millytripleseven

I think that most (if not all) people who express mixed feelings about this particular situation don't have any disdain for tribute bands or anything like it, at all. It is purely a result of the unique situation Linkin Park is in right now. To put it in simple words, fans wish it was LP themselves who were playing their songs around the world right now (they don't for an obvious reason). This is a normal human reaction, which to me is 100% understandable. People have a right to feel that way. Mike has a right to not be the biggest fan of the idea as well given the situation they're in (trying to figure out if or how they want to move on).

Thanks, but you can switch the word "impostors" with "lookalikes" and my point still stands. I don't know, I never had much problem with tribute acts of bands like The Beatles etc. But if I see a tribute band of a contemporary act, it kind of creeps me out. Paying homage to your favorite artist is fine, being a cover band is fine, but you're taking it one step further and now dressing up like Mike Shinoda who is still very much alive and active & imitating all his little behaviors on stage. They're apparently pushing ad campaigns for the international tour too. Idk, it reaches a point where I have mixed feelings

Financially, LP definitely gets at least a little taste in royalties from every performance of their song in front of live audience. But if there's so much demand for LP that basically 6 impostors can tour and fill up large venues, it makes you ask how much demand is there for the original LP. If they came back as the "original 5" + a new singer, they would 100% be headlining the biggest festivals and filling up arenas.

I mean, possibly a lot of hate for "the lyrics" is actually more towards how the lyrics are sung, vocal delivery, vocal dynamics, aggression or lack thereof etc. I'm sure if HT lyrics were sung over OML instrumentals I wouldn't like them, and vice-versa if OML lyrics were delivered in a different way under different instrumentals, the feelings would've been different.

I personally always found the lyrics to be the weakest element of that song.

I personally don't have much an issue with lyrics on OML, it's rather about presentation and musical direction. THP was a metal record and turned out to be their least "commercially successful", so with OML they veered into generic pop sounds of that time with little to none "signature elements" of LP. Pop trends change rapidly, probably the most out of any music genre, so OML already sounds dated. Good thing that came out of OML is it actually introduced the band to a lot of pop fans, who then grew to like all of the bands' catalog, some of them listen now to many different genres including heavier music, thanks to being introduced to LP. I would love to hear how Mike reflects on OML in the year 2024 (as well as on the transition they made from THP), sadly he never gets asked about that. If there's ever LP8, I highly doubt they're going to rely on current trends so much or hire outside writers.

I'd like to witness LP playing music together once again. If they're gonna go with a female singer, I would be 100% fine with it as long as it's not a pop singer unable to perform the older material. If they were to do that, they might as well start a new band under different name. They need a rock vocalist.

They don't have many songs that can be performed with only Mike on vocals. I can't see them go on tour as a 5-piece with Chester's vocals played from tape, that would be really weird. I think they're either going to do a tribute show with guest vocalists and then split up, or find a new vocalist who will be able to sing Chester's parts. Probably the biggest question that the band will have for themselves is going to be "What would be Chester's will ? Would he want us to carry on, or just leave it as it is ?"

It's devastating. It hit me really hard yesterday, but today it's even harder. I can't believe that we won't hear Chester's voice anymore. I'm not going to write a long post, nor do I have strength to do so. I just wanna thank him for being part of my life, for writing a songs that inspired me to pick up a guitar, and helped me through many rough times in my life. Rest In Peace, Chester.

The band themselves don't even know, what they're going to do in the future. We should really give them some time to sort things out... Chester was the voice of Linkin Park, he wrote the lyrics. It's definitely going to be really hard to accept the fact that the band goes on with some other vocalist. I don't really have opinion on whether they should continue, or break up at this point. But if they decide that this is the end, all of them will surely find their paths. Mike is more likely going to do Fort Minor / produce other artists, Joe is going to go back to art/filmmaking, I can see Rob, Dave and Brad either playing with other artists, or retiring as a musicians.