The Future Of Linkin Park (Discussion)

[taoso]

How about Mr. Dimitris Papasinos for the replacement?

[JZLP-Benningstrong]

How about Mr. Dimitris Papasinos for the replacement?

 

That would be creepy and also he's not a professional singer, bye.

[Justin]

I dont think the bands criteria would include how much someone looks like Chester, nor if someone can try their best to sound exactly like him.

[Geki]

I dont think the bands criteria would include how much someone looks like Chester, nor if someone can try their best to sound exactly like him.

 

Probably not. I think they will just continue on as a 5 piece. I used to think they need a new singer, or want one, but now that the Japan shows are cancelled and they released that statement, I think they need to take the rest of 2017 off to heal. Come back in 2018 or maybe even 2019 with a new album, the band as a 5 piece. Maybe the band doesn't even want to replace Chester. I feel bad now for talking about replacing him.

[Garret]

Well my opinion has certainly changed from 2017.

 

I want Linkin Park to continue. I think now in April of 2019, we know that Mike is more than capable of singing and being a frontman, as we learned throughout the Post Traumatic cycle.

 

If they want to have someone else join the band, I am not 100% opposed to it, but they have to do it carefully and respectfully of Chester and the hardcore fans, which Mike has basically said they would do if this were the case. I love how a few months back Mike said ''I would never want to feel like we are replacing Chester''.

 

I think maybe 2020 or so would be a good time to start trying to work out the future of Linkin Park, but that's just from my point of view being a hardcore fan. I think enough time will have passed by July of 2019 that a lot of fans like myself will have somewhat come to terms with what happened and are more interested in the band continuing. Asking this question in 2017 was too insensitive, IMO, because it was still so fresh and everyone (hardcore fans and band) were a mess at that point. 2018 was really a year of mourning but also a year of getting through the hurt, which Mike helped the fans go through, which was amazing of him. And I feel like Mike himself healed a little bit during it as well. Well maybe I shouldn't say ''healed'' but come to terms with some things. I don't personally believe you ever fully ''heal'' from a great loss of life like that but you learn to cope and become whole again over time in some ways. I don't think as of April 2019 that the entire fanbase is ready to tackle the idea of the future of Linkin Park but we're hell of a lot closer than in 2017. I think with 2020 we might be closer. But I don't want to speak for anyone, it's just what I've kind of observed and what I've felt personally.

Edited April 7, 2019 by GarretLP

[LPMaskMan]

I think they will come back by the end of this year or early next year. I'm sure they are working on something in the background. That's why Mike's announcement about "okay I'm done with PT stuff". The other band members are so quiet too. So there will be a huge announcement.

[Justin]

10 hours ago, LPMaskMan said:

I think they will come back by the end of this year or early next year. I'm sure they are working on something in the background. That's why Mike's announcement about "okay I'm done with PT stuff". The other band members are so quiet too. So there will be a huge announcement.

 

I agree that with the PT tour over, the question of the future of LP will eventually become something that the band will need to discuss. The entire PT album cycle took place during a period where the band (including Mike) were all mourning in their own ways and dealing with their grief in the best ways they knew how.

With the tour now over, and almost two years since 7/20, I do think that the situation may be less painful for them to broach among themselves and, whatever they ultimately decide, I fully support them.

With all that being said, I personally would love for the band to continue as a 5-piece with Mike singing all of the songs that he can and letting the crowd take certain parts that he maybe can't. I mean we know that he can handle Papercut because he did at the Hollywood Bowl. Certain songs like Faint or OSC could be done partly by Mike and partly by the crowd. Certain songs may need to be retired but that's okay.

[FromTheInside]

I don't think LP will continue only with Mike as the lead singer. He said many times he's not able to sing all LP catalog. And no, fans won't sing Chester's parts. That could work only at Hollywood Bowl, but not as a permanent thing. LP needs a strong rock vocalist. Somebody who has a wide range like Chester, but great person at the same time. I don't know who is gonna be that dude, but they definitely need a new guy. I love Mike, but he can't bring the rock energy and vibe into the band. Before OML he said in some interview „I'm not a rock guy who raps, I'm a rap dude in the band.“ I've seen him twice on PT Tour and he was awesome in terms of vocals and energy, but it's not enough for being a LP singer.  We'll see what happens in a next few months.

[Stranger]

2 hours ago, FromTheInside said:

I love Mike, but he can't bring the rock energy and vibe into the band.

 

seriously dude? how long have you been a fan of Linkin Park? he can't bring the rock energy in the band, that's totally a false statement. maybe it's your own opinion but for me, Mike's rock harder, his stage presence. if you watched their old shows back in 2000 till now. the hype and energy, totally insane.

 

doesnt mean he doesn act like rock n roll style, doesnt have a tatoo, he's not rock enough.

[FromTheInside]

6 hours ago, Stranger said:

 

seriously dude? how long have you been a fan of Linkin Park? he can't bring the rock energy in the band, that's totally a false statement. maybe it's your own opinion but for me, Mike's rock harder, his stage presence. if you watched their old shows back in 2000 till now. the hype and energy, totally insane.

 

doesnt mean he doesn act like rock n roll style, doesnt have a tatoo, he's not rock enough.

I've been a LP fan since March 2003. So 16 years. That's a very long time. I know what you mean, but I thought something different. Mike is awesome and he's very energetic live, but I would rather see a typical rock vocalist fronting the band. That's just my opinion. By the way a lot of songs were made for two voices. How can they play In The End, Bleed It Out or Faint without a second voice? It's impossible.

[Garret]

Chester wasn't just a rock vocalist though, he was also pretty metal and punk. Most rock vocalists cannot scream at all and don't really have a punk ethos, either. They would need someone who is more of a hard rock/metal vocalist to be able to do a lot of songs like OSC, APFMH, LFY, Faint, FTI, GU, BIO and way more.

 

But besides that part, Mike has become immensely good at singing throughout the Post Traumatic cycle and he could easily handle slower songs and stuff. As far as just singles go he could easily handle Papercut, Crawling (although I don't think he wants to sing that one he said), In The End, Somewhere I Belong, Numb, Breaking The Habit (he also has said he doesn't want to sing that one), What I've Done, Shadow Of The Day, Leave Out All The Rest, New Divide, The Catalyst, Waiting For The End, Burning In The Skies, Iridescent, Burn It Down, Castle Of Glass, Until It's Gone, Final Masquerade, pretty much the entire OML record including the singles. So yeah. And that's leaving out a shit ton of non-singles and stuff, too.

 

Like I said, I'm not 100% opposed to them getting a new vocalist from a fan's point of view. But like Mike said, it would have to be natural and he would never want to feel like he was replacing Chester. And I guarantee 98% of the hardcore fanbase would agree with that.

 

At the end of the day, LP won't ever the be the same as they were, it will be different, which I thought was blatantly obvious from the get go.

 

EDIT: I listened to the recording of San Francisco Summer Sanitarium the other day and you guys should listen to APFMH. Mike basically like screams at the beginning when he is hyping the crowd. Not like Chester but for Mike, I've never heard him like that. Imagine if he could do that stuff and we never even knew.

Edited April 8, 2019 by GarretLP

[Justin]

Linkin Park have always held the viewpoint that they don't need to be what anyone expects. Finding a new vocalist so that they can sing Chester's parts live would run directly counter to that philosophy.

 

Chester is gone. If LP goes on with just Mike and drops some of their heavier songs, I don't see the problem there. I know the argument is that casual fans want to hear songs that Mike can't handle, and therefore LP might not be able to fill arenas like they were before if those songs are gone.

To that, I say again that Chester is gone. It already will never be the same as it was before. That is just the reality of the situation.

 

I would rather them drop some songs and reinvent themselves (again) if the alternative is having a new vocalist sing Chester's parts so that the typical LP set doesn't have to change too much.


EDIT: Guys, go watch the ending of Meeting of A Thousand Suns. Listen to Mike asking the band "What's the smartest way to go about the next step?", listen to Chester's answer, and then apply that answer to this entire thread. The end.

He was talking about ATS obviously, but it can apply to this dilemma as well.

Edited April 8, 2019 by Justin

[Garret]

Trust me I want nothing more then for Mike to front the band himself and it just be the 5 of them but it seems like a lot of fans are apparently against it. And at first I was against them getting a new vocalist but now I''m not 100% against it.

Edited April 9, 2019 by GarretLP

[Legend]

2020 sounds like a good year to make a comeback.  Realistically, I see them getting a new frontman with metal roots.  Not to replace Chester, but to definitely continue making music they love for fans.  And I'm sure they will repeat that a million times during their comeback.

 

I see them going with a younger frontman.  They have a HUGE catalog with music they just can't ignore.  Fans want a heavy as fuck A Place For My Head.  A killer One Step Closer.  A bat shit crazy Faint.  You won't be able to do that if you don't have someone who's ready to rip the fucking ceiling off of your god damn house.  I feel a younger metal based frontman is needed because as the other guys are getting older, you won't find many guys in their late 40s and up, years from now screaming their heads off.  A younger frontman will give LP more longevity.

 

And keep in mind guys, as much as we adore the fuck fuck out of Chester, he had an amazing range.  His voice is iconic.  You wont find anyone that can do both, sing and scream like he can.  But you can definitely find better singers.  Or better screamers out there.

 

Bring on the fresh, young, sexy, metal screamer meat please..  And slap that shit in my face.

[Garret]

Yeah I agree with Legend and you have to take into consideration that the vocalist will also be a good live vocalist, because a lot of those metal bands and shit from like Warped Tour fame are famously bad live when it comes to their vocalists. Chester was actually amazing live.

 

Anybody can make anything sound good in the studio if you have the know-how and right equipment. That's one of the reasons why I shy away from studio recordings and listen to almost all live recordings but that's getting off topic. As long as they get someone who can bring the older heavy songs to life every night on stage and do them justice, I'm all for it.

[xxHybridXeroxx]

26 minutes ago, GarretLP said:

 

Anybody can make anything sound good in the studio if you have the know-how and right equipment. That's one of the reasons why I shy away from studio recordings and listen to almost all live recordings but that's getting off topic. 

This! I agree 100% and that’s the same reason why I listen to all live as well. I also agree with Legend. But I know if mike is going to try and find a new singer he’ll do it with grace. Like he said “I don’t ever want to feel like we’re replacing Chester”. Regardless of what happens he’ll do what’s best for both the band and the fans 

Edited April 9, 2019 by xxHybridXeroxx
Wanted to add more

[Garret]

5 minutes ago, xxHybridXeroxx said:

This! I agree 100% and that’s the same reason why I listen to all live as well. I also agree with Legend. But I know if mike is going to try and find a new singer he’ll do it with grace. Like he said “I don’t ever want to feel like we’re replacing Chester”. Regardless of what happens he’ll do what’s best for both the band and the fans 

 

Yeah and the reason that I mentioned this is because they could get someone who might sound find doing vocals on the studio recordings for new stuff or whatever but the fans are really going to want to see LP play live again, that’s what everyone is talking about since Hollywood Bowl in 2017. People want to see LP live and bring all the classics back to life and you have to have a good live vocalist to do some of the songs. Chester set the live bar very high.

[xxHybridXeroxx]

59 minutes ago, GarretLP said:

 

Yeah and the reason that I mentioned this is because they could get someone who might sound find doing vocals on the studio recordings for new stuff or whatever but the fans are really going to want to see LP play live again, that’s what everyone is talking about since Hollywood Bowl in 2017. People want to see LP live and bring all the classics back to life and you have to have a good live vocalist to do some of the songs. Chester set the live bar very high.

Yes. he definitely did. Even on his off days, which let's face it every singer (hell, every person) has, he still sounded good. whoever they pick (if they decide to go that route) has big shoes to fill. I think there are good singers that can. The problem is replicating his range.

[Garret]

Just now, xxHybridXeroxx said:

Yes. he definitely did. Even on his off days, which let's face it every singer (hell, every person) has, he still sounded good. whoever they pick (if they decide to go that route) has big shoes to fill. I think there are good singers that can. The problem is replicating his range.

 

Yeah, when you really look back at Chester as a vocalist, especially live, he was incredible. They will need someone who can do it day in and day out (of course everyone has some bad days but like you said even on his off days he still sounded good). His range will be hard to find in someone else. But there are some vocalists out there who can both scream and sing. Only problem is, like I said, gotta get someone who is good live, too. And like Mike once said, it has to be someone who they can vibe well with, because they're spending a lot of their life with said person. It will be hard to find someone who they vibe well with. But however, the band has said that they didn't really get along with Chester in the early years like HT and Meteora days and they didn't really become great friends until they started recording MTM, where they hung out all the time as friends and became close, that's literally what was said by Mike in an interview from 2014. Even if they don't vibe with said new person immediately, maybe if they gave it time, they could. Nothing is gonna happen over night, obviously. They have a lot to discuss and I wonder if they have discussed all of this further yet as a band. I know they needed time but they said that in 2017, so maybe now in almost mid 2019, they feel a little better. Plus because of what Mike and Phoenix have both said recently about wanting to make music together again as a band.