I don’t know what they plan to do with vocals, but I support it 100%. Mike is a great vocalist, just look at the songs he’s sung on and his solo work
It’s not, like, a bad cover or whatever. (I’ve heard some bad covers.) I don’t listen to Sum 41, but if I did, I’d like it as a Sum 41 song that just happened to be written by someone else & had a guest feature. But, it’s a cover. If actual Linkin Park sounded like that, it’d be like they turned into the knockoff brand version... of a version of the band that they haven’t been in over a decade. It’d be a gosh awful fit for both the band & the singer if that or anything similar became a full time thing.
My preference continues to be no replacement (even though I’ll obviously support WHATEVER they feel best doing, even if it’s not for me). But, if they do get a new lead (or co-lead) vocalist, I’d want it to be someone who could vibe in any era of Linkin Park. Whether they sound a lot like Chester, or have a completely different style. How does their voice sound on “Breaking the Habit,” “Waiting for the End,” “Heavy,” “Rebellion,” “What I’ve Done,” “Points of Authority”... Doesn’t have to be a fit for every single Chester song, but if their a bad fit for a large portion of Chester songs, nothing’s been gained. They’re just as boxed in as they’d be as a 5-piece, just in a different shape w/ the added struggle of introducing a new element.
Loud rock hasn’t really been a thing post Meteora anyways, outside of The Hunting Party & a couple Minutes to Midnight songs. Elements trickle into various songs, but it’s not their primary style. That being said... I could see them writing a couple new heavy non-Chester songs, since they seemed to still enjoy doing that material live. “Papercut” is a good example of heavy LP driven by Mike rapping, & “Rebellion” is a good example of Mike singing also working a heavier style.
Been thinking about this for a while after hearing the new interview with Phoenix, and ... I think any semblance of a Linkin Park show in the future would be Mike on vocals mainly, BUT I could definitely see them doing that "the fans take over" thing in Chester's memory for Numb (like they did at the tribute show) and probably In the End, obviously. But yeah extremely intrigued to see what they might come up with as a 5-piece, since they quite obviously(?) won't be going back to angsty nu-metal anytime soon, nor should they IMO
It would be wise to just only use Mike as a singer. Getting someone that is just as good as Chester is... Very rare. It will be a disservice.
that's where i'm at, pretty much. The context is so different from, like, Journey replacing Steve Perry or a singer that quit on his own terms or whatever
I have a feeling the plan will be to record an album as a 5 piece, tour with a semi known singer as a "touring member," and then if there's success with it the next album cycle will have the new guy as a permanent member.