For some reason, the tragic loss of Chester Bennington the frontman of Linkin Park still affects me to this day. I didn’t personally know him, but Linkin Park was the soundtrack to my teenage years (like many others my age).
I don’t even know if Linkin Park will ever return, Chester is irreplaceable, in my opinion. One of the most talented vocalists in the genre could switch between his unique singing style to Usain Bolt stamina levels of screaming.
However, if Linkin Park were to ever reform, in terms of vocalists who could fill the big shoes Chester Bennington left, Sam Carter (frontman of UK band Architects) should be the first consideration. After listening to the new Architects album For Those That Wish To Exist, the thought just naturally popped into my head.
If you were fortunate to witness Architects play their Royal Albert Hall online performance in 2020, then you would have witnessed Sam Carter give everyone a master class in vocals. Being a studio singer/screamer is one thing, but being able to sing and scream with power in a live setting without the aid of double/triple/quad tracking is a whole other ballgame.
I think Sam could help Linkin Park continue in their more experimental/electronic territory. Still, his screams/lows could also have the older catalogue of LP tracks covered and some new heavier stuff if they were to explore revisiting some heavy aspects.
The important thing worth noting here is that Chester cannot be replaced, that the last thing Linkin Park needs a Chester soundalike to try and continue the band with the same vocal style. While there are similarities between Sam and Chester in vocal techniques, Sam is unique enough in his own way that it wouldn’t feel like an attempted 1:1 replacement.
If any of the Linkin Park band members are reading this, if you want a new vocalist: call Sam Carter of Architects first before anyone else.
I totaly agree