^ Definitely my favorite music video from them.
I couldn't tell you the first time I heard Linkin Park, but the song that made me begin to listen to them closer was Castle of Glass on Living Things. I didn't think it was super great, but there was potential in there. Soon, I found myself constantly listening to their albums after Meteora and falling in love with their different styles. To this day, A Thousand Suns remains one of my all-time favorite albums - a REALLY underrated concept album based on nuclear warfare and themes of humanity and corruption. The Hunting Party was my gateway to other forms of metal, as I always appreciated the intricate guitar parts in comparison to their earlier work. And Leave Out All The Rest is one of my absolute favorite pop songs, and it's not even Linkin Park's best imo. You've got The Catalyst, A Line in the Sand, The Little Things Give You Away, The Messenger...
So, yeah. Linkin Park is a very important band to me, so as with sdp, this one hits very close for me. I was at work when the news broke. A co-worker, who is typically a very joking guy, told me about this. I thought it was just a sick joke, but I looked it up, and it was true. I don't cry much, but that was it for me. Two days ago I was practically drowning in my own tears because the lead singer to one of my go-to bands had become so emotionally distraught he did this. And I'm still just speechless about it.
The only things I can really get out of my head is that I'm really sad he's gone and that I still have a hard time believing he's gone. Linkin Park means a lot to me, but a lot of their lyrics came from Chester's own experiences, so I've always felt closer to him than Mike or Brad or Pheonix. Hearing this news completely pained me and I couldn't process anything through my head yesterday or the day of. All I could think was "not him... not him..." and just hoping it was a hoax until it was confirmed. If this is how I felt as a big fan of the band for years, imagine how the rest of the band must feel, especially Mike, the other vocalist, who had developed an incredibly close relationship with Chester. Imagine how the people who truly did know him must feel.
I am so heartbroken over this. It's one of those news stories that hit me right where I live. I can't even begin to describe my condolences to his widow, his six children, or the rest of the band. This is truly a great loss. RIP Chester.
This was one of the final songs he released.