Even with numbers that attest to its relevance, the band seems to have never received the recognition it deserves for its achievements over the years.
“And when you find out that LinkinPark in the golden age it was seen as a NXZero by metalheads?”said an internet user, in a recent viral publication on X/Twitterafter another fan was outraged by the existence of haters in the group. Yes, they exist — and both that and the band’s abrupt end in 2017, following the tragic death of their lead singer Chester Benningtonmake many people not notice the relevance of the work of Americans at their peak.
If numbers like the more than 30 million copies sold of the album Hybrid Theory (2000) and the other more than 15 million Meteora (2003) are not enough, the reflections of Courtney LaPlante serve as a complement to have such a dimension.
The subject came up in an interview with the program The Allison Hagendorf Show (via Metal Hammer), because the Canadian group Spiritboxof which the singer is a member, will tour in 2025 with the new incarnation of the American band, now with Emily Armstrong on vocals and Colin Brittain on the battery. LaPlante highlighted how his colleagues helped define the sound of “mainstream metal” in the 21st century.
“The fact that people are welcoming this band back with open arms has opened my eyes. I thought I understood how big this band was, but I didn’t. The gigantic and enormous impact on Earth that this band [teve]. I thought I already had big, lofty ideas, but it turns out I couldn’t even imagine them.”
One of the two shows that Spiritbox will perform with Linkin Park in 2025 will be at Wembley Stadium, in London, England — one of the biggest venues in the world where an artist can perform. Courtney points out:
“If you asked me if I would ever play at Wembley Stadium, I would say, ‘Sure, maybe if I was opening for a hip-hop artist or the Foo Fighters or something like that’. But I didn’t think I could do that with a band that also plays metal and created a kind of metal genre.”
The new phase of Linkin Park
In addition to holding a short series of shows in 2024 — two of them sold out in São Paulo, last November — Linkin Park released a new album with Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain. From Zero It also arrived last month and had a great response.
The album reached number one on the charts in 15 countries, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, France and Portugal. There was only one “stone in the shoe” in the most important music market in the world, the United States, where they came in 2nd place — the EP Golden Hour: Part.2from the k-pop group Ateezwon the highest recognition.
Even though it didn’t reach first place in the United States, From Zero was the rock album that reached the highest position on the general national charts in 2024. The last time an album of this style reached the top of the ranking was in November last year, with One More Time…from Blink-182.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
