The Emptiness Machine

"The Emptiness Machine," released on September 5, 2024, is a milestone for Linkin Park, their first original song since the tragic loss of Chester Bennington and the departure of drummer Rob Bourdon. The track also introduces two fresh faces to the band's lineup: Emily Armstrong, co-vocalist and frontwoman of hard rock band Dead Sara, and Colin Brittain, who takes over the drum kit.

"The Emptiness Machine" is a rock anthem that somehow still manages to sound like classic Linkin Park while taking them into new musical territory. The song starts with Mike Shinoda, who delivers the opening verse in his usual half-sung, half-rapped style. But just as you're getting comfortable, Armstrong's vocals slide in, sneaking up on you in the best possible way before she hits you with a raspy, powerful scream that really takes off in the chorus. Armstrong's voice brings a new dynamic to Linkin Park's sound – it's raw, it's gritty, and it has that punk-rock edge that makes you think she could either front a band or start a brawl, depending on her mood. Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson summed it up nicely to Billboard: "The song starts with Mike, and Emily's vocal kind of sneaks in surreptitiously and then hits you hard over the head in the second chorus, and just builds intensity with both of their vocals through the end of the song."

Armstrong doesn't try to replicate Bennington's distinctive style - a decision that made the band's lives a little more complicated. "We had to pitch some stuff, change the key so that it's in her target register," Mike Shinoda explained with a laugh. "We had to relearn songs that we've been playing live for 20 years in order to do that, and it's such a mindf--k! It's so hard! My brain is just having a really hard time with a couple of songs." But there was at least one silver lining in this transition; Linkin Park didn't have to change gender in any of their old lyrics. "All the singles, all the songs, and we didn't have to change any words," said Shinoda. And that's great - I feel so lucky."