The Reason Linkin Park Didn’t Change Their Name for Their Return

There’s a reason Linkin Park didn’t change their band name for their return.

Last week, the rockers made a massive comeback when they announced the additions of Emily Armstrong as their new co-vocalist and Colin Brittain as their new drummer alongside the return of Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell and Joe Hahn.

After playing their first show in years to an intimate crowd in Los Angeles, sharing the track “The Emptiness Machine,” announcing an upcoming album and a handful of 2024 tour dates, the internet was flooded with reactions. As usual, the sentiments were pretty polarized.

One of the most common criticisms has been the fact that Linkin Park kept their band name despite the absence of late singer Chester Bennington.

“Emily Armstrong is an amazing vocalist but I feel her and the rest of Linkin Park should just start a new project instead of using the Linkin Park name and songs. I’ve alr mentioned in the past that some projects deserve to rest with dignity and Linkin Park is one of them,” one such posts on X reads.

During an interview with Chicago’s Q101, Shinoda admitted that they actually did entertain the idea of regrouping under a new moniker and even having a revolving lineup with different vocalists coming in. They were open-minded throughout the process, but as the music came to life, the questions were answered for them.

READ MORE: Mike Shinoda Explains How + Why Linkin Park Hired Emily Armstrong as New Vocalist

“As the music came into focus, we were like, this is as Linkin Park-an album as we could make. It’s so Linkin Park that if we call it something else, then we are idiots because it would be a misrepresentation,” the frontman said.

He added that as fans hear the rest of the album, they’ll understand the band’s decision to keep going under the name they’ve had the last several decades. The album name, From Zero, is supposed to serve as a reference to them starting over but also paying homage to their beginnings, when the group was called Xero.

See the full interview below.

The Reason Linkin Park Didn’t Change Their Name for Their Return