LOS ANGELES (AP) — For years after the death of frontman Chester Bennington, members of Linkin Park weren't sure if the band would — or should — continue to exist. The new documentary “Linkin Park: Unshatter” takes fans inside the uncertainty, grief and creative risk behind their return, including raw footage of early recording sessions, conversations and experimentation that eventually led to Emily Armstrong joining the group.
Formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996, Linkin Park became one of the defining rock bands of the 2000s by fusing alternative metal, hip-hop and electronics. The band skyrocketed to global fame with its diamond-certified 2000 debut, “Hybrid Theory,” followed by “Meteora,” built around the distinctive interplay of Mike Shinoda’s rapping and Bennington’s soaring vocals.
After Bennington died by suicide in 2017, following the release of “One More Light,” the band faced an uncertain future. Linkin Park returned in 2024 with Armstrong as co-lead vocalist, releasing “From Zero” and embarking on a new run of world tours.
In an interview alongside Armstrong and DJ and creative director Joe Hahn, Shinoda says he never wanted to predetermine what a return would look like — or even whether it would still be Linkin Park.
“Emotional stuff aside, which was very heavy … I was like, ‘If we ever were to do it again, I wouldn’t want to assume that it had to be a guy.’ I wouldn’t want to assume it has to be who somebody who’s sang like Chester. I wouldn’t even want to assume it had to be one person, like maybe we go tour and just play with multiple vocalists or maybe it’s not Linkin Park, maybe it’s something else, I don’t know. Like I just wanted to keep my mind open to all the things.”
When Shinoda met Armstrong — lead singer and co-founder of the band Dead Sara — in 2019, he had a feeling she was someone the others needed to meet.
“I was like, ‘Oh, I got it. She has to meet the band. Like I have to introduce them because she’s cool. I love how she sings.’ I had a gut feeling that would have to happen,” he said.
For Armstrong, watching the footage in the documentary — now in theaters and co-directed by Hahn and Mark Ritchie — offered a glimpse at how much she was taking in during those early encounters with the group.
“I feel like I look a lot more confident than I actually was. There was so much going on in my head, having to step up to the plate, right? When you’re doing that, there’s so many adjustments that are happening,” she said. “So you’re singing a different way and you’re working with a band and people that have opinions of, ‘OK, try this, try this.’ You’re not used to that, right, and so you’re adjusting a lot.”
“It definitely was a creative risk, and we knew that to begin with, I think,” she said. “We don’t know if people are going to take to it, but we know that we love it.”
Hahn said the process of making music again was also part of the band’s healing.
“I think we were able to lean on each other and be open just to start healing, and then with that you give each other encouragement, too, like, ‘Hey, you’re good at this. … Don’t worry about that, we’ll figure that part out later.’ ”
Mike Shinoda, center, and Joe Hahn, left, members of the band Linkin Park, pose with Mark Hoppus, a member of the band Blink-182, at the premiere of the documentary film "Linkin Park: Unshatter" on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, at AMC The Grove 14 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Mike Shinoda, left, and Emily Armstrong, members of the band Linkin Park, pose together at the premiere of the documentary film "Linkin Park: Unshatter" on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, at AMC The Grove 14 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
From left, Joe Hahn, Brad Delson, Mike Shinoda, Emily Armstrong, Colin Brittain and Dave Farrell of the band Linkin Park pose together at the premiere of the documentary film "Linkin Park: Unshatter" on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, at AMC The Grove 14 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Several explosions were heard in the Saudi capital on Thursday, including one at the Riyadh airport that halted flights, a witness said. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis claimed the blast came from one of their ballistic missiles.
Meanwhile, Britain says it demoted its consulate in east Jerusalem to a mission and that 20 diplomats will leave the country and Israel honored six passengers on the Sept. 30 FlyDubai flight that the co-pilot tried to crash as heroes.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Thursday. Read our full coverage here.
A witness says several explosions were heard in Riyadh on Thursday, including a large blast at the city’s international airport.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen claimed the new attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, saying a ballistic missile caused damage. They provided no evidence, and the Saudis had no immediate comment about the claim.
Fire and ambulance crews were deployed and smoke was visible, the witness said.
The witness said that outgoing flights were halted, and that passengers were instructed to evacuate the airport. It was not immediately clear how many flights were disrupted, but the witness said the terminal was crowded with passengers and that people were instructed to leave all checked-in luggage behind.
The witness spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
— By Josef Federman
An Israeli military officer was killed and three soldiers suffered minor injuries when their vehicle overturned in southern Lebanon on Thursday, the military said.
The vehicle overturned during an operation in the Litani area. The military said it was reviewing the incident.
Israeli troops remain in parts of southern Lebanon despite U.S.-mediated talks aimed at securing their withdrawal and Hezbollah’s disarmament. The militant group has refused to disarm, while Israel continues to carry out strikes in southern Lebanon.
Israeli strikes that followed warnings in Gaza City and southern Gaza killed two people, including a child, on Thursday evening, local health officials said.
A strike on a house in Gaza City’s Sabra neighborhood killed a woman and a child and wounded 10 other people, while another strike elsewhere in the city wounded six, officials at Shifa and Al-Ahli hospitals said.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Gaza City warnings, and it was unclear what the strikes targeted.
In southern Gaza, Israel’s military said it “struck several weapons storage facilities” after issuing evacuation warnings. No casualties were reported.
Britain said it had reached an agreement with Israel's government to downgrade its consulate in east Jerusalem, and a small team of diplomats will continue to operate in what will now be known as the U.K. Mission.
Israel's government said last month it would close the consulate in response to the United Kingdom banning trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in a statement that the consulate had “ceased to function as a consulate.” He said 20 British diplomats will leave Israel, and that the building will continue to operate with seven diplomats engaged in limited activity.
“Israel will no longer turn its cheek to diplomatic attacks against it," he said.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband denied the building will close. Miliband said the seven diplomats remaining at the U.K. Mission will continue to work with Palestinians, but gave no details.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog honored six passengers Thursday for helping save lives aboard a FlyDubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv on Sept. 30.
Officials said a co-pilot on the plane attacked the captain and tried to crash the flight. The wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door, allowing a group of passengers and crew members to take control and land safely.
The six passengers received the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism at a ceremony in Jerusalem.
“By following the example of today’s honorees and heroes, we can make our world a safer place,” Herzog said.
Zvika Manes said his daughters’ cries prompted him to act. “Every father and every parent, when they hear that cry, acts without thinking to try to save lives,” he said.
The other recipients were Tali Manes, Yaniv Hayoun, Dr. Shota Musayev, Asaf Rajuan and Or Pardilov.
The Trump administration on Thursday sanctioned 17 tankers it accuses the Iranian government of relying on to move billions of dollars worth of oil and gas to foreign markets. The U.S. Treasury actions are the latest push as part of Washington’s punishing economic campaign against Tehran.
“Treasury is starving the tyrannical regime in Tehran of the money it uses to wage war in the region, and we will continue exposing those who enable the regime’s oil sales,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a news release.
The U.S. has alleged that the tankers are part of a shadow network helping to fund Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard and its armed proxies in the region.
This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.
Murid Akhziq, 43, lights a fire for cooking inside his home, which was destroyed during the Israel-Hamas war, in Gaza City, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Palestinians walk along a street surrounded by buildings destroyed in Israeli military strikes during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza City, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Barricades block the main road leading to British Consulate after the sign outside the consulate was taken down, in east Jerusalem, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
A car enters the British Consulate after the sign outside the consulate was taken down, in east Jerusalem, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
A mosque's minaret and buildings are seen in the West Bank village of Abu Dis behind the Israel's separation wall near Jerusalem, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
