It has certainly been quite a month for Linkin Park fans. After years of stepping back from the stage to grieve Chester Bennington’s death, the band made their return with a livestreamed event on September 5. During this spectacle, they not only announced new music and a tour but also introduced their new co-lead vocalist, Emily Armstrong.
Her addition sparked a wide range of reactions among followers of the iconic band. While some believed Linkin Park should evolve and welcomed the new singer, others expressed their outrage on social media, feeling that Chester’s legacy was being undermined by the change.
The Bennington family did not remain silent in response to this news. After his son Jaime publicly criticized the group for replacing Chester, his mother has now also broken her silence.
Chester Bennington’s mother responds to Linkin Park’s comeback decision
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Chester Bennington’s mother, Susan Eubanks, expressed her disappointment that Linkin Park decided to move forward without informing her first. She noted that they had initially promised to let her know if such a decision was made.
“I feel betrayed,” she said. “They told me that if they were ever going to do something, they would let me know. They didn’t inform me, and they probably knew that I [wasn’t] going to be very happy. I’m very upset about it.”
Plus, Eubanks didn’t hold back in her criticism of Emily Armstrong’s performance as Chester’s replacement. She expressed her dissatisfaction with the choice, particularly regarding Armstrong’s vocal abilities.
“It was just a moment. But it was her, I’m just going to say it, screeching her way through a very high note. And I got out of there as fast as I could. And when I heard that, I was just so repelled that no, they’re trying to do exactly what Chester did, but they’re not succeeding at it”.
The core of her frustration, however, was that she wasn’t informed about the band’s official comeback, including the tour and new album, nor about the addition of a new co-lead singer. Susan explained that although she had encountered Mike Shinoda and Joe Hahn over the past years, neither mentioned a reunion. They only reached out once to let her know they would be using Chester’s vocals in future songs.
