HOLLYWOOD (WKRC) – Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda addressed claims that the band’s new singer Emily Armstrong is “erasing the past.”

According to PEOPLE, Linkin Park launched its “From Zero World Tour” at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles Tuesday. During the performance, founding member Mike Shinoda spoke to fans about starting a “new chapter” with the band’s new lead singer Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara, per the publication.

Armstrong, 38, joined the stage as a member of the band seven years after Chester Bennington died by suicide back in 2017. The band announced its return on Sept. 5, along with the additions of Armstrong andColin Brittain, who replaced drummer Rob Bourdon.

Shinoda asked the crowd if they had ever attended a Linkin Park performance before, to which the audience replied with a loud cheer.

“I mean, that’s part of why we’re back out here.We are thrilled to be back out here,” Shinoda said of the reaction.”It is not about erasing the past. It is about starting this new chapter into the future and coming out here for each and every one of you.”

Continuing, Shinoda told fans gathered at the Kia Forum “we love playing for you guys, we love writing this music,” adding that the group was excited about its new record.

During the performance, the band played both classic hits and new songs from their new album, which is scheduled to release on Nov. 15.

According to PEOPLE, Shinoda,Brad Delson,Dave Farrell andJoe Hahn began reconnecting in recent years, and instead of “trying to restart the band,” decided to welcome other musicians into the picture until they ultimately found Brittain and Armstrong.

Shinoda said the band felt “really empowered with this new lineup,” before going on to say that the group had been experimenting with classic sounds that the band was known for and new ones that it was exploring, per the publication.

PEOPLE reported that Bennington’s son Jamie slammed the band’s decision to hire Armstrong days after the announcement, taking aim at the singer’s connection to the Church of Scientology and support of Danny Masterson.

According to CBS News, Masterson was convicted of raping two women back in 2003 and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison.

Jamie Bennington said the band’s decision to announce its return in September was “tone deaf,” saying Shinoda “quietly erased my father’s life and legacy in real time during international suicide prevention month.”