Linkin Park enters new era with singer Emily Armstrong on From Zero tour stop in Pittsburgh

If “the hardest part of ending is starting again” — a line from Linkin Park’s 2010 song “Waiting for the End” — then their most difficult moments may be in the past.

The potential ending of the band came with the death of lead singer Chester Bennington by suicide in 2017. But after a seven-year hiatus, the metal/electronic/rap/rock group announced in 2024 that they were starting again after tabbing Emily Armstrong as their new vocalist.

The reformed group then released an album, “From Zero,” whose name pays homage to the band’s original name of Xero as well as their fresh start. That new era was on display Tuesday night as Linkin Park brought their From Zero world tour to PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

Over almost two hours, Linkin Park drew from their wealth of angsty radio anthems from the past 25 years as well as a plethora of new material, none of which stood out as not belonging.

Of course, Armstrong drew plenty of attention, and how could she not? After previously fronting alt rockers Dead Sara, Armstrong now has the Herculean task of tackling Bennington’s wide range, from his vulnerable singing to his powerful screams. (Besides the big shoes to fill, Armstrong had also been heavily scrutinized by fans for her association with Scientology and initial support of actor Danny Masterson, who was later convicted of rape.)

There aren’t a lot of comparables when it comes to female vocalists taking over for a male lead singer, especially at this magnitude. Perhaps Nirvana using four women to handle the late Kurt Cobain’s role at their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2014?

Regardless, that was a one-off, while Armstrong is at it full time. She pulled off the harsh screams of “Two Faced” and “Given Up” on Tuesday and the quiet chorus of “Where’d You Go,” as well as vocal interplay with Mike Shinoda, who also handles lead and rap vocals.

The show started a little slow — maybe the crowd had some trepidation of how this night would unfold? — with “Somewhere I Belong” and “Crawling,” where an attempt to turn the vocals over to the crowd didn’t quite up to expectations. But the driving drums on “Cut the Bridge” and the explosive “The Emptiness Machine” a few songs later helped to give an early test of the waters for new music, with a receptive response.

Linkin Park, which last played the Pittsburgh area in 2008, wound up playing seven songs off “From Zero,” including “Up From the Bottom” off the newly released deluxe edition and “Heavy is the Crown,” which made its way into the encore.

The middle of the show featured the country-ish “Castle of Glass,” the danceable “Burn It Down” and dives into Shinoda’s Fort Minor rap project, including a solo verse from “Richard Bachman” while hobnobbing with the audience.

Act II (of four) ended with the crowd-pleasing and clap-inducing “Given Up” and “One Step Closer” with an extended outro. The quick break provided an opportunity to tweak the stage setup, essentially shifting everything 180 degrees so both sides of the arena got to see all the musicians. Besides Armstrong and Shinoda, the band includes original members Joe Hahn (turntables/synthesizers) and Dave Farrell (bass), as well as drummer Colin Brittain, who sported a Steelers shirt, and touring guitarist Alex Feder. (Original guitarist Brad Delson is still in the band, but he’s not touring.)

A tender “Lost,” starting with Shinoda on keyboard and Armstrong singing, kicked off the second half as momentum picked up with songs like “What I’ve Done” and “Numb” getting louder participation. “In the End” saw Shinoda leaning into the crowd to sing, and “Faint” showcased more of Armstrong’s screams and a heavy ending to the main set.

As the band returned for the encore, Shinoda shouted “Pittsburgh, get the (expletive) up!”

“Papercut,” off 2000’s “Hybrid Theory,” led to the nu-metal rocker “A Place for My Head.” On “Heavy is the Crown,” Armstrong’s raspy vocals fit nicely and she unleashed an extended scream while atop the drum riser to big cheers.

Linkin Park closed with the high-energy “Bleed It Out,” with the group converging together at the finish — not an ending but the continuation of their new beginning.

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Self-described “ghetto pop” singer Jean Dawson, who released his latest album “Glimmer of God” last year, opened the show.

Dawson, who has notched collaborations with notable acts like SZA and Lil Yachty, rolled through his set, which included “Darlin’” and “Menthol*” as the closer.