Skillet frontman John Cooper discussed Linkin Park’s new direction following Chester Bennington’s passing in an interview with Teraz Rock.
Cooper offered his thoughts on Linkin Park’s new album ‘From Zero.’ He specifically highlighted the vocal performance of Emily Armstrong.
“[Linkin Park’s new album ‘From Zero’] is really, really fantastic. I actually think it’s kind of almost eerie how much [Emily Armstrong] sounds like Chester when she screams. It’s kind of eerie, actually. She sounds so much like him,” Cooper said. “Especially that it’s a girl sounding like him, it’s kind of mind-boggling to me. So, yeah, I think it’s absolutely fantastic.”
Cooper drew parallels with other successful band transitions while explaining his perspective about the band’s evolution.
“Look, this is my personal opinion. I don’t mean it negative in any way. I actually mean it as a positive,” he explained. “I think that sometimes when you have a change of a major force — Chester was a force — the change can also be really, really good. But sometimes for me it, I almost view it as a new act.”
Cooper referenced other notable band transformations in rock history to illustrate his point.
“Maybe here’s a good way to say it. U2 never changed Bono, but, to me, U2 is split into two different eras that are very, very different,” he said. “You have early U2, ‘War’ and ‘The Joshua Tree’ and ‘Rattle And Hum,’ which is just so amazing and so iconic. Nobody ever sounded like that before. Then you have the other U2, which is also really, really good. But it’s tough to compare because they’re good for different reasons.”
Cooper strengthened his perspective with another example from rock history.
“I actually view Van Halen and, as I call them, Van Hagar — both are really, really good,” he continued. “But David Lee Roth, are you kidding me? He is the best frontman of all time. But then you’ve got Sammy Hagar and you have some of Van Halen’s best songs they ever wrote with him singing. That’s kind of how I view the Linkin Park thing.”
Cooper’s comments coincide with a significant period in Linkin Park’s journey. The band has recently embarked on a new musical chapter.
Wikipedia documented the release of ‘From Zero’ on November 15, 2024. The album features new vocalist Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain. It marks a return to the band’s nu metal and alternative metal roots while exploring experimental elements from their previous work.
Consequence reported that the band released an a cappella version of ‘From Zero.’ This special edition showcases the vocal interplay between Armstrong and Mike Shinoda.
In a statement captured by Blabbermouth, Shinoda expressed his enthusiasm for the band’s new direction. He praised Armstrong’s contributions, noting that “she’s done such a great job” since joining the band.
The band has released several singles from the album. These include “The Emptiness Machine,” “Heavy Is the Crown,” “Over Each Other,” and “Two Faced.” Each track demonstrates the band’s evolution while preserving their signature sound.
