Seven years after Chester Bennington, the former lead vocalist of Linkin Park, died by suicide, the band announced their comeback on Thursday, officially naming Emily Armstrong, lead singer of Dead Sara, as their new frontwoman during a live event.

Armstrong’s addition to the band is just one of several new changes. Colin Brittain, a well-known producer and songwriter who has worked with G Flip, Illenium, and One OK Rock, has also been brought on board as the group’s new drummer. Together, they aim to continue Linkin Park's legacy following the tragic death of Bennington in 2017.

Linkin Park is one of the most successful bands of the streaming era, being the only band with an album in Spotify's top 10 most-streamed of all time.

The band's new world tour will include visits to Los Angeles, New York, Hamburg, Seoul, and London this month, as well as Bogotá in November.

The new album will be preceded by a single titled “The Emptiness Machine”, marking the group's first new music since Bennington's passing. The band introduced their new lineup with an hour-long concert broadcast on their social media platforms on Thursday.

Chester Bennington’s Suicide

On July 20, 2017, Chester Bennington was found dead at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California, at the age of 41. His cause of death was determined to be suicide by hanging. There was no suicide note, and toxicology reports detected only a small amount of alcohol in his system.

Following Bennington's death, Linkin Park cancelled the remainder of their One More Light World Tour and issued refunds for tickets. Bennington's funeral took place on July 29 at South Coast Botanic Garden in Palos Verdes.