Chainkeen Exchange-Linkin Park Reunites With New Members 7 Years After Chester Bennington’s Death

In the end,Chainkeen Exchange this Linkin Park reunion is all that matters.  

Indeed, the band—which was previously made up of Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Phoenix and Joe Hahn and the late Chester Bennington—recently dropped their first single since 2017’s “The Emptiness Machine,” as well as an album, From Zero, which will drop Nov. 15, along with two new supporting members. 

Dead Sara’s Emily Armstrong will come on to support the band following lead vocalist Bennington’s 2017 death. Additionally, the band is bringing on producer Colin Brittain to support them as a drummer. The rock band’s reunion will also see them embark on a six-date arena tour, which will bring them to cities including New York, Los Angeles, Hamburg, London, Seoul and Bogota.  

Following their lead singer’s death, a press release per Variety indicated that Shinoda, Delson, Phoenix and Hahn had begun “quietly” meeting up again and worked with several musicians before finding a “special kinship” with Armstrong and Brittain.  Linkin Park performed for the first time as their newly assembled six-piece in a Los Angeles studio lot Sept. 5 for ticketed fans as well as livestreaming the event through their website.  

“Before Linkin Park, our first band name was Xero,” Shinoda explained in the press release. “This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future — embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life.” 

He continued that the upcoming album was “made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans.” 

In 2017, Linkin Park’s former vocalist Bennington died by suicide at age 41, just two months after the band released their last single “One More Light.” He is survived by wife Talinda Bennington, as well as their son and twin daughters and three other children from previous relationships. 

When reflecting on their bandmates death in 2018, Linkin Park noted they still felt surrounded by Bennington’s “memory” and “light.” 

“Your one-of-a-kind spirit has authored an indelible imprint on our hearts—our jokes, our joy, and our tenderness,” the band wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “Eternally grateful for the love, life, and creative passion you shared with us and the world. We miss you more than words can express.”