It’s 5:48 a.m., and I’m listening to New Divide, by Linkin Park. Chester Bennington is belting out the lyrics in his frenetic high-pitched voice, and he’s really amping me up.
His lyrics are angst-ridden, full of pain and suffering, but he’s got a poetic bravery to him as well. It sounds like he’s really going through a rough time, that’s what it sounds like. “So give me reason, to prove me wrong, to wash this memory clean,” he sings
He then repeats “Across this new divide” several times in a powerful, emotional, emotive voice. It’s a great performance, and it really moves me.
Next I pop on Burn it Down by Linkin Park. It’s got a powerful metronomic beat leading into the song. Then the electric guitars come in hard, at least two or three, banging out hardcore rock chords. The drums are blasting. The keyboard is banging. And then Chester comes in hardcore. He’s talking about explosions in the sky and s***.
“We’re building it up, to break it back down, we’re building it up, to burn it back down,
“We’re building it up, to break it back down, we’re building it up, to burn it down, we can’t wait wait to burn It to the ground,” he sings.
Then another dude in the band starts rapping, which sounds pretty decent, but then Chester’s voice comes back in, and he takes over the song once again.
“We’re building it up, to burn it down, we can’t wait to burn it to the ground.” The hip hop is pretty good too, who is this? Who knows.
The keyboards and organ sound incredibly powerful, and it ends on a quiet note with an organ playing. What a dope song.
Next I pop on Numb by Linkin Park. It’s one of their all-time classics from the mid-2000s. I think it was even in the Fast & Furious movie, number 5.
The chorus rings out:
“Every step that I take is another mistake to you. Caught in the undertow, just caught in the undertow. I’ve become so numb, I can’t feel you there, become so tired, so much more aware, I’m becoming this, all I want to do, is be more like me and be less like you.”
Chester sounds like he’s in so much emotional pain, he’s become numb, he can’t take the suffering any longer, and he feels like every move he makes is the wrong move. It’s powerful stuff, and he’s really letting us see a window into his tortured soul.
“I’ve become so numb.” He’s pretty much screaming at this point, but it still sounds like singing, because his voice is absolutely so captivating. It’s melodic, even though it’s grating. The keyboard fades out, and the song is over. What an incredible performance by Chester Bennington.
Next I pop on Talkin To Myself, One More Light live, by Linkin Park. Chester is accusatory, outraged, sad, and resigned to being alone. It’s a sad commentary on where he’s at in his life. His voice is quivering, and you can tell he’s in a lot of pain. Which is so ironic, considering the stratospheric heights he’s reached in his career, and then his horrific and tragic death.
Next I play Battle Symphony by Linkin Park. Chester is seeking, searching out truth. But this time he hears the music he needs to hear to get him motivated to do battle and fight his demons. That’s what’s going on. His battle symphony is playing, it’s burning in his mind and his heart, and he’s ready to fight for what he wants to get in life. It’s a nice change from his usual defeatist lyrics. It really is.
“When they turn down the lights, I hear my battle Symphony, all the world’s in front of me, if my armor breaks, I’ll fuse it back together. Battle Symphony, please just don’t give up on me, and my eyes are wide awake.”
Chester is really burning brightly in Battle Symphony, and he’s got a lot of power in his voice. He’s got conviction and truth on his side, and he’s ready to persevere.
“Please just don’t give up on me, and my eyes are wide awake.”
We hear you Chester, we love you, and we hear you.
What a dope song. He was an absolute shooting star burning brightly, and it’s a loss for the entire music community, and for humanity, that he’s gone now.
RIP Chester Bennington.
