Linkin Park returned last year with a new singer, new album and highly successful tour. Despite some initial backlash towards vocalist Emily Armstrong, the band is still poised to do tremendous business in the coming year and for the foreseeable future.
Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson was a recent guest on Talk Toomey, and he shared his thoughts on the band and their new singer. “I love that story about how Emily got into Linkin Park. I think that’s so cool. You know, she was on ShipRocked a couple years back, and I guess at that point, she was probably starting to get kind of well into that machine over there. She was so cool and just chill. And just reading the interviews and watching interviews and stuff with them about how all that happened, it seemed like it was very organic, very natural.”
Ellefson continued: “I’m so happy for them. I love to see my friends be successful, and I don’t really know those guys, but I just, as friends of the neighborhood, to see them get a second shot, especially when someone is no longer with us, someone passes. You know what happened with Metallica, of course, and AC/DC and others. There’s a feel where it’s like, ‘Oh God, what do we do? Do we fold up? Or do we sit tight, or do we keep going? What do we do?'”
Despite admitting he’s not a big fan of Linkin Park’s past music, Ellefson said the Armstrong has forced him to re-evaluate his stance. “I wasn’t the biggest Linkin Park fan,” he said. “I’d hear their songs. It was fine. I got it. I got why their fans connected with it. Just wasn’t my song for my life. But now, hearing the new stuff, I’ve definitely become a fan, and I can’t wait to go see them this year. I’m actually really excited. Every time I see something come across on YouTube, I always check it out, and I just think they’ve got a great new sound. It’s super, super good.”
Ellefson’s full interview can be viewed below.
