Hearing the news of
Chester Bennington’s death on Thursday evening truly left me at a loss for
words. Linkin Park were the band for me, like many others, that acted as the
gateway into rock music. When I was eleven I received a copy of ‘Meteora’ for
Christmas. Listening to that record for the first time is still an incredibly
vivid memory for me even now, ten years later. I can recount repeating every song
more than once on that first listen because I was completely astounded with
what I was hearing. The combination of Mike Shinoda’s rapping and Chester’s vocals,
as well as the honest lyrics had me enticed. It was a sound I’d never heard
before and it blew my mind. In the years that followed my admiration for Linkin
Park only grew, I got my hands on a copy of ‘Hybrid Theory’ soon after
Christmas and was again completely in awe. On my thirteenth birthday, a friend
bought me a copy of ‘Minutes to Midnight’, I also got given a Linkin Park
t-shirt, the first band shirt I ever owned. I still remember how cool I felt
getting to represent my favourite band, even cooler when family members or
friends would ask what the logo on my shirt meant I got to explain. I can say
with complete certainty that if Linkin Park had never entered my life I’d have
no idea where I’d be right now, they were the band that shaped my early music
taste and who allowed me to discover a world of brilliant music.
The outpour of love
and tribute for Chester Bennington over the past few days is a testament to the
impact and importance he had amongst his friends, family, fans and the entire
music industry. Chester’s vocal talents were extraordinary, with his ability to
both scream ferociously and deliver incredibly delicate vocal melodies, his
range covered everything from the nu-metal of Linkin Park’s earlier material to
their more pop-orientated later album’s absolutely perfectly. I personally
never got the chance to see Linkin Park live, something I will now
especially regret. However, even through watching live performances on YouTube;
Chester’s command of the stage as a frontman was unrivalled, always executing his
vocal performance to the best of his ability while truly connecting with the
audience.
As I write this I’m
currently listening the live album ‘Road to Revolution’ and while feeling
incredibly saddened I also feel so thankful to have grown up with Chester’s
voice and lyrics as my soundtrack. I am beyond thankful for the power that his
music has and the positive impact it has and will continue to spread across
countless people’s lives.
R.I.P Chester
Bennington and once again, thank you.
To Write Love on Her
Arms - https://twloha.com/
MIND – https://www.mind.org.uk/
Sane - http://www.sane.org.uk/
Together - http://www.together-uk.org/
