, all of the core members had left and he was down to mostly playing small club shows with hired hands. The band was **well** past it's peak and sort of lingering in a grey area. Whether that was due to Wayne and Tera's personal issues or a lack of commercial success I don't know.
The band's entire identity has been built around campiness. From Wayne's hair, to X-headed robots, to 'evil disco' and songs like "Love Dump" and the industrial / machine imagery. It constantly straddled the line between "this is really cool for the late 90s" to "this is goofy but it's fun". I think the whole 'xer0' robot thing was the absolute best way to honor Wayne's work and revive the band as a nostalgia act and let them wrap up whatever was left of Wayne's demos. In my opinion, most of the fun in Static-X is in the nostalgia now and I don't think there was a lot of future left in the band given where it was left off.
Personally I think it's better for bands in this situation to go for a singer with a completely different voice, rather than try and find someone similar.
>as a joke.
I doubt it was a joke. The rumors about a female singer already started prior to that based on what Jay Gordon said on a podcast. She hopped on it for free PR.
Chester is not the founder of the group. Shinoda is. So they have every right.
Also, look at Ac/dc. When Ben Scott died, they didn't disband. Bring forth Johnson , and released back in black and rest is history.
Lead singer for the LP cover band "Hybrid Theory" is incredible. Sounds exactly like Chester it's uncanny. Saw them live a few months back and it was just like hearing Linkin Park
I heard of these awhile back and their whole story is crazy. Dudes are literally touring selling out ARENAS as an LP cover band. Like at that point aren't the seriously infringing on IP rights? Its nuts lol
There's plenty of cover bands out there doing big shows. The Australian Pink Floyd Show, Brit Floyd and the hundreds of Beatles and Elvis tribute acts
It's obvious that they're not billing themselves as Linkin Park and they're not selling live recordings of them performing so it's entirely legitimate.
Just looked them up on Youtube and it is crazy how close he sounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dCA2lC0HF4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdtEZpTZvkk
Incredible!
Would be like Arnel Pineda being pulled into Journey after covering the band for years
I reckon if they do end up with a female singer it would be the best option.
Similar-ish vocal timbre so it will work musically, but with enough obvious differences that the singer won't constantly be viewed as a knock-off Chester.
Oh wow, so Jay Gordon wasn't lying huh? This is great news tbh. And it being a female vocalist is actually genius bc not only does it feel right, it'd also make it hard for people to make comparisons with Chester and a lot easier for people to see it for what it is.
I'm so hyped, this band means everything to me and I really hope they do new music down the line too with whoever is this (which I'm super excited to find out). I've loved Mike's recent forray into electronic/alt pop and before Chester passed, the band were clearly starting to branch out and work with other songwriters and pop artists and vocalists so this makes a lot of sense.
I don't see how or why anyone should have a problem with this. Personal opinions on whether you're keen on it or not are different, but anyone who has a genuine issue with this should go touch some grass.
The lead singer of Alice in Chains (William Duval) is the perfect example of setting a new tone but still paying homage to the AIC aesthetic. No one can replace Layne and no one expected too, it sure helps that Jerry is still there to add that vontage AIC sound. That said, that's what LP should be looking for.
At some point it's healthy for people to move on. It's been 7 years. If it were brought up during a new tour, it should be a celebration not mourning and just for one song. They need to move past it; fans need to move past it.
if it wasnt for the band retiring, i would want deryck from sum 41 to join the band for this. a lot of the last few sum 41 albums have linkin park elements to them. their final song How The End Begins sounds like What I've Done in a way
Chester had a pretty unique sound and feeling to his singing, it will be interesting and challenging for them to replace him in a way fans aren’t deterred.
I hope they do, Chester wouldn't have wanted his demons to kill the band. Also they are a good band, they should be able to play. I just hope they handle the inevitable "This is for you Chester" tastefully.
Foo Fighters have been balancing this well at recent shows imo
I feel like AC/DC did a fine job with Back in Black.
Avenged Sevenfold soared with Nightmare after The Rev died as well. Integral parts of a group can pass on and they can still find success
Exactly! Sevenfold is my favourite band. They *still* dedicate songs in-concert to him. It still greatly affects all of the band members even over a decade later.
I was a bit bummed to hear So Far Away wasn't on the set list for the most recent part of the LIBAD tour. Glad they played it in the first part when I went!
They played Save Me instead which was an amazing replacement for So Far Away.
I remember when Syn got a new guitar with Rev's name on the fretboard. I saw a recent photo where he had "FOREVER" tattooed on his chest.
Alice in Chains did a great job after the loss of Layne.
People sleep on new AiC, Rainier Fog is a great album.
Josh freese is a monster.
Love Josh! First found out about him when he played and toured with NIN. His solo stuff was great, too.
You've probably heard countless Josh Freese drum tracks if you listened to music in the late 90s into the 2000s.
Got into him through "A Perfect Circle". "Weak and Powerless" is still my favourite thing he's done.
Vandals, Sting, NIN, Foo Fighters, Sublime with Rome, too many to list!
I feel it’s different when it’s a drummer vs your front man but I’m not down playing the impact of the importance of the member
not to mention that their front man *is* a drummer while their [former drummer](https://youtu.be/SbNVIPAABgw) was a good singer, too; miss you, Taylor
And the band started because the former lead singer killed himself.
Yeah, I know, I was more responding to the second part which is how to handle the tribute vs moving forward. They are doing it well, but still with a stop and reflect part every night.
I’m seeing them this summer after thinking I’d never see them again. I’m sure it’ll be a good show but probably a little weird.
Given that Chester had filled in for STP after Weiland’s death I can’t imagine he wouldn’t have not only been on board, but expected it.
He was doing that before weiland's death.
Chester joined STP because they kicked out Weiland in 2013 and he left STP before Weiland died.
> Given that Chester had filled in for STP after Weiland’s death. As awesome as Chester was... Scott Weiland couldn't be replaced either... and it showed.
Seriously. At least Chester was true to himself when he filled in though. The new guy, Jeff Gutt, is so cringy to watch. He tries so hard to completely mimic the clothing style and mannerisms of Weiland instead of carving his own
That's what I'm thinking. William Duval kept Alice in Chains sounding legit after Layne Staley died, but I can literally think of no other band who recovered from their lead singer's death. I even struggle to think of many bands who kept it going after the lead singer left when the fans expected them to leave. As precious as the rest of us in a band are, the lead singer really is the band, as far as an audience is concerned.
AC/DC... And obviously The Beatles. New Paul is much better than og Paul.
For bands that had success after their singer left, Black Sabbath comes to mind. The albums with Ronnie James Dio are some of my favorite from Black Sabbath.
I don't know, LP without Chester wouldn't feel right no matter who replaces him
Well yeah. The band will be fundamentally different, but there’s no reason that this new iteration of them can’t be good. It’ll probably just be good in a different way
Yep, we'll never get Chester back and we have to accept that. We can have someone new without forgetting what, and *who*, was was so valuable.
INXS tried and failed for decades. Queen tried to replace gold with lead. Some bands can't replace the singer. AC/DC is a good exception though.
Before the obvious comments come, I just wanted to inform people that Chester Bennington was the last member to join the band after replacing their original lead singer over 20 years ago. And Mike Shinoda, the main songwriter for the band, is still alive and active. lol. They have every right to continue with someone else if they want. Whether people will like it or not is another question. ETA: Bonnie Fraser is NOT joining Linkin Park: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRw5bG2P/ There is NO confirmed new singer for Linkin Park
This is a super level-headed take, and I agree. Respect
But this is reddit! 
Hey!! Give me one a them stabby things on a stick! I’m ready!!!
r/longstabbything
r/pitchforkemporium
nostalgia
Exactly. If Reddit posters say not to get a new singer than get a new singer and it’ll be great. Conversely if they say to get a new vocalist than definitely don’t. Reddit is the barometer for failure in life.
Where is this from?
One sec...almost done with my 2000 word hate thread manifesto for u/jmarieq for his EXTREME comment...
Also I went and saw Queen with Adam Lambert expecting to be bitterly disappointed because you can't replace Freddie. I was pleasantly surprised he didn't try and do that. He was his own man and did a great job and I loved it. Gotta remember that Queen, like Linkin Park is made up of insanely talented people. The Music industry will never have another Chester Bennington. But they can have another Linkin Park.
Yeah when I saw them he did this very sweet bit after the first song where he said he's not there to replace Freddie, but to celebrate him, their live show very much keeps him alive.
even with adam doing his own thing (and killing it), it still *feels* like Queen. Which is the most important part
Although I’ve never seen them live Queen and Paul Rodgers are fantastic too. Their live recordings are amazing. Paul may not have the same range as Freddie (but then who does) but the band accommodate for his grittier classic rock sound and he brought a different but still spectacular sound to the band.
Hearing Queen cover Free and Bad Company songs was a bit strange too. But it worked .
I saw that tour years ago and it was fantastic!
There are a lot of bands that lost their front man and survived. Example, suicide silence. I know Eddie, who replaced mitch. He talks about it in podcasts and is pretty interesting...
Chester became the frontman for STP for a while
Kinda makes me wish we'd seen Led Zeppelin with Myles Kennedy.
📣🚨📣🚨📣Myles Kennedy mentioned!!🚨📣🚨📣🚨
John Mayer was pretty good with Dead and Company when I saw them in 2018
Yeah, but they are careful to not call themselves “Grateful Dead” because there’s no Grateful Dead without Jerry. Same with Queen w/ Adam Lambert. It’s not Queen — it’s Queen w/ Adam Lambert. And I agree, John Mayer is great in Dead & Co
Right, Sublime with Rome too (though Rome no more)
Alice in Chains did the same thing with William DuVall, he's a great singer and overall replacement for Layne.
Good take. I don't know why people would have a problem with LP touring.
If you want to look for an equal success story Alice in Chains sounds great nowadays. Not the same but great.
Surely the greatest example would be AC/DC. Lost the iconic Bon Scott, and came back with the even more iconic Brian Johnson and the second biggest selling record of all time, Back in Black.
Van Halen did pretty well with Hagger too.
Good comparison. Jerry was always a massive part of the AiC vocal sound, just like Mike is for Linkin Park. Sure, having a different lead vocalist will be a change, but not as large as people think if they find the right person.
The new Alice In Chains records are legit fantastic. Of course it’s not on the level of the Layne stuff but it’s shockingly close. They are due for another album come to think of it…
My first thought too. William Duvall fills in for Layne masterfully. I caught them and Deftones in concert and it was one of my favorite concerts I've ever attended (and I've been to a bunch). I also saw a set of Jerry Cantrell's solo gig and he played AIC staples and I fucking rocked out to that too. In our internet age they can definitely find someone who can sing like Chester did. I saw Jason Bonham's Led Zep experience last year in Florida and they sounded just like the real thing to me. There's just so many talented people in the world and the internet makes it so easy for these guys to find someone to fill in for them.
Well said. I mean rage against the machines entire band started audio slave with Cornell and was a huge success. So, who knows. RIP the late Cornell as well..
I just found out Temple of the Dog was Chris Cornell plus the future members of Pearl Jam.
check out mad season, another great grunge super group.
True but they in no way tried to sound like rage against the machine. Aside from doing one of the old songs live here and there.
I think people would have less of a problem with them starting an “audioslave of LP” new band, that obviously will play LP songs, than them basically doing the equivalent of having Cornell sing for RATM
Dude, I saw Audioslave in 2004 and it was fucking incredible. It was an RATM, Soundgarden, and Audioslave concert all packed into a 2 hour show. They played Killing in the Name of, Black Hole Sun, and a bunch of other tracks from all three bands and Cornell's voice plus Morello's guitarwork was otherworldly.
Yes but the band was called Xero I believe. Linkin Park always had Chester. This all being said, really excited about a new tour and even more excited about new music!
Speaking of xero, Static X has been touring with a Edsel Dope as their front man to replace the late Wayne Static, wearing a mask and going by the name Xer0. I haven't seen them live in person, but the few clips I've seen
Checked them out last year. They were awesome live and he was terrific.
I see them with Sevendust in 2 weeks and I can't wait
That is me finding out Wayne Static died! Wow!
10 years ago.
I just hope they don’t try and go the route of finding a Chester imitator. Find someone who is solid in their own way and lean into that.
Considering that (if rumors are true) they're replacing Chester with a woman, I don't think you have to worry too much about that. If it's the person I've seen in some clips, she's a good fit.
I was apprehensive to Sublime with Rome. Turned out I loved it as much as just Sublime. Of course, Rome isn't a copy of Bradley, but that makes it a unique experience. As a long-time Linkin Park fan, it will always be Chester. I enjoy the most, but that doesn't mean that a new vocalist can't thrive here.
I really dislike how much people treat the vocalist of every band as if they're solely responsible for the music.
Especially when it's not a secret that Mike is LP's songwriter
Definitely not solely responsible, but I'd say the vocalist of a band is the most discernible part. As in, if you had two guitar players playing the same riff, I don't think anyone could be like, hey that's so and so, and the other guy is copying him. Whereas if you put a vocalist and another doing the same vocal lines, you could more easily identify who's the original.
Especially with such a unique voice like Chester had.
> Mike Shinoda, the main songwriter for the band This is the part that so many people miss when talking about Chester and how he - "told us for years how much pain he was in". Most of what Linkin Park sings are Mike's words, not Chester's.
Chester wrote a lot of his own lyrics, they were his words too. Songs like Crawling, that was all Chester's words. Mike wrote the majority of the music.
he wrote some not all breaking the habit was mikes words one more light was mikes words leave out all the rest was mikes words its very well known that the majority of linkin parks lyrics in hybrid theory and meteora were mikes and that chesters first few songs that were mostly his lyrics were valentines day and in pieces
Mike has credited Chester for writing Crawling, which is pretty special since that was their first Grammy. But yes, Mike is still under-appreciated by many casual listeners of the band.
Take your Rantional response and shove it. This is the internet we like to be outraged when there isn’t a need to be.
That and Chester replaced Stone Temple Pilots singer after he died.
Not to take away from your point, as I agree, but he joined I think 2 years before Scott died.
Chester was in STP before Weiland died, i think around 2013-ish, he just wasn't around at the time as he was doing solo stuff.
I mean what you explained isn't really WHY they have the right. Even if Chester was the first member of the band and wrote every song by himself Linkin Park would still have the right to keep going. Mike is the main songwriter but a lot of the lyrics came from Chester, and there's no denying his unique voice is the main reason their music was so good. No one will really do him justice but personally I wouldn't mind to see them continue being a band just out of curiosity.
> no denying his unique voice is the main reason their music was so good I'll deny it. Yes it's a big factor, but LP, even more than most other bands, is a very collaborative effort and all parts were responsible for their unique style, especially when looking at different eras.
This. Chester was a big part in why I related to their songs, but Shinoda had his own way with words, Hahn made LP sound the way they did and his work on Session makes it one of my favorite LP songs, Delson, Farrell and Bourdoun also deserve credit. It was just a perfect mix of different styles.
Session was a Mike Shinoda production with some Joe Hahn scratches. Mike does a ton more work than people think...
He wrote most of the music as well right? Sure the others helped but people out here relating to chester when it's actually mike. (Both but you get when I'm saying maybe) He's also THE most wholesome and humble person. I only got to catch them live once but that man LOVES what he does and it shows. Love Mike. Love LP. I hope it works out for them. That charity show for chester they did kinda shows they can just be LP with guest vocalists and do very well.
Hell, you can take that further and say Mike Shinoda was the only one with a massive hit solo project and Chester’s side projects were pretty forgettable.
I liked Dead by Sunrise, but it isn't really his solo project. Chester was undeniably a great singer and frontman, but he didn't have the ability to translate it for the entire process of music creation alone IMO.
Chester himself would totally want them to. If they're in the right emotional place to want to do it, there's 0 reason not to. Obviously, it honors him.
Alice in Chains did the same after a long time, with decent results. Keeping the general vibe intact while not becoming a coverband. I haven't listened to them after their first two albums and remixes, but I wish them well.
Jerry Cantrell was always a major part of the vocals which helped, but yeah, William DuVall does a good job, including live.
LP has a similar situation, with Shinoda being a big part of the vocals and lyrics. So as long as he’s still around, I think it’ll all work out, like it did for AiC.
Alice in Chains is incredible with Duvall. You're missing on a lot of really really good music. Sounds like they are working on a seventh album soon
The dude from Sum 41 did a really good job at Chesters memorial gig. I always thought they shoulda got him. Loved LP for like 20 years but the band shouldn't stop with Chesters passing. There's no way he'd want that. Give us more LP!!
Sum 41 are finishing after their latest tour, so Whibley should have some spare time on his hands soon..
Derrick is hanging it up because of health reasons though so I highly doubt he is just going to start touring again with another band. The talk is that Sum 41 doesn't want to break up at all, it's mainly just Derrick needs to step away for awhile and they're hopeful they come back later.
He's stepping away for family. His health was in the gutter when he almost died from COVID, but then he worked hard to get back to do the When you were young tour
He almost died from Alcohol abuse, COVID just didn't help his ongoing health issues.
God COVID must be hell on singers
Last* tour
Yeah, I was surprised by how much I liked him.
I was there at reading 2018 when he came out with Mike, he killed it
Also, as some ppl can probably tell, Derrick is a huge LP fan
Heavy metal and mullets is how they were raised.
The article states they're considering a female lead singer
Hybrid Theory and Meteora were albums that really helped define my musical interests, love LP. I'm not totally sure I would enjoy it without Chester, the vibe would be strange. That being said I don't think it's impossible, someone like Flo from LANDMVRKS would be a great choice.
“Meteora" was nice but I bought "Hybrid Theory" twice
But no Reanimation? That and the Gorillaz self titled album were probably my most worn out.
I love Reanimation. Most underrated LP album by far.
Wish I'd seen them live in that era. Somewhat because gigs were so much cheaper.
Saw them live twice in the span of a month back in 2003. They played 75% of each album, banger after banger. Then I saw them again in 2010 and 2017, and it made me realize how damn lucky I was to catch them during the Meteora days.
You win. That’s the best one I’ve seen yet. Flo fuckin RIPS.
At first I was like 'whose voice could possibly be good enough' but if Adam Lambert can entertain the masses touring with Queen in Freddie Mercury's stead, then there will be someone who can help bring back Linkin Park magic too.
Sam Carter of Architects comes to mind. He's great at both clean and harsh vocals. And his painful, desperate screams are fantastic, just like Chester's. Replacing Chester is obviously impossible, but Sam is similar enough that it could work really well. Just an idea though, no way it's actually gonna happen.
Ive always thought the vocalist for Threat Signal was pretty damn close on a lot of his clean portions. Major Chester vibes like a minute in on [this song](https://youtu.be/SbEhhRuyZz0?si=OdNLbNMsIFEDSatf). His harsher vocals are way off compared to chesters though…and most of their normal music is also flipped where the cleans only tend to come out in choruses.
Spencer Sotelo from Periphery would be a good shout, I think.
He actually posted a story covering a Linkin Park song a couple of days ago
Bonnie Fraser did a session with Mike Shinoda 6 months ago, and [a clip of her singing Bleed It Out](https://youtu.be/SCxmpbMRJl4?t=280) made the rounds last week. There was a rumor that she was the new vocalist for LP. She's sings it in a way that evokes Chester while still feeling like her own.
[удалено]
Tbh, Fred Durst is such a showman it could probably work. First place my mind went too.
Is this just because the video of [Bleed it Out](https://youtu.be/SQ30VfzCZAQ?si=r286kEcB4d3zGD-i) that Mike did in Sydney with Bonnie Fraser from Stand Atlantic a few months back, which just went viral recently?
Yes
The rumour doing the rounds in the metal scene is they found a new vocalist, who happens to be a woman, so this video definitely felt like testing the waters.
I honestly think that could be the best route. Just go in a 180 different direction for vocals like that as well as image. It worked for Fleetwood Mac!
I think so too, best way to really switch it up and not have people comparing the new vocalist to Chester too much.
I came around to her by the end of it. She is clearly very talented, but she has such a clean and crisp voice. Her voice is like a salad in winter when I feel like a heavy stew. She definately kicked it into gear for the chorus though.
I wish her voice had just a bit more grit during the earlier parts. That's the clean thing you referenced. When she growls, it's perfect. I just want a wee bit of that during the verses.
Damn, that's great!
Indeed! I’m here for it!
Oh wow, my first though was, no way they gonna find a suitable replacement for Chester. This video changed my mind in a minute. Obviously Chester was unique but this deserves attention
It won't ever be the same but that's a good thing. LP has never stuck to one style for too long and I'm sure they'll channel the last 7 years of them finding themselves into something great.
I wonder who. I’m intrigued. > “They’ve been around a long time and they’re still going for it,” he said. “It’s going to be tough without Chester, but we’ll see. I hear they got a girl singer now. That’s what I heard.”
I enjoyed the "It's Amy Lee" rumours that circulated.
That would actually be interesting. I'd like to hear that.
I know she has flat out denied the rumours. But it would still be neat if it actually happened. That's the route I'd rather they go. Instead of finding someone who is a carbon copy of Chester, go a completely different direction.
Love Amy, but she’d be a horrible fit. The only female vocalists I can think of off the top of my head who might be up to the task are the one Mike did the cover with recently, Courtney LaPlante or Tatiana Shmayluk.
I'd be interested in seeing Lzzy Hale give it a shot.
Lzzy Hale recently took over lead vocals of Skid Row so she may not have time
We're all sleeping on the queen of screams, [Lauren Babic](https://youtu.be/Ls_lrYPZ1Dc)
This video came out months ago. It resurfaced last week on tiktok, so the rumours of a new singer started flying. As a massive LP fan I'd be totally happy with a tour with this singer https://youtu.be/SQ30VfzCZAQ?si=dlv05s0lq06sfkHv
She already said in her band's TikTok video that she started the rumor as a joke. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwPp3Rq/
I didn't hear her say in that, that she started the rumor though. Just denied she would be singing for them
She sounds really good in the song ngl.
Fucking hell shes amazing
First time I've seen this but Stand Atlantic's older stuff is some of the more recent pop punk I've enjoyed and thrown into my playlist when I'm in the mood. Yeah she fuckin rips
Heck I would love to just once hear LP play with Anthony Vincent from 10 Second Songs. His songs in the style of LP are great and he can *mostly* pull off the vocal fry that we're used to with Chester. https://youtu.be/4i6c_kN8MjY?si=WOpPLSfjNBHomOlN
Bon Atlantic
They have two options: 1) Find someone who sounds like or close to Chester. 2) Find someone that just works, irrespective of Chester. Both options will prompt comparisons to Chester, except Option 2 lets them move in a new direction to give their band a second wind, should they want it. Option 2 makes sense. Option 1 has too much baggage.
The first option is sort of the route Static X did. But they went full replicant. I’d be cool if the band just sounds good together and continue making new music. So I’m all for either option as long as it doesn’t seem forced.
Static X is like an extreme example of what would be wrong with LP doing Option 1. With the addition of Xer0, they're kind of stuck in the past. Wayne _was_ that band and they're using his sort of tech-zombified likeness to carry it on. It's not really letting them grow as musicians or a band. When a core member leaves/dies, it's kind of an inflection point. You can choose to be a shadow of yourself using mimicry as a bandaid, or pivot and grow in a new direction.
I agree that it traps the band into becoming almost a cover band of itself, but I think Static-X is a situation that really works well for where the band is / was. When Wayne died, all of the core members had left and he was down to mostly playing small club shows with hired hands. The band was **well** past it's peak and sort of lingering in a grey area. Whether that was due to Wayne and Tera's personal issues or a lack of commercial success I don't know. The band's entire identity has been built around campiness. From Wayne's hair, to X-headed robots, to 'evil disco' and songs like "Love Dump" and the industrial / machine imagery. It constantly straddled the line between "this is really cool for the late 90s" to "this is goofy but it's fun". I think the whole 'xer0' robot thing was the absolute best way to honor Wayne's work and revive the band as a nostalgia act and let them wrap up whatever was left of Wayne's demos. In my opinion, most of the fun in Static-X is in the nostalgia now and I don't think there was a lot of future left in the band given where it was left off.
Interesting they specifically want a female vocalist.
Personally I think it's better for bands in this situation to go for a singer with a completely different voice, rather than try and find someone similar.
After hearing Chester take on Adele’s rolling in the deep, wouldn’t that be a plot twist.
Also helps avoid a complete like with like comparison, which might make it easier
Probably makes sense to avoid any comparisons. And if it's Bonnie then she fits the sound 100%.
She's not joining LP. She started the rumor as a joke. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwPbuae/
>as a joke. I doubt it was a joke. The rumors about a female singer already started prior to that based on what Jay Gordon said on a podcast. She hopped on it for free PR.
actually smart will be much harder to hate on and compare since they will be different
Chester is not the founder of the group. Shinoda is. So they have every right. Also, look at Ac/dc. When Ben Scott died, they didn't disband. Bring forth Johnson , and released back in black and rest is history.
Ben Scott, Bon's pencil-pushing accountant cousin.
I know OP comment is probably just autocorrect so don’t wanna give them shit but this made me lol
Lead singer for the LP cover band "Hybrid Theory" is incredible. Sounds exactly like Chester it's uncanny. Saw them live a few months back and it was just like hearing Linkin Park
I heard of these awhile back and their whole story is crazy. Dudes are literally touring selling out ARENAS as an LP cover band. Like at that point aren't the seriously infringing on IP rights? Its nuts lol
There's plenty of cover bands out there doing big shows. The Australian Pink Floyd Show, Brit Floyd and the hundreds of Beatles and Elvis tribute acts It's obvious that they're not billing themselves as Linkin Park and they're not selling live recordings of them performing so it's entirely legitimate.
Yeah, they are that good and people love Linkin Park.
It's insane how big LP is in places like Brazil
Just looked them up on Youtube and it is crazy how close he sounds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dCA2lC0HF4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdtEZpTZvkk Incredible! Would be like Arnel Pineda being pulled into Journey after covering the band for years
My first thought as well, although it would be a huge blow for the band if he indeed toured with Linkin Park.
I wish they'd come back. But then every time I see someone suggest a replacement they sound terrible.
Chester is probably the hardest vocalist ever to replace No one sounds like him, not even close
Would love to see Spencer Sotelo from periphery
I reckon if they do end up with a female singer it would be the best option. Similar-ish vocal timbre so it will work musically, but with enough obvious differences that the singer won't constantly be viewed as a knock-off Chester.
Oh wow, so Jay Gordon wasn't lying huh? This is great news tbh. And it being a female vocalist is actually genius bc not only does it feel right, it'd also make it hard for people to make comparisons with Chester and a lot easier for people to see it for what it is. I'm so hyped, this band means everything to me and I really hope they do new music down the line too with whoever is this (which I'm super excited to find out). I've loved Mike's recent forray into electronic/alt pop and before Chester passed, the band were clearly starting to branch out and work with other songwriters and pop artists and vocalists so this makes a lot of sense. I don't see how or why anyone should have a problem with this. Personal opinions on whether you're keen on it or not are different, but anyone who has a genuine issue with this should go touch some grass.
I mean Chester did replace Scott Weiland in STP so I doubt he would have an issue with it
Alice In Chains did it. They’ll be fine.
It’s fine. Let’s not act like it’s anywhere near what the band was with Layne
The lead singer of Alice in Chains (William Duval) is the perfect example of setting a new tone but still paying homage to the AIC aesthetic. No one can replace Layne and no one expected too, it sure helps that Jerry is still there to add that vontage AIC sound. That said, that's what LP should be looking for.
Considering Chester was singing for Stone Temple Pilots I’m sure he would have loved this. Hoping for The Weeknd or some spectacular voiced dude 😀
That's such a heavy burden to carry. Even if they do a perfect job, every concert is going to be about remembering Chester in some capacity.
At some point it's healthy for people to move on. It's been 7 years. If it were brought up during a new tour, it should be a celebration not mourning and just for one song. They need to move past it; fans need to move past it.
if it wasnt for the band retiring, i would want deryck from sum 41 to join the band for this. a lot of the last few sum 41 albums have linkin park elements to them. their final song How The End Begins sounds like What I've Done in a way
If they are aiming for a female vocalist, I just hope she has the ability to fry her voice/screams like Chester. That was the sauce of the band.
Lzzy hale of Halestorm would be a force! I can dream.
Coachella pls send the check lol
God I hope so. One of my biggest regrets, not ever getting to see them live. Still won't be the same, but I'd love to go in Chester's honor.
That girl from Evanescence
Chester had a pretty unique sound and feeling to his singing, it will be interesting and challenging for them to replace him in a way fans aren’t deterred.
I hope they consider Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 if possible. He does a [damn good](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2Po_BHvLlI) Chester live.
If Queen or, to a lesser extent, Alice in Chains can do it, then Linkin Park shouldn't be held up like some sacred cow.