When I got the text that I thought was some sort of cruel joke, I immediately replied "no fuckin way" in the hopes of getting an "I'm just kidding" or "it's a prank" in return, but the news was true. Chester Bennington had passed away, resulting from hanging, on what would have been his close friend and former Audioslave and Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell's 53rd birthday. Growing up in the early 2000s, listening to or hearing Linkin Park at some point, whether it be on the radio, or on the album of theirs you or a friend just purchased, was a given. When I was younger, I thought Linkin Park was the coolest band out, and when my sister purchased the band's debut album released in 2000, Hybrid Theory, I was in her room every day listening to it, and if she wouldn't let me in I was finding ways and making it my mission to jack it out of her room and find a radio to insert it in, and press play, regardless of risking getting beaten, screamed or scolded at.
Linkin Park was THE definitive band of the early 2000s for millennials and beyond, and our generation losing Chester Bennington is like generation x and y losing Kurt Cobain. I was worried about Linkin Park as I worry about all musical acts in a time where musicians and bands are like a revolving door of talent (and some not so much) coming and going as the days pass by, but when it came to staying true to self and never compromising sound, they were the last to worry about. Linkin Park gave us unapologetic, scream singing, in your face rap metal that sounds less like screamo music and more like bible scriptures and lyrics to live and meditate upon, only this time with hard thrashing guitars, futuristic synthesizers and the Yin and Yang voices of Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington trading lyrical jabs and deadly potent melodies. It's almost as if depending what sound you heard going into each song dictated who dominated the song lyric and melody wise, though both Linkin Park singers co existed better than Miami Heat era LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, two heavyweights who did what they needed to when called upon.
Chester's vocal abilities were unheard of for the time, and part of Linkin Park's early success was due in part to his ability to scream his lungs out in one song, then give you a tear jerking ballad in the very next performance. In "Faint", Chester seemingly leaves it all on the microphone and in the studio, with impeccable timing and one of the premier displays of his ability to go 0-60 in a millisecond, going from the beat break at the 2:00 mark (I can't feel, the way I did before, don't turn your back on me, I won't be ignored...), into the explosion that is the famous, heart wrenching chorus of the same lyrics. On "What I've Done", the contemplative, "apocalyptic-aftermath" tones of the piano are made a reality by Bennington's sort of "survivor's guilt" mentality in his lyrics and remorseful tone. Chester's expert song writing filled every song with a purpose, a purpose that his voice carried out, almost as if it was possible to win an Emmy from vocal performances based on feeling and acting with emotion, which he did with every line, every lyric, and every word. Chester gave his every last bit of himself, as eerie as it is to say and think about, with poignant lyrics that were giving people chills while he was on top, and now will haunt the dreams of avid fans, music listeners, and fellow songwriters alike... forever.
Chester Bennington's vocal range will remain, and go down as one of the best and most broad voices in music history (as the kids say, don't @ me). It's terribly unfortunate and heartbreaking to hear such an amazing talent take his own life, especially after years of success, and songs that I, and millions of fans worldwide, will still be painstakingly screaming out at the top of our lungs until they're no longer able to suck in oxygen. But as history has it, millions of dollars in wealth and immense success does not bring happiness... it starts with one's self, and I pray, every single day that somebody who lives with these issues is able to speak up and seek help for themselves, and their loved ones around them. The mental health issue, though being spoken about more honest and openly over the last few years, is still a glaring elephant in the room that nobody seems to want to tame. Chester will forever live on in our hearts, in our heads, and in our headphones and speaker systems, because his legend shall never die, but the thought of what could have been will still always be there, not only as a truly painful memory, but hopefully as a reminder for those with mental health issues to speak up, and a reminder for you to tell your loved ones how much you love and appreciate them. So for yours, for mine, for your loved ones and for everybody's sake... tell them. Before we, or they see One More Light.
It's not for the faint at heart, but if you choose, check out Chester and Linkin Park's performance of their lead single of their most recent album, One More Light, on Jimmy Kimmel on July 19th (three days ago). Warning; Prepare yourselves.
(*I do not own these videos, or the rights to them*)
Please, for those who need to talk to someone, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
It's okay to speak up. It's the strongest thing you could ever do.
