rracer2013

You’re talking about Emily’s “future limits” as if she’s had decades to prove herself, when she’s been officially in Linkin Park since September 2024. Declaring she’ll “never be legendary” after barely two years isn’t insight — it’s nostalgia pretending to be logic. Chester didn’t become a legend in 22 months either. Calling her “solid but not the best” means nothing. She’s not supposed to be Chester, and she’s not auditioning for a tribute act. She’s doing the one thing that actually keeps the band alive: moving forward instead of embalming the past. The only real struggle here isn’t hers — it’s yours, accepting that Linkin Park refuses to stay frozen in 2001.

This entire critique says far more about the writer’s unrealistic expectations than about Emily’s actual performance. Reducing a complex live show to a single shouted line in “One Step Closer” is not analysis — it’s nitpicking dressed up as expertise. First, leaving a signature line to the crowd is not a flaw, it’s a deliberate artistic choice used by countless vocalists across genres. It builds energy, honors the audience, and acknowledges the emotional weight of a song that has defined Linkin Park’s legacy for over two decades. Pretending this is some kind of vocal failure is simply uninformed. Second, comparing Emily to Chester as if she’s supposed to be a carbon copy is not only unfair — it’s impossible. Chester was a once‑in‑a‑generation vocalist. Demanding that anyone who steps on that stage must replicate him note‑for‑note is a recipe for perpetual disappointment. Emily was chosen because she brings something new, not because she imitates the past. The speculation about her “not being able to scream” is exactly that: speculation. She performs full sets, handles demanding material, and does so under a level of scrutiny no tribute singer or cover artist has ever faced. The idea that someone watching a few YouTube clips or tribute shows can diagnose her technique is laughable. As for the claim that “other singers would have been better”: based on what? A fantasy draft? Mike has been transparent — chemistry, trust, and creative alignment mattered more than finding a Chester impersonator. That’s not a weakness. That’s how real bands survive. Calling the comeback “nostalgia‑capitalization” is equally hollow. If Linkin Park wanted easy nostalgia money, they wouldn’t take the risk of introducing a new vocalist at all. They chose the harder path: evolution. Reinvention. Courage. The opposite of what this critique implies. And the dramatic prediction that the band might “fall apart in a few years” is nothing more than doom‑mongering. The band has just begun a new chapter. Declaring its failure before it’s even unfolded isn’t insight — it’s pessimism masquerading as prophecy. In short: this rant isn’t constructive criticism. It’s a cocktail of unrealistic comparisons, baseless assumptions, and personal frustration projected onto an artist who is doing the hardest job imaginable — stepping into a legacy that no one could ever replicate. Emily deserves respect for that, not armchair diagnoses and nostalgia‑driven gatekeeping.

Are you on RAR? Well, I could hear Emily really clearly on Friday.

Hopefully not—it would end in disaster. The band and their management know very well why they don't do certain things.

https://www.setlist.fm/festival/2025/rock-for-people-2025-5bd58724.html

As you already explained really well, there are no problem reg. timings, strumming patterns or any skill based issues with the guitar play of Alex. On his IG account he played some really good stuff by David Gilmour. And that was one of the most difficult and the finest at the same time. So I would be surprised if he systematically plays a song tonally wrong all the time. I've never noticed or heard him get the chords wrong on Catalyst.... But that brings us to the real problem. As you said at the beginning, you often don't hear Alex or Mike's guitar at all. Even Emily's Stratocaster on OEA can't really be located at all. The whole acoustic focus is on Mr. Joe, Colin and the vocals. I think there are several problems, but they are only indirectly the guitarist's responsibility. IMHO the soundmix is still a challenge. Since none of the guitarists play via a pedalboard and the guitar signal goes directly into the sound system via radio transmitters and guitar sound modelers, they have to rely entirely on the remote -haven't seen any miked amp so far. The sound engineer may have difficulty mixing all the instruments in a balanced way, especially in real time. Your position in the venue will affect what you hear. In What I've done, you can clearly hear that Alex is playing on the front pickup of his Stratocaster - but it sounds really bland. Normally, with the right SoundMix setting and positioning, you'll hear a full-bodied, valvish sound. It's unmistakable. In OEA, Emily is constantly turning the volume control on her Stratocaster, perhaps changing something in her in-ear monitoring, but not what we hear. In DeadSara, she always played without in-ear monitoring and her guitars went directly into the amp, where the sound then went into the respective PA via the microphone. The audience and the band's monitor speakers were then fed from here. If you think about the fact that only 6 months have passed since the comeback and nothing for several years before that, then there is certainly still room for improvement in the interaction of all components. Moreover - the whole world is watching and listening to Emily's vocals, nothing seems to be more important, nothing has higher priority than getting even the smallest semitone right. Perhaps this also has an effect on the sound mixing. I believe that the overall sound will improve over the course of the tour as the sound engineers, guitarists and vocalists learn. Maybe our feedback from the community will get through to them and give them an impulse to improve certain things.

@LPLStaff - So can you please explain? Do you think he has a wrong timing or do you mean his strumming patterns or what else? I want to understand.

Good recording of complete concert with way better audio quality😀

My impressions of the livestream and the gig. I'm still not quite sure what to make of it.....Am I the only one here who was really disappointed by yesterday's livestream? First of all, there were the sound problems. Emily's and Mike's voices sounded terrible. You could hardly hear the audience - as if they had fallen asleep. Somehow there seemed to be no connection between the band and the audience... I was really looking forward to Two Faced, but yesterday's live performance was miles away from the performance in the recently released video. I don't know that from LP. Nevertheless, the band worked hard on the performance, but even between the members there was no sign of the spirit of Bogota. Just look at Mr. Johann's face when he held a bra he got from Emily in his hands. Hopefully things will get better. You only improve if you make mistakes, recognize them and then learn from them. Carry on Linkin Park

There is an indescribable magic about this song. I can't get the chorus that Emily sings out of my head. Simply beautiful.

My Top 10 From Zero after listening twice 1. The Emptiness Machine 2. Good Things Go 3. Two Faced 4. Heavy Is the Crown 5. Stained 6. Over Each Other 7. Casualty 8. IGYEIH 9. Overflow 10. Cut the Bridge B.T.W - we should really stop with sensless comparisons between Chester and Emily. Chester has passed. LP has the chance to have a bright Future with Emily and Colin.