She’ll be better than Chester’: Bangladeshi rockstars weigh in on Emily Armstrong

In the past 48 hours, the world has been buzzing with the news of Linkin Park’s return, announcing a tour, a new album, and most shockingly, their first permanent vocalist since Chester Bennington’s passing. With Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara stepping in, fans everywhere have been quick to voice their opinions on what this means for the band’s future.

Even in Bangladesh, social media lit up with mixed reactions—some saying no one can replace Chester, while others saw it as a positive step forward. However, most of these reactions are based on personal feelings and attachment with the band rather than a deeper musical analysis.

So, we turned to some of our local rockstars, seasoned musicians who grew up as fans of Linkin Park and have since evolved into performers themselves. We asked them what they think of Emily Armstrong’s addition and how she might shape the band’s sound going forward.

When ‘Hybrid Theory’ dropped 25 years ago, Raef Al Hasan Rafa was barely into his teens. Thanks to a friend living abroad, he got his hands on the album right around its release. The moment he slipped the CD into his Walkman, Rafa was hooked—a connection to Linkin Park’s music that would shape him for life, even as he eventually drifted away from them as a listener.

“It was a key pillar in my journey to becoming a musician,” Rafa reflects.