Kat Von D Questions Linkin Park Replacing Chester Bennington With Woman

Kat Von D ain't happy Linkin Park's moved on from Chester Bennington ... saying bands who lose their lead singer shouldn't try to replace them -- and questioning if putting a woman on the mic is a gimmick.

The tattoo artist and TV personality stopped by "The Sailor Jerry" podcast ... where the host Matt Caughthran asked her about the band recently adding Emily Armstrong as their lead singer.

Kat -- a close friend of Chester, who passed away in 2017 -- says she thinks it's dumb when bands hire new lead singers 'cause they can't capture the magic of the original. She points to The Doors replacing Jim Morrison after his death ... a move she never understood.

Von D says she thinks fans would rather see a hologram ... or some sort of technological reproduction to give fans a version of the OG vocalist.

As for replacing Chester with a female vocalist ... Kat says that makes even less sense -- and, feels kinda gimmicky to her. She also openly questions whether the whole move was just a cash grab for the group.

As you know ... Linkin Park recently announced a new world tour and album -- both led by Armstrong. Some fans -- including Chester Bennington's son Jaime, who told us he's actually gotten death threats for criticizing the move.