“He says if he had a second chance, he’d make amends”, remember the musicians of Grey Daze
More than two years have passed since the world lost Linkin Park’s driving force, Chester Bennington, but the wounds might never be healed. Chester took his life on July 20, 2017 at the age of 41, shortly before actualizing his longtime dream to re-record and release the albums of his former band, Grey Daze. Inspired to finish Chester’s unfulfilled goal, his ex-bandmates got back in studio.
The new episode of the YouTube series Grey Daze: Making Amends (Revival) has just premiered, and it’s so moving we just couldn’t pass it by. “He says if he had a second chance, he’d make amends”, the band recollects Chester’s craving to re-record Grey Daze earlier songs. That’s why the bandmates have given the upcoming album such a title, Amends.
In the emotional third episode, Grey Daze members share how they found out about Chester’s death. Bassist Mace Beyers recollects his publicist calling him and telling him to go online. “I went online and sure enough, it was everywhere.” “I immediately called Sean [Dowdell],” he says.
The drummer called Chester’s wife first thing: “I immediately called Talinda and said ‘Hey, I know you don’t want to tell me details and I don’t care about any of that. I just want to know what you guys need, how can I help you?’ And she just said ‘Come out to L.A. and help me just, get here,” remembers Dowdell. So he flew to LA straight away, taken aback by this tragic news:
“He was on top of the world two days before it happened,” the drummer ponders. “So, I didn’t see it coming. At all. In any way, shape or form when it happened. I just didn’t.”
Watch the full episode below:
Now, after all the grief, it was time to finish what the band started together. It all began three years ago with Chester announcing on Instagram that he had reunited Grey Daze. He intended to re-record and improve the band’s first two albums, Wake Me and no sun today, using new technology and opportunities. However, Chester’s sudden passing interrupted this plan.
More: Watch CHESTER BENNINGTON tribute show with Blink-182, System Of A Down, Korn, Sum 41 + more
As time passed, Dowdell first thought of re-releasing the old tracks himself: “Initially, the intent was just to finish it and put it out on my own. And, not to worry about it. But, as the process started moving forward and we started working with different engineers and studios, we came to the realization that this music was really important.”
And then the most unbelievable thing happened. Jason Barnes, former guitarist for Grey Daze accidentally found all 12 of Chester’s original ADAT vocal recordings (Alesis Digital Audio Tape or ADAT, originally used to record Chester’s parts). He came across the records in his garage, where he was searching for a lightbulb.
Now the former members of Grey Daze are releasing track by track from Amends. The re-release will feature performances by Chester’s son Jaime, Korn’s Brian “Head” Welch and James “Munky” Shaffer, P.O.D.’s Marcos Curiel, Bush’s Chris Traynor and Ryan Shuck, the guitarist of the Orgy. Amends by Grey Daze will be out on April 10.
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