Linkin Park return from hiatus with a new line-up, announce new album + tour

[Benji]

If I had to choose between publicly going against one of the scariest and most powerful cults in the world and by proxy losing all my friends and family since the day I was born (and also making them potential pariahs due to their relation to me), and just... not doing that... I think I know which I'd choose. It's easy to say "it's [her] responsibility" from a point of no consequences for you, but sat in the same seat, I know what 99.9% of us here would do. I don't like it, but I'm not going to hold it against her personally.

[Your Mom]

2 hours ago, Benji said:

Keep in mind that she grew up in Scientology, and that regardless of her beliefs about the faith, there are "unspoken" rulings about shunning ex-members that would disconnect her from friends and family if she left. I can't imagine that kind of action would come easily to anyone.

I can see this totally. It's a reprehensible religion but losing literally everyone in your life could not be easy. I'm not sure I would be able to do it. I lost 3 people when I came out and it crushed me for the longest time I can't imagine having no one.

That said however it's impossible to know what she actually believes without her coming out and saying so. Maybe she is trapped or maybe she is a believer in everything they stand for.

[JasonM]

To be honest, whether her apology is earnest or not. (I am a cynic who errs on it being PR spin), the even more cynical side in me sees it not even mattering because Warner undoubtedly have invested a shitload of money/resources into this Linkin Park revival project and the only thing they would ever want to do right by is their own pockets.

Even beside the point, I am just very 'ugh' on LP², it's a band which I have deeply fond memories for spanning my roughest teenage years, and Chester is a voice that ultimately cannot be replaced. Them going with new content rather than treading on existing music is/was a respectable choice, but at the same time this could have been a project that doesn't need to bear the Linkin Park name, and the fact they are calling it Linkin Park feels more like an admission from Shinoda/Warner in that any project without the LP name attached won't be a success.

It's just ultimately whatever. I even kind of like the song, despite Emily being a dubious person whose background shouldve been sussed out on day 1 by anybody with access to the internet. But again, this could be a different project, let Linkin Park rest.

You can't say you do right by Chester, because the one person who can decide that has been dead for seven years. So don't even bother. And as much as Shinoda wants to imagine the sum of the parts are equally important to LPs identity as Chester was, they simply aren't and they never were. They were a fantastic outfit, but nobody was listening for a Shinoda rap break.

But I admit I am being emotional right now, and being overly harsh about everything.

[Benji]

18 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

I can see this totally. It's a reprehensible religion but losing literally everyone in your life could not be easy. I'm not sure I would be able to do it. I lost 3 people when I came out and it crushed me for the longest time I can't imagine having no one.

I didn't know this about you! I'm sorry you had to go through that, it takes a very brave person to do that ❤️ 

[Bobfoc]

As someone who was never a big Linkin Park fan and only knows their most famous songs, I don't have a strong opinion as to whether or not they should have put this version of the band together. I think AC/DC did a good job of respecting Bon Scott's legacy when he died and Brian Johnson took over, but it was also well documented that Scott had been a fan of Johnson's and his family had approved of the replacement.

I don't know what Chester's wishes for Linkin Park were, so I won't judge the others before that information comes to light. I do, however, find it presumptuous when fans immediately take either the "This is what Chester would have wanted" or the "Chester would be spinning in his grave" line.

[apsham]

51 minutes ago, Benji said:

If I had to choose between publicly going against one of the scariest and most powerful cults in the world and by proxy losing all my friends and family since the day I was born (and also making them potential pariahs due to their relation to me), and just... not doing that... I think I know which I'd choose. It's easy to say "it's [her] responsibility" from a point of no consequences for you, but sat in the same seat, I know what 99.9% of us here would do. I don't like it, but I'm not going to hold it against her personally.

I've lost more family than I have because I didn't want to live in a very shitty situation and that's something I carry with me every day. I'm not in the market for making excuses for shitty practices just because it's fun to hear a nu-metal band that I listened to in the early 2000s. It should abso-fucking-lutely be a responsibility of every person walking this earth to not actively contribute to shitty people, shitty practices and shitty situations that ruin and end lives. A person can take that responsibility or not for a variety of reasons, and maybe someday they will when they're more than able to now.

My personal hope is that, if at all possible, if she's coming at this from a direction of the love of music and the message of some of the things that Linkin Park stood for are true then she has the ability to move away from anything that actively harms other people with this opportunity. It'd be really awesome.

And this is - 100% if what Cedric Bixler-Zavala and his wife are saying is true - but as former members themselves who say the exact same things that other former members have, there's no reason for me to doubt that.

[GhostMachine]

All I'm going to say is, if you haven't already, watch Leah Remini's series about Scientology. It will both scare you AND piss you off.

[K]

Brad Delson, the guitarist, has pulled out of the tour.

That leaves original members at Mike Shinoda, Dj Hahn, and Phoenix, the basist, for the upcoming tour.

[Adam]

I wouldn't feel right just presuming she is "stuck" in Scientology or whatever. Most people in a cult fully and firmly believe and go along with what that cult is doing until such a point as they get out of it, if they ever want to or can. The fact that the Scientology link wasn't mentioned at all in her statement made me very dubious, because if it was a tenuous link or something she isn't involved with anymore, I'd think she'd have acknowledged it but who knows.

I'm also of the mind that it would have been fine to do this project and it just not be called Linkin Park. It is a new band regardless of the name because Chester is sadly not there. AC/DC moved on with Brian Johnson in a completely different era, the Gallaghers still sang Oasis songs on tour with their new bands, so it's not like they couldn't continue the LP legacy under a new guise, but it is what it is.

[DFF]

On 08/09/2024 at 08:38, K said:

Brad Delson, the guitarist, has pulled out of the tour.

That leaves original members at Mike Shinoda, Dj Hahn, and Phoenix, the basist, for the upcoming tour.

This was sort of announced on the live show, Shinoda announced that they had a dep for Brad (implying he's still in the band, just not on this particular tour). 

[K]

Having seen Linkin Park a couple times before, I'm not particularly hype to go to this tour. There's a linkin park tribute act coming to stockholm in a couple weeks, maybe I will go see that for about 1/5th the price.

[Benji]

My favourite argument in this has been seeing "Chester wouldn't have wanted to have been replaced when he died". That's not knowable to a random regardless, but even ignoring that - the guy dealt with a lot of suicidal ideation and I'm sure he would have discussed his wishes with the band and all involved a long time ago. Add to that - Chester himself replaced Scott Weiland in STP after his death, he's likely more than aware and supportive of his legacy continuing well beyond his death if he's going to take any side in that argument.

[Bobfoc]

Just a small correction - Chester joined Stone Temple Pilots a couple of years before Weiland's death.

[Benji]

7 minutes ago, Bobfoc said:

Just a small correction - Chester joined Stone Temple Pilots a couple of years before Weiland's death.

Oops, good point!