The Emptiness Machine

Yeesh. Linkin Park has had a MONTH.

On reflection, I like the Emptiness Machine, the new single. It’s definitely Minutes to Midnight vibes. More simple guitar licks and nothing crazy, but definitely still LP. I do like the split of vocal duties between Mike… and the new… EMILY. They seem to fit pretty well together, and if this indication of what’s to come.. I’m excited for this album. I mean, it’s new LP. How can you not be at least somewhat excited?

I do think a buddy of mine is right though – with a new singer, honor Chester’s legacy and create a new band. Let LP be LP and make a new thing. Everyone will still know it’s LP, and its hard to imagine that you’d ‘drop’ fans because people don’t know who you are, so there is some stomach churning that this does feel like a cash grab from Mr. Shinoda more than anything. I mean, of course he wants to make music, and has continued to do so, but like, you just couldn’t do a new thing? What’s the PRO of keeping the LP name? You’re not continuing exactly as you were.. you’ve got a new singer, a new drummer, the guitarist isn’t coming back.. so .. it’s new, isn’t it? IDK – that does feel a bit icky to me. I half get it, but still.

However, to Emily’s credit.. I think she does pretty decent job replicating Chester’s vocal range (minus his low low end which is why I think you’ve heard some key changes on a few tracks), and has some cool grit that carries pretty decently. And having never heard of Dead Sara before (who’s apparently been around for quite some time!?) the girl definitely has chops that she can translate what she was clearly comfortable doing in a past band, to what LP is. You also gotta give her some credit here. She’s stepping in ABSOLUTELY massive shoes to fill. The confidence that this girl has to have and the armor to go out there and sing Chester’s stuff has got to be hard. Maybe that’s a bit of what scientology offers a person? Man that was an interesting controversy too – LP (and Mike) HAD TO HAVE KNOWN that was coming and it just seems like either they didn’t think it’d blow up in the way that it did, or .. IDK man. I feel like her apology post was about as good as it could have been, but the whole mess does still rub you in slightly the wrong way, and for a return announcement of one the biggest bands in the world, to have TWO issues that make you feel .. not the best, is probably not the best.

I mean, at the end of the day, i’m still a music guy at heart. So, of course not forgiving behavior, but if the music is awesome, i’ll keep listening. I just hate it when people are assholes. So, hoping Mike is doing this for the right reasons and the legacy of this great band won’t be tainted in the wrong way.