Papa Roach frontman Jacoby Shaddix sat down with Zach Sang Show for a new interview and talked about Linkin Park’s new singer Emily Armstrong.
“He was such an iconic [voice]. He was another one that took his pain and turned it into purpose through his music. To lose him is tough. You see them coming back now and they’ve got a new singer and I got to tell you, a couple of them new songs f*cking rip, they’re great. But there’s part of me that just totally loves it and then part of me is just like it just hurts my heart like, ‘Damn.’ The new singer, she’s killing it, but it’s like, ‘God I just want to hear Chester sing that sh*t.’”
Since her addition to the band, Armstrong has been receiving backlash from Linkin Park fans. However, Shaddix doesn’t support the backlash.
“People wanna hear this [music].’ And so it’s awesome that their music can be celebrated. I know people are very polarized about this, but I look at it like when Stone Temple Pilots lost [singer] Scott Weiland. Who stepped in? Chester. Chester stepped in to carry that flag for rock and roll,” Shaddix said. “So it makes sense why somebody would step in in his place and in his absence to carry that flag and to bring that message to the people, because it’s a hopeful message.”
In early September, Linkin Park announced their return with new vocalist Emily Armstrong. They performed and released their latest single, ‘The Emptiness Machine,’ from the album ‘From Zero.’ Some fans criticized Armstrong’s addition due to her ties to Scientology and support for Danny Masterson.
Other than Shaddix, other rockers shared their thoughts on the band’s move.
“I listened. I saw some videos. The new female singer, great! She fits the band. She sounds great and good luck to them,” Gene Simmons told Forbes.
“Life is short. Go out there and live it up, enjoy it. Linkin Park got fans. They want to hear the songs and the music. Why not? There are bands that tour, Lynyrd Skynyrd, lots of bands that barely have any original members or no original members. People want to hear those songs,” the bassist added.
Brent Smith also shared his thoughts: “The entire world knows [Chester is] irreplaceable because he was one of a kind. But with all that said, there’s an audience that misses this band, their presence, and what they represent. So I ask all of you… Give them the chance to not close their chapter. Let them celebrate their legacy and create a new one.”
Linkin Park’s new album will be released on November 15, 2024. The band started a six-show arena tour on September 11 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, set to end in Bogota, Colombia, on November 11, 2024.