Pioneers of the nu-metal rise in the early 00s, Linkin Park’s debut album Hybrid Theory (2000) still holds the title of best-selling debut album of the 21st century. Their meteoric rise (pun unintended) was in no small part due to the iconic vocals provided by the late Chester Bennington. Bennington’s raw and emotive lyrical performances soundtracked the teenage years of countless Millenials, with Linkin Park often serving as the gateway band, bridging the gap between mainstream music and heavier music. For myself, someone who struggled with my mental health throughout my teenage years, Chester Bennington’s death in 2017 was absolutely devastating. It felt like the end of an era.
It came as no surprise then, that the 2024 return of Linkin Park, with Emily Armstrong as the new co-lead vocalist, was met with anything but indifference. Despite founding member Mike Shinoda stating that Armstrong is not trying to replace or emulate Bennington, but instead celebrate his legacy and forge a new chapter for Linkin Park – the decision to move forward with a new singer drew some heavy (and often unwarranted) criticism, from fans both current and lapsed. It has been a testament to Armstrong’s character that she has weathered more criticism than some musicians will face in their entire career, all before she even stepped onto the stage for the first time.
Despite the negativity, Linkin Park’s eighth album From Zero, the first of the post-Chester era, has been a showcase in resilience. Not quite a reinvention (a side by side comparison of Heavy is the Crown with 2003’s Faint shows that the soul of Linkin Park is still strong) , but certainly not a rehash (with Overflow sounding like nothing Linkin Park have released before), From Zero has reignited the passion of old fans, while capturing a whole new audience of fans, those too young to remember the experience of opening Windows Media Player and blasting InTheEnd.mp3 on the family desktop computer.
Walking into Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday – it felt like we were in for a special night. The sole support act on all of the Aussie dates was Sydney metalcore band Polaris. The influence of Linkin Park is evident all through Polaris’ catalogue, and the significance of the stage they were standing on was not lost on them. Polaris gave us everything they had, and proved that they deserved every bit of that billing. It’s quite rare for a support band to get a pit going as rowdy as Polaris had – let alone a wall of death spanning the entire floor of Sydney’s biggest arena.
From the first song it was clear that this is still Linkin Park, and that they are exactly where they belong. They are at home on that stage. The energy, the passion, and the synergy between everyone was undeniable and the interactions between Armstrong and the rest of the band felt wholesome and completely natural. The setlist spanned generations, sampling almost equally from past Linkin Park albums, and including material from Shinoda’s Fort Minor side project. When it came time for Shinoda’s solo medley, he called out a tweet he had seen criticising him for performing the same verse at each show. In response, Shinoda went all out, performing verses from six different songs, finishing up on the iconic Fort Minor track Remember the Name. Throughout the set Armstrong and Shinoda bounced off each other effortlessly, including incredibly emotional renditions of Lost and Leave Out All The Rest, performed back to back. Armstrong even joined the crowd in serenading Joe Hahn with Whitney Houston’s I Will Always Love You, as a cake was brought out for Hahn’s 49th birthday (said cake was swiftly yeeted into the crowd moments later). Like I said – a special night.
The last time Linkin Park played in Sydney was their 2013 Soundwave Festival (RIP) set, a mere 350m away from where they performed tonight. During that set, Chester stopped the band during Points of Authority to get medical help for a fan in the crowd. In a moment that felt eerily reminiscent of that set, Emily stopped the band during the start of Faint to call on paramedics for a fan who had collapsed in the pit. Like some sort of strange kismet.
For anyone doubting the authenticity of this chapter of Linkin Park – go to a show. This is a band that has risen from the ashes of incredible loss and heartbreak, and the talent, drive, passion, and love each of these members have is evident in every single second that they are on that stage. This is still Linkin Park.
Photos and review: Britt Andrews
