To this day, the rock and metal communities deeply mourn the passing of Chester Bennington. Since his death, the band has been very quiet; however, as of today, they started promoting something cryptic over on their website.
As for what may come from the band in the following days… who knows? One thing is for sure though – any release of theirs will be bittersweet without Bennington by their side. Besides being an incredibly talented singer, Bennington was also a wonderful light in this world.
This is also a sentiment expressed by Limp Bizkit singer Fred Durst, who became good friends with the late Linkin Park singer. Both bands experienced major popularity in the early aughts, but per Durst, he believes that Limp Bizkit and other nu-metal bands owe thanks to Bennington.
Linkin Park’s debut LP Hybrid Theory, released in 2000, not only became one of the defining albums of nu-metal, but has also become one of the most beloved albums in all of music history.
Talking to Variety not long after Bennington’s passing in 2017, Durst talked about how much he admired the late singer. He also mentioned how, thanks to Bennington, nu-metal was able to reach “the masses and affected so many lives.”
Reflecting on the time he watched Linkin Park perform their first European show, Durst shared:
“I remember seeing them on the side of the stage and as were performing, I was thinking to myself, ‘Chester’s voice is going to blow these kids the f— up.’ It was a great moment and I’m happy now to have had it.’
He then went on to talk about Bennington’s character, and spoke about a very intimate moment the two shared together:
“He would go out of his way to make sure you knew he truly cares. As real and transparent as our conversations would be, he was always the one projecting light on the shadows.
“In my last conversation with him, he was holding his two cute puppies and giving me the most selfless and motivational compliments in regards to Limp Bizkit and myself and thanking me for paving the path for bands like Linkin Park.”
Eventually, Durst brought up his belief that, because of the late Linkin Park singer, nu-metal was able to become a cultural force and change lives.
“In return, I told him if it weren’t for him and his voice and his words, this genre would never have reached the masses and affected so many lives. I thanked him for being so courageous and humble and for always being such a gentleman. We laughed and hugged and told jokes as if there would always be a tomorrow for us to meet again.”
What do you make of Durst’s points? Do you think Bennington is responsible for ushering nu-metal into the greater limelight?
Linkin Park Launch Cryptic New Website
