Chester Bennington

LIVE REVIEW: LINKIN PARK AT INTUIT DOME

Wow! Seriously, Wow! I have to say this show was beyond awesome. There are some bands out there that just have the right recipe for putting on a show that leaves you feeling great, inspired and ready to take on anything and Linkin Park is definitely one of those bands. This show in Los Angeles as part of their From Zero World Tour, was outstanding. Last year around this time, I went to their return show at The Forum and that one too was something special. And just like that show, it was full of so many people smiling, singing along, sharing in the joy of getting to see Linkin Park do what they do best.

At 9:05pm, the screens around the venue turned dark and a 10 minute countdown appeared, when the clock hit zero, it was on! Colin, Joe, Dave, Alex, Emily and Mike all took the stage and blasted off with the heaviest version of “Somewhere I Belong,” I’ve ever heard. I didn’t realize how good of an opener that song really is. From there it was just an onslaught of banger after banger with “Crawling,” “Up From The Bottom,” Lying From You (which is one of my all time favorite LP songs),” and “The Emptiness Machine.” Talk about a way to open a set. Those 5 songs not only set the night on fire but, the crowd participation on each of those songs was astounding, especially on “Crawling” and “Lying From You.” After that, it went into so many other great gems LP has including 2 songs from the very underrated and very awesome A Thousand Suns, “Waiting For The End (another of my all time favorite LP songs)” and “The Catalyst.” The From Zero songs really were on fire like “Two Faced,” “Overflow,” “Stained,” “Over Each Other” but, even more so on the live debut of “Unshatter,” “Heavy Is The Crown” and “I Gave You Everything I Have.” The latter of which was a real highlight for me. The explosive nature of that song ferocious. Other fun songs like “Lost” from the Meteora 20 release sounded great. It started with just Mike and Emily then it hit the gas pedal for the second chorus and was simply divine. When they played “Numb” they started the song off in a very fantastic fashion by speeding it up to make it more of a “punk” sounding song. I so want to hear it in full like that! During “In The End” the crowd participation was almost deafening. I love a good concert sing along and this one might have taken the cake this year. Of course when they played “Faint” and “Papercut” I was through the roof. Those 2 songs are in my top 5 LP songs of all time. I absolutely love those songs. The video for “Faint” is one of my all time favorites too. During the set too there were a couple of solo moments where Joe Hahn showed off his scratching skills. I forgot how damn good he is at that. Reminded me a bit of seeing them back in the Hybrid Theory era and how they would do that. Also, Mike had his solo moment with “When They Come For Me/Remember The Name” during part of that Mike likes to throw in a different rap verse from other songs and this evening he pulled out part of “High Voltage” which was pretty awesome. Closing out the night was the always fun “Bleed It Out” which also during the bridge they threw in part of “A Place For My Head” and then it was over.

If you have ever been a doubter of Linkin Park, seeing them live will change that. I had a long history of writing the band off but, I’m really glad I went back to listen and rediscover them. Having Emily and Colin in the band now has not only breathed new life into the band but, given all of us fans a reason to look forward to the future. Emily is a force of nature all on her own and these songs go even harder than before. That’s not a knock on Chester at all. Chester was great too but, with Emily it feels like the older songs are taken to new heights and the new songs are so damn good. Honestly this show and night was genuinely everything you’d want it to be. The production of the stage show was superb. It felt very immersive and intimate even though there wasn’t an empty seat or place to stand in the whole arena.

I took my daughter with me to the show as well and she had such an amazing time. She’s a huge LP fan and to see her smile, be happy and singing along was the cherry on top. Getting to share music with my daughter, friends and all of you is what makes this all fun. Seriously, if you haven’t heard From Zero, give it a listen. And the next time Linkin Park comes through town, GO!!! I know I will!

Overall Rating: A

Review and Photos By: Brian Lacy

Linkin Park Set List:

01) Somewhere I Belong
02) Crawling
03) Up From The Bottom
04) Lying From You
05) The Emptiness Machine
06) The Catalyst
07) Burn It Down
08) Stained
09) Where’d You Go (Fort Minor Cover)
10) Waiting For The End
11) Castle Of Glass
12) Two Faced
13) Joe Hahn Solo
14) When They Come For Me/Remember The Name (High Voltage Verse)
15) I Gave You Everything I Have
16) One Step Closer
17) Lost
18) Unshatter (Live Debut)
19) What I’ve Done
20) Overflow
21) Numb
22) Over Each Other
23) In The End
24) Faint
ENCORE:
25) Papercut
26) Heavy Is The Crown
27) Bleed It Out (with A Place For My Head verse)

PHOTOS:


GUEST VOCALS: ASHES DIVIDE WITH CHESTER BENNINGTON- THE OUTSIDER

I’ve been on a bit of an A Perfect Circle kick as of late. I’m pretty excited about the thought of new music from them. Especially since their last album, Eat The Elephant, was pretty disappointing. While going through my usual rabbit hole, I came across this fun video. If you are not aware, after A Perfect Circle went on “hiatus” in 2004, Billy Howerdel would go on to start a solo career. His first release was under the name Ashes Divide and the album, Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright. That year Ashes Divide was asked to be a part of Linkin Park’s Projekt Revolution tour. During one of the stops on the tour, the late Chester Bennington joined Ashes Divide on stage for a version of A Perfect Circle’s “The Outsider.” It’s a pretty solid offering and just shows that Chester could sing pretty much anything, and it sounded good. If you haven’t seen or heard this before you are in for a treat. And seriously check out the Ashes Divide album, it’s really quite good.

Ashes Divide w/Chester Bennington- The Outsider (Live):

Ashes Divide- Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright:

B-SIDES: LINKIN PARK- NO ROADS LEFT


This might come as a shock to some of you but, over the past few years, I’ve taken a liking to Linkin Park. A lot has gone on over those years and for a myriads of reasons I got drawn into it. One day I’ll elaborate on that. The 20th anniversary of their album Meteora really put it in my head that, I was hating on them for no real good reason. As I dug through their catalog and found the songs and albums I enjoyed, I made a note to come back to a few songs and highlight them. This one song in particular was a b-side from their sessions recording their third album, Minutes To Midnight. The song is “No Roads Left” and was a composition that was written mainly by Mike Shinoda and features Mike on lead vocals. There was a version recorded with Chester singing the song but, the band especially Chester thought that Mike’s version was the best one and they went with it. Sadly though, this song didn’t make the album. Had it made the album, I’m more than sure this song would have made that album better than it is. That’s not to say it’s a bad album, the sequencing of the song order is a bit iffy (but that’s for a whole other topic another day). This song is another example of good songwriting and shows that Mike Shinoda really is the glue that makes Linkin Park what it is. I’d love for this song to get it’s full due from fans as well as being added to their set lists. It’s too good to just be a b-side!

Linkin Park- No Roads Left:

Collaborations:Linkin Park & Page Hamilton- All For Nothing

Back in 2015, Linkin Park released their album, The Hunting Party. This album saw the band return to more of their “rock roots” after time spent experimenting and expanding upon their sound. The Hunting Party was met with a bit of a mixed reaction but, over time has actually grown into quite a pretty stand out album in their catalog. One song on this album in particular has always had my attention and it’s one hell of a banger too. The song is track 2 on the album and it’s called “All For Nothing” and features the one and only Page Hamilton of Helmet on guest vocals as well as guitar. This song fits naturally into the signature sound of Linkin Park and it has a bit of an old school vibe with the hip-hop verses into the soaring melodic chorus. The combination of LP and Page Hamilton works out quite well. When you listen to early LP albums (Hybrid Theory/Meteora) there is a bit of a Helmet influence to the guitars so it’s only appropriate that this collaboration were to happen and work so well. I’m just going to put this out in the universe cause it would be awesome if it were to happen but, how about on Helmet’s upcoming tour, they add this song to the set for their Los Angeles date and Mike Shinoda comes out and performs it with Helmet?! Now that would be something! This song really deserves to be given the proper live debut!

Linkin Park with Page Hamilton- All For Nothing:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=DVPbR_r8XLU%3Fsi%3DfyBSCAgOS0uA6iCG

Making of “All For Nothing”

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TkAn7Zg16ps%3Fsi%3D_DwuShbbWHvmUGsZ

Great Music Videos: Linkin Park- Faint

I love when you see a video that really connects with the energy of the song. I still remember when this video came out and it was one of those “damn, that video is really really good and now I am quite enjoying the song.” I have something lined up in the next couple weeks to further delve into Linkin Park but, first I really want to highlight this gem of a video. Riding high off their debut album, Hybrid Theory and then their follow up Meteora, Linkin Park was the biggest band in the world. During the summer of 2003, Linkin Park released “Faint” as a single and the accompanying video was something else. Legendary director Mark Romanek (Nine Inch Nails, Fiona Apple, Jay-Z, etc) was behind the camera for this one and it definitely left a mark (no pun intended). The video has the band performing with an audience with giant floodlights. Almost the entire video is shot from behind the band, allowing the strong lighting to portray them in silhouettes. A fun thing about this video is that the faces of the band are not shown throughout most of the video, except at the final chorus where the band is then shown from the front. So instead of getting an “audience view” you get the perspective of what the band sees from the state. The way the video is shot and edited is so fun and interesting. Mark Romanek does a phenomenal job of capturing not just the performance aspect of the band but, the energy from the audience that roars back to the band “on stage.” This is video is one of those that I like to put in the category of “this video will get you into the song.” As of now too, the video for “Faint” has almost 400 million plays on YouTube.

Linkin Park- Faint:

List: Most Annoying Voices

I was having a conversation with a couple friends the other day. We were discussing a few bands and the thing that kept coming up was the voice of the vocalist. As we were chatting a list was starting to be made and why not make this a fun collaborative list! This list doesn’t necessarily mean they are terrible just that their voices aren’t easy to listen to (high pitched, nasally, obnoxious, etc). So, here we go…

Geddy Lee- Rush
Tom DeLonge- Blink 182/Angels and Airwaves
Perry Farrell- Jane’s Addiction/Porno For Pyros
Claudio Sanchez- Coheed and Cambria
Scott Stapp- Creed
Myles Kennedy- Alter Bridge/Slash
Daron Malakian- System Of A Down/Scars On Broadway
Justin Hawkins- The Darkness
King Diamond- Mercyful Fate/King Diamond
Gerard Way- My Chemical Romance
Davey Havok- AFI/Blaqq Audio
Steven Tyler- Aerosmith
Chris Carraba- Dashboard Confessional
Bert McKracken- The Used
Adam Lazzara- Taking Back Sunday
Brian Molko- Placebo
Billy Corgan- The Smashing Pumpkins
Chino Moreno- Deftones
Joey Belladona- Anthrax
Dani Filth- Cradle Of Filth
Ben Gibbard- Death Cab For Cutie/The Postal Service
Sully Erna- Godsmack
Chad Gray- Mudvayne/Hellyeah
Anders Frieden- In Flames
Chester Bennington- Linkin Park
Cedric Bixler Zavala- At The Drive In/The Mars Volta
Maria Brink- In This Moment
Dave Mustaine- Megadeth
Vince Neil- Motley Crue (anything post 1991)
Tim Armstrong- Rancid/The Transplants
Anthony Green- Saosin/Circa Survive
Brian Aubert- Silversun Pickups
Bjork
Jewel
Joni Mitchell
Joan Baez
Bob Dylan

Anticipated Albums: Mark Morton- Anesthetic

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Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton is preparing to release his debut solo album March 1, 2019. This is an album that Mark has been working on for a while. In a recent interview Mark went on to say “This album wasn’t a concerted effort to start something outside Lamb of God,” he explains. “Music is always in my head, and until I write and record it, it’s stuck there. But once I record it, it’s out. It’s a catharsis, more for my own sanity.” So needless to say, this album is full of variety and riffs galore. The album features Mark playing all the guitars with guest accompaniment from the likes of Roy Mayorga, David Ellefson, Ray Luzier, Paolo Gregoletto, Alex Bent, Mike Inez, Jean-Paul Gaster, Steve Gorman, Marc Ford, Yanni Papadopoulos, and Chris Brooks rounding out the band. Anesthetic sure seems like a beast of an album. Two songs have been released already “The Truth Is Dead” featuring Arch Enemy’s Alissa White- Gluz and Mark’s Lamb of God mate Randy Blyth, and “Cross Off” which features the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park.

 

The Truth Is Dead w/ Randy Blyth and Alissa White- Gluz:

 

 

Cross Off w/ Chester Bennington:

 

 

 

ANESTHETIC TRACK LISTING:
1. “Cross Off” (feat. Chester Bennington)
2. “Sworn Apart” (feat. Jacoby Shaddix)
3. “Axis”  (feat. Mark Lanegan)
4. “The Never” (feat. Chuck Billy + Jake Oni)
5. “Save Defiance” (feat. Myles Kennedy)
6. “Blur” (feat. Mark Morales)
7. “Back From The Dead” (feat. Josh Todd)
8. “Reveal” (feat. Naeemah Maddox)
9. “Imaginary Days”
10. “The Truth Is Dead” (feat. Randy Blythe + Alissa White-Gluz)

Great B Sides: Linkin Park- QWERTY

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When bands record albums they have a tendency to record more songs that don’t show up on their albums. This new topic highlights those songs (B-sides), that the band didn’t put on their albums.

First up is the song “QWERTY” by Linkin Park. I was never really a fan of the band but, I remember hearing this song over ten years ago and thought “Why didn’t they put this on an album?” Instead they switched gears and released the mediocre Minutes To Midnight. Though never officially released, Linkin Park did put this song out on one of their fan club CD’s. So here is “QWERTY” for you all to enjoy.

 

Linkin Park- QWERTY:

 

 

Tribute: Chester Bennington

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This piece has taken me a while to write. Not because I was extremely influenced or inspired by Chester but rather, because I’ve never looked at Linkin Park other than a great marketed band. Throughout the past couple days since the news broke of Chester’s suicide, I took some time to really delve into Linkin Park and see if there was something I missed. That’s not what this piece is about though. Chester was a guy who put himself out there and that alone stands for something. There are so many people out there that shit on him and the band but, those are the people that never put themselves out there and tried.

Chester was a guy like many of us out there that has struggled with depression, addiction and other demons. Sure he was a celebrity but, that doesn’t change the fact that he was a person just like the rest of us. He suffered for many years with many ups and downs. He laid it all out there with his words and voice. Listening to their songs, you can really hear it in his performance. His desperation and suffering really showed through as the band continued on their journey. Not everyone is going to like the next thing a band does but, sometimes that doesn’t really matter. It’s about where you are in life and how you can continue to better yourself. Recently, Chester took a lot of the criticism of his bands new album One More Light very personally. The comments sections on the internet were full of disgusting negativity about the direction of the album. Chester directly addressed a lot of these critiques and it really got to him. Chester and Chris Cornell were also very good friends, so I’m sure he was struggling to come to terms with Chris’s death as well. It doesn’t matter how deep you try to bury the feelings you don’t want to feel, they tend to always come back and pick at you little by little in some way.

I’ve been deeply affected by other deaths in my life and this one has slowly crept in there. My wife was a big Linkin Park fan way back when, and I’ve seen her take this pretty hard. It’s never easy to lose someone that you are connected to on a specific wavelength. The power of music really does help save lives.

You don’t have to be a fan to feel the pain and anguish others are going through. I truly hope that those out there that are suffering and in need of help, can get it. Mental health isn’t a subject that should be brushed over. People need to really pay attention to what is happening. Take the time to show you care, and that you are there for those that you know are having a hard time.

 

A Place For My Head:

 

Faint (I’ve always thought this video was awesome):

 

From The Inside:

 

Leave Out All The Rest:

Op Ed: Stone Temple Pilots Take A Break

The wounds are still fresh and the scabs haven’t even begun to form. Now is not the time. Since Scott Weiland’s passing late last year, the surviving members of Stone Temple Pilots have taken it upon themselves to continue on. On one hand I totally understand their need and want to get back out there, but it’s just too soon. Their failed attempt to move on while Scott was still alive was atrocious. Their picking of Chester Bennington was awful. Have you seen the footage of it? I mean seriously, what are you guys thinking? The clips that I saw just showed Chester trying to emulate Scott all the way down to dying his hair pink, and swaying and moving on stage just like Scott would. Not too mention that Chester’s voice is too high and sounds nasally. It’s as though they created a tribute band already with the addition of Chester. At least when the band took a hiatus in the 90’s, the guys had the decency to start a new group under a different name. Remember Talk Show?

With enough time, I think that people would welcome an STP return. Look at Alice In Chains. When Layne passed away, they all did their own things and came back when enough time had passed. Granted there were quite a few doubters, but those that took the time to see the new Alice, saw that it’s a breath of fresh air that does the band justice. Jerry, Sean and Mike found the right guy in William DuVall. And now people are loving what William has done for the band.

What I’m saying is that now isn’t the time to get back out there. Let the people have the chance to get over Scott’s passing. Dean, Robert and Eric take some time and do something else. By getting STP going again, you are tarnishing the memory of what a great band you were. All people will think is that who ever you pick to sing for the band, it isn’t Scott and won’t come close. Start up Army Of Anyone again. I’m sure Richard Patrick from Filter would be down to get that rolling again. Or just start a new band and call it something else. You can play a few songs from your STP catalog, but don’t make an entire set from it. With enough time the wounds will heal enough for you guys to get the band back together with the right person.

As it says in the song “Creep”… “Take time with a wounded hand, cause it likes to heal.”