Chester Bennington: A Tribute

When you picture Chester Bennington what do you see? I think I could guess: the singer bent double, pulsing with adrenaline, and freeing his ferocious voice, a wall of noise that sounded dangerous and utterly beautiful. His voice only got more beautiful the more he lightened his efforts, but it’s that primal scream that will be remembered. This is the Chester Bennington I will remember.

After his death it was truly touching to see all of the people Chester, and Linkin Park, had reached over the last 17 years. For many, myself included, Linkin Park was a personality defining band. They seemed to come at just the right time to capitalise on Nu-metal, but like MCR with Emo, and Smashing Pumpkins with Grunge, Linkin Park were too big for such a narrow genre. Sure they were the best at mixing rap with hard rock, but that’s missing their experiments with pop melodies, and the strong vein of electronica running through the band. Yet Chester’s voice was the aspect of the band’s sound that would define a generation. This is the Chester Bennington I will remember.

While I came to appreciate the contributions from the rest of the band, Linkin Park was Chester to me, and still is. No other artist has defined me, and helped me grow as a person the way that he did. He was a walking anachronism: the geeky punk with a soft voice, handsome features, and a rage that was perfectly encapsulated in his music. As a teenager, later to be diagnosed with mental health problems, Chester helped me feel less alone: his simple but effective lyrics about his own turmoil, his own battles, his own doubts, gave me the language and understanding to know that I wasn’t alone. If you need proof of how an artist can change people’s lives just look at the sorrow met by his suicide, from fans, friends, and fellow artists. This is the Chester Bennington I will remember.

His time has come too early, but he has left behind plenty of reasons to be missed.