Ever since last week’s parody countdown, Linkin Park fans have been anxiously awaiting their live event scheduled for this Thursday, September 5th. The band has already announced something big since posting a mysterious 100-hour countdown last week, and fans are speculating that it could be Linkin Park reuniting with a new vocalist. Additionally, every member of Linkin Park shared last week’s teaser on social media, so whatever the band is planning, all of the former members seem to be on board, further fueling the reunion speculation.

That said, following the band’s 100-hour countdown, Linkin Park Underground members received an email invite to an exclusive live event reportedly taking place from 12:30 PM to 5:30 PM PST on September 5. This was the first indication that Linkin Park actually had concrete plans for an announcement this week, and the band has since confirmed a live event on their YouTube channel scheduled for 3 PM PST on Thursday. Things heated up even further, however, when the band’s second 100-hour countdown (yes, they started a second 100-hour timer) cryptically teased an image and some audio moments after the clock ran out.

Given the looks and sound of it, it would be a safe bet to assume that the band will be dropping new music on Thursday, possibly a brand new single. The fade-in of the audio sounds vaguely connected to the music, and these types of fade-in teasers are common among hard rock and metal bands these days. While a new Linkin Park single is certainly a fair bet for Thursday’s reveal, it’s hard to say whether or not the band will announce a new vocalist.

Interestingly enough, fans on the Linkin Park subreddit reposted a recent interview with Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda in which he discusses the idea of ​​the band’s future and what path would be best for the band. Shinoda is referencing the band’s AC/DC and Nirvana, which both lost their lead singers, but both bands took different paths as a result — AC/DC recruited Brian Johnson and went on to even greater success, and Nirvana broke up but drummer Dave Grohl went on to front the Foo Fighters.

The whole point of Shinoda’s comment here seems to be that he’s not entirely sure what the best path is for Linkin Park moving forward. However, in light of recent news, rumors, and teasers, it definitely seems like Shinoda and the rest of the band have decided on a path. Whether or not that path involves a new vocalist remains to be seen, but it most likely at least involves a future for Linkin Park.