linkin park

linkin park is releasing a documentary.

from what we've heard, chester will only be mentioned briefly, mostly in passing and through a few photos. that's because the documentary's main focus is the band's new era: how they started over, how emily joined the group, and how they've moved forward since then.

for years, we've been told over and over that nobody is trying to replace chester. but with this documentary, the band's lack of sincerity is becoming harder to ignore, at least from my perspective. sure, nobody is trying to replace chester, but every time they talk about the future while mentioning him less and less, they seem determined to remind us that that chapter is over and that the band was never just about chester.

what's even more frustrating is that, according to reports, this documentary concept was originally planned while chester was still alive.

this shouldn't have been handled this way. chester's loss was a shared trauma for millions of fans, and watching him be gradually pushed into the background feels disrespectful to the people who supported this band through every era.

the truth is, most of us don't really care about emily. if they had started with the band's early journey, then covered chester's death and the difficult road to recovery afterward, they would have earned even more respect from longtime fans.

instead, they once again chose to minimize chester's presence.

because they no longer want to be defined by chester.

because, in their view, this was never chester's band.

shame on you.