LINKIN PARK played a new song called “Heavy Is The Crown” live for the first time during the band’s concert earlier tonight (Sunday, September 22) at Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.
“Heavy Is The Crown” will be the theme song of League Of Legends’ Worlds championship 2024 esports tournament and will also appear on LINKIN PARK’s upcoming album “From Zero”, which will arrive on November 15 via Warner. It will mark LINKIN PARK’s first full-length effort since 2017’s “One More Light”, which was the last LINKIN PARK album before the death of lead vocalist Chester Bennington.
Fans can watch the 2024 Worlds music video on the League Of Legends YouTube channel or grab the track anywhere you can listen to music on Tuesday, September 24 at 8:00 a.m. PDT.
“It’s been an amazing experience partnering with Riot to bring this anthem to the global League Of Legends community,” said LINKIN PARK’s Mike Shinoda in a statement. “The song is a real highlight of this new era for us, harnessing our signature sound and infusing it with fresh energy. We’re so excited for players and fans to experience this.”
“The Worlds anthem is the music moment that League players look forward to the most each year, and it has become a highly coveted fixture in music across the world,” said Maria Egan, global head of music at Riot Games. “As the band embarks on this exciting new chapter, we’re honored to partner with them for the 2024 anthem. The lyrics for ‘Heavy Is The Crown’ perfectly capture the narrative for this year’s Worlds and they are a powerful companion to the themes of our music video.”
Earlier this month, LINKIN PARK released the first single from “From Zero”, a song called “The Emptiness Machine”.
Hamburg marked the third concert of LINKIN PARK’s comeback mini-tour, following dates in Los Angeles and New York. All three shows featured LINKIN PARK performing a two-hour set on a high-tech stage shaped like an aircraft carrier, allowing for a unique production as well as a greater-than-usual number of tickets sold at each venue.
As was the case with the Los Angeles and New York shows, tonight’s gig showcased LINKIN PARK’s new singer Emily Armstrong and drummer Colin Brittain, who have joined returning members Mike Shinoda, Brad Delson, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell and Joe Hahn in the band’s new lineup. Guitarist Alex Feder is filling in for Delson at all LINKIN PARK concerts for the foreseeable future.
The Hamburg show will be followed by stops in London; Seoul; and Bogota, Colombia. A longer tour is promised for 2025.
In an interview with Billboard about LINKIN PARK’s comeback, Shinoda explained that drummer Rob Bourdon — who had founded the band with Mike and Brad — had decided to exit LP.
“Rob had said to us at a point, I guess it was a few years ago now, that he wanted to put some distance between himself and the band,” Shinoda said. “And we understood that — it was already apparent. He was starting to just show up less, be in less contact, and I know the fans noticed it too. The ‘Hybrid Theory’ re-release [in 2020] and ‘Papercuts’ release [this April], he didn’t show up for anything. So for me, as a friend, that was sad, but at the same time, I want him to do whatever makes him happy, and obviously everybody wishes him the best.”
According to a press release, Shinoda, Delson, Farrell and Hahn “quietly began meeting up again in recent years” and “rather than ‘trying to restart the band,’” they worked with numerous musicians and “found a special kinship with Armstong and Brittain.”
Regarding the band’s new lineup and future plans, Shinoda said in a statement: “Before LINKIN PARK, our first band name was XERO. This album title refers to both this humble beginning and the journey we’re currently undertaking. Sonically and emotionally, it is about past, present, and future — embracing our signature sound, but new and full of life. It was made with a deep appreciation for our new and longtime bandmates, our friends, our family, and our fans. We are proud of what LINKIN PARK has become over the years, and excited about the journey ahead.”
“The Emptiness Machine” is said to “channel the DNA of LINKIN PARK.” Shinoda said the band feels “really empowered with this new lineup and the vibrant and energized new music we’ve made together,” adding that they are “weaving together