Linkin Park Will “Punch You In Your Fucking Mouth” If You Don’t Like Their New Music
"You can fucking meet me outside because that is the wrong fucking answer."
Picture this: you’re 20 years into a successful music career, desperately trying to pursue new directions and leave behind the angst-ridden releases of your past, but your good-for-nothing loyal fans just won’t quit talking about that smash hit album you released 17 years ago. You know, the one that brought you fame and fortune, defined your career and soundtracked the lives of a generation of teenagers?
Sounds awful, right? Just ask Linkin Park. The Californian outfit are copping a lot of heat from fans right now, many of whom are less than impressed with the EDM-inspired flavour of their new record, One More Light. It seems listeners won’t stop comparing it to their beloved debut Hybrid Theory — and frankly, the band are sick of it.
“Why are we still talking about Hybrid Theory? It’s fucking years ago,” singer Chester Bennington snapped in an interview with Music Week earlier this month. “It’s a great record, we love it. Like, move the fuck on.’ You know what I mean?”
He also had a lot to say about the idea that Linkin Park’s new direction is a cash grab:
“We were asked, “What do you think of people who say you sold out?” I don’t care… If you like the music, fantastic. If you don’t like it, that’s your opinion too. Fantastic. If you’re saying we’re doing what we’re doing for a commercial or monetary reason, trying to make success out of some formula… then stab yourself in the face!”
As if telling fans to stab themselves in the face wasn’t enough, a couple of weeks later Bennington appeared on Kerrang! Radio to really hammer home his point:
“If you’re gonna be the person who says ‘they made a marketing decision to make this kind of record to make money’ you can fucking meet me outside and I will punch you in your fucking mouth because that is the wrong fucking answer.”
“Because guess what, calling us a sell out for that purpose is… selling out on your fucking excuse as to why you don’t like it. You’re a fucking pussy.”
Deep breaths, Chester. They’re just reviews and in the end, it doesn’t even matter.