The recent announcement of LINKIN PARK‘s reunion with a new vocalist has sent shockwaves through the music community. However, the most significant impact has been felt by those closest to the band, particularly the family of the late Chester Bennington.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Chester Bennington‘s mother, Susan Eubanks, shared that the band had assured her they would inform her if they ever considered moving forward. Over the years, she had crossed paths with the band’s other vocalist, rapper Mike Shinoda, and turntablist Joe Hahn, but says neither brought up any plans for a reunion. When she heard the news, it came as a sudden shock.
“I feel betrayed,” Susan said. “They told me that if they were ever going to do something, they would let me know. They didn’t let me know, and they probably knew that I wouldn’t going to be very happy. I’m very upset about it.”
“I feel like they’re trying very hard to erase the past. They’re performing songs that Chester sang. And I don’t know how the fans are taking it, but I know how I take it. And having [Emily Armstrong, new LINKIN PARK vocalist] singing my son’s songs is hurtful.
“They said they would let the family know if they were going to reunite. They did not. [Bennington’s first wife] Samantha and [son] Draven didn’t know until it was told to the world. It was the same for me and it hurt.
“I have seen Joe Hahn a few times since Chester died,” she added. “The last time was maybe four, five years ago. And he promised that he would let me know what was going on, and he didn’t have any intention of starting the band back up.
“And I saw Mike Shinoda about two years ago. He promised to tell the family what was going on. And he did reach out when they were going to release some songs [with Chester on them] that they had that were new. He let Samantha and Draven know, and then Samantha let me know. He tried very hard to recreate a relationship with Samantha. She was willing to do that. They didn’t talk about Chester’s death; they talked about Chester’s life. And that was very important that she would call me and let me know what they talked about: How’s he doing? How’s his family doing? It was all of us. She told him that she has regular conversations with me and Draven as well. And that if he wanted to tell her something, she would be sure to tell me. And he said, “OK.”
Susan also said she found out about Emily Armstrong joining the band from Google.
“I found out about Emily Armstrong joining the band on Google. When I go to Google to look for something, the first thing that often pops up is LINKIN PARK. And I saw that whole thing of, ‘“’We have an announcement.’”’ That whole week, they were at the top if you go enter anything into Google.
Since Armstrong was announced as the new vocalist, Chester Bennington‘s son Jaime has been highly critical of the decision on social media. In response to the backlash, Bennington offered a three-part explanation for why people might struggle to accept the new lineup. One of his points was a claim that LINKIN PARK had “quietly erased my father’s life and legacy” during a recent interview, even during International Suicide Prevention Month.
Despite his objections, Bennington attended the show seeking closure. He shared that his attempts to contact the band for tickets were ignored, forcing him to secure them through a friend.
Before playing the final song of their encore, Shinoda addressed the audience, asking for a show of hands from those who had seen LINKIN PARK previously and those who were attending their first show.
Impressed by the nearly equal number of first-time attendees, Shinoda continued his remarks: “That’s incredible. That’s part of why we’re back out there. It is not about erasing the past – it is about starting this new chapter into the future, and coming out here for each and every one of you.”
“We love playing for you guys, we love writing this music – we’re very f**king excited about the new record,” he continued. “So thank you guys very much – we’ve had an incredible night with you. Hopefully we’ll see you soon.” The band then finished out the evening with “Bleed It Out” which can be seen along with the speech below.
Was Shinoda indirectly addressing Bennington‘s accusation of LINKIN PARK erasing Chester Bennington‘s legacy? The use of the phrase “erasing the past” in Shinoda‘s speech aligns with Bennington‘s wording. Additionally, the band’s previous livestream, where they encouraged the audience to become Chester‘s voice and sing along, further suggests a potential connection to the ongoing controversy.
LINKIN PARK recently dropped a new single titled “The Emptiness Machine” and revealed that their upcoming album, From Zero, is set to be released on November 15 through Warner. This will be the band’s first full-length album since 2017’s One More Light, which was the final album featuring late lead vocalist Chester Bennington.
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