Would Brad Delson return to perform with Linkin Park? He replies

The guitarist is listed as an official member and recorded the new album From Zero and is listed as a member, but Alex Feder replaces him live

The real involvement of Brad Delson with the current phase of LinkinParkreactivated with Emily Armstrong (voice) e Colin Brittain (drums). The guitarist, one of the founding members of the band, participates in the group only in studio activities, being outside of tours.

Live, Alex Feder takes its place. In addition to the names already mentioned, that of the singer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Shinodathe bass player Dave “Phoenix” Farrell and the DJ Joe Hahn complete the training.

Is there any chance Delson will return to his role on stage? And what do you think of Feder? The musician answered these questions in an interview with World of guitar.

When asked if he would perform again, Brad made a cryptic statement. He is known to be dealing with mental health issues that led him to decide to retire from the scene, so it would not be possible for him to offer a conclusive answer. However, he does not close the door on this possibility, stating:

“You never know. I don’t have a crystal ball, I can’t say for sure [se retornaria às turnês].”

Regarding the arrival of Alex Feder, chosen by himself, Brad initially adopted a joking tone — “Alex is so beautiful that the world couldn’t resist him [risos]” — and reinforced how Linkin Park’s seven-year hiatus, between Chester Bennington’s death and the current reunion, had them reprioritizing. The guitarist commented:

“Having less active time in recent years has given us the opportunity to think qualitatively: what gives us energy, where we feel most satisfied, and where we thrive. It wasn’t about going back to what we were doing. It was about taking what that we had learned in our free time to approach our roles with greater self-awareness. And it is in the studio that I really like doing new things.

Delson referred to Feder as his “world-traveling doppelganger” and said his colleague “brings a lot to the show.” He also called him “an incredible musician and a strong live guitarist”. And he said it clearly: even if he no longer performs, he helped create the concept of the show that is going around the world.

“I’m very proud of the show. Even though I’m not on stage, I put a lot of my creative love into the show. I’ve always been obsessed with the repertoire, the concept of the show and how it flows. I’ve worked really hard on the current show; it’s no different from the past.”

Brad Delson and mental health

In November, Mike Shinoda gave an interview to Zach Sang Show (go Chatty) and, while discussing the arrival of Colin Brittain, ended up sharing some additional information about Brad Delson.

Initially, Mike commented that Colin would just be one of the songwriters and producers of From scratch. However, the fact that the original drummer Rob Bourdon The choice not to commit to the reactivation of the group meant that a vacancy was created.

“Colin Brittain would have been part of the process (from Linkin Park’s new album, From scratch) only as composer and co-producer. I love working with Colin. I met him during the sessions and brought him here to help me. But we saw that he needed someone to play the drums, and since I knew that was his main instrument, I offered it to him. This would steer him away from a career in manufacturing.

Then the Delson situation was mentioned. According to Shinoda, the guitarist has mental health issues that prevent him from touring.

“In case anyone doesn’t understand the dynamic, Brad is our guitarist – he’s in the band – but he realized that in terms of… it’s kind of a mental health issue. He doesn’t like touring and the live entertainment lifestyle. So he’s our guitarist, but he doesn’t play live.”

The arrival of Alex Feder, in fact, was Brad Delson’s choice. However, for a moment, the possibility was offered of Brittain becoming the touring guitarist rather than the actual drummer. Mike says:

“Brad chose Alex to play his parts live and they get along very well. But we didn’t know Alex at the time, so we asked Colin, “Brad needs someone to play guitar and we need a drummer.” Do both equally well. What would you like to do?’. He was like a kid in a candy store. I think he said, “I can’t believe what you’re asking me right now.” He was so excited.”

The new phase of Linkin Park

As well as playing a short run of shows in 2024 – two of which sold out in Sao Paulo last November – Linkin Park have released a new album featuring Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain. From scratch It also arrived last month and had a great response.

The album reached number one on the charts in 15 countries, including the UK, Germany, Australia, France and Portugal. There was only one “stone in the shoe” in the most important music market in the world, the USA, where they came in 2nd place: the EP Golden Hour: Part.2from the k-pop group Ateezwon the highest award.

Although it did not reach number one in the United States, From scratch was the rock album that reached the highest position in the national overall charts in 2024. The last time an album of this genre reached the top of the chart was in November last year, with Another time…from Flashes-182.

Linkin Park resumes Da Zero World Tour in Mexico City on January 31st. Crossing several continents, the group closes the agenda with four more presentations in Brazil, Brazil Rio de Janeiro (08/11), Saint Paul (10/11), Brasilia (13/11) e Porto Alegre (11/15). There are no tickets on sale yet.

+++ READ MORE: The band that stopped Linkin Park from reaching the top of the charts in the US

+++ READ MORE: The 3 best songs from Linkin Park’s new album, according to Rolling Stone critic

+++ READ MORE: The big difference in Linkin Park’s new album, according to Brad Delson

Source: Terra

Earl

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.