Despite the massive praise surrounding the planned Linkin Park return, the band has come under fire by Jamie Bennington, the son of former lead singer Chester Bennington.
This comes after the group played a pop-out concert on September 5th, where they unveiled their new female singer, Emily Armstrong, formerly of the group Dead Sara. The announcement also included details of a new album, From Zero, and the latest single, ‘The Emptiness Machine’.
Given Armstrong’s history with the Church of Scientology, Jamie Bennington stated that the group should have been a lot more thorough in their background check when searching for a new singer, claiming that their actions “betrayed the trust” of the group’s diverse fanbase.
The show marked the first time the group shared the stage together since the memorial concerts for Bennington following his tragic passing in 2017. During a break in the tour for their album One More Light, Bennington was found unresponsive at his home, having taken his own life.
Following the concert, vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala of At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta spoke up regarding Armstrong’s involvement with the church and her allegiance with actor and sexual abuser Danny Masterson, who was convicted for the sexual assault of multiple women, one of which included Bixler-Zavala’s wife.
In a statement, Jamie thought the band did not adequately respond to the allegations, saying, “When something happens, take accountability for what you did.” He also went on to say that the new imagining of the group “quietly erased my father’s life and legacy in real time” and that he wasn’t told about the reunion or even offered a ticket to attend the show.
In a post released shortly after the information was made public, Armstrong posted a response to her past behaviour, stating, “Several years ago, I was asked to support someone I considered a friend at a court appearance. Soon after, I realized I shouldn’t have. I always try to see the good in people and I misjudged him. I have never spoken with him since.”
Since Armstrong’s announcement as the new singer, co-frontman Mike Shinoda has yet to release any statement on whether or not they knew about her past. When talking about fans’ polarising response to having a new singer, Shinoda has responded that while he understands why many people may be uncomfortable accepting someone like Armstrong into Bennington’s role, he would not tolerate any disrespect lobbied towards the group.