Perhaps one of the most tragic losses in the rock music scene was Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington’s. When the rocker passed away in 2017, he left millions of fans heartbroken and his band without their lead singer. While many bands would recruit a new vocalist or decide to call it quits following the passing of one of their most essential members, Linkin Park is still stuck in the middle.
The band neither works with another singer nor has announced their disbandment since they lost Bennington. Today, we’re here to see what Mike Shinoda said in the past regarding the band’s future plans and their recent statement about working on new material. Are Linkin Park fans going to see a replacement of the late frontman? Let’s take a look.
Chester Bennington Tragically Passed Away
It was publicly known that Chester Bennington struggled with depression and substance abuse for most of his life, starting from his childhood. The singer was outspoken about his struggle with mental health issues which made his tragic passing somewhat expected.
It all happened while he was on vacation in Arizona with his wife and family. Bennington returned home alone, saying he had work to do, but his housekeeper found his body at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, on July 20, 2017.
A toxicology report released in December reported a trace amount of alcohol in Bennington’s system at the time of death which meant he wasn’t under the influence of any substance. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging, and he was only 41 years old.
What Does The Future Hold For Linkin Park?
Following the passing of Chester Bennington, his bandmates were in a great deal of pain, just like the rest of the rock community. His close friend Mike Shinoda was the first one to confirm his death on his official Twitter page, stating he’s shocked and heartbroken.
On August 22, Linkin Park performed a tribute concert, titled Linkin Park and Friends: Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington, that took place on October 27 at the Hollywood Bowl. The event included the band’s first performance following Bennington’s death.
In addition to the live performance, the band released a live album compiled from their final tour with Bennington, titled ‘One More Light Live’ on December 15. They have been musically inactive for the past four years when it comes to releasing new material, which brings to the question of having a new frontman.
During an interview with Rock Antenne in 2019, Mike Shinoda was asked if the band would ever look for another singer. According to him, the band could consider working with another frontman in the future if it happens naturally. He also noted that having a new member wouldn’t necessarily mean replacing Chester.
In the interview, Shinoda said:
“That’s not my goal right now. I think it has to happen naturally. And if we find somebody that’s a great person that we think is a good personality fit and a good stylistic fit, then I could see trying to do some stuff with somebody. The potential lineup change wouldn’t be for the sake of replacing Bennington, as I wouldn’t wanna ever feel like we were replacing Chester.”
Although bassist Dave Farrell revealed last year that the band had been working on new musical ideas during the coronavirus lockdown, Shinoda recently said that the band isn’t planning on coming back. According to him, they aren’t capable of working on new music emotionally and creatively, which means it isn’t about having a new lead singer; it’s about still grieving Chester Bennington.
