by Derric Miller
— Managing Editor —
“It’s a cash grab!” If there’s anything more cynical than having the temerity to think, nonetheless utter such blather, it’s rightfully at home in political discourse … not in the musical arena. Certainly not here. Grey Daze Amends is a celebration of Chester Bennington’s journey; we all know how it ended, but where did it begin? Like if some lost Chris Cornell recordings were found people would say, “Don’t release that–I never want to hear anything except what I’ve already heard, dammit!”
You know what they say: If you can’t say something nice, open your mouth and say the stupidest damn thing you can think of. (Pretty sure that’s how the saying goes.)
All that aside, Bennington first band before he became a world-renowned singer in Linkin Park was Grey Daze. It’s dark, moody, Bennington even shrieks on one song, but it’s a light in the plight regardless.
The first vocals on the opening track, “Sickness,” you will be amazed how mature Bennington sounds. It seems his learning curve was a flat-line from the get-go–he can wail, with power and emotion, and it’s rife with the edginess of youth. The song is drum heavy, with nearly distracting rhythms, and the tone overall is slightly depressing, but that’s the way it sounded back in the ’90s.
“Sometimes” is slower, a little more breathable, and Bennington for once sounds flat in sections. Yet he always blows the chorus up. You’ll get some noisy guitars, a simple guitar solo, and maybe the best chorus on Amends.
“The Syndrome” will remind of Linkin Park, as in, you almost wait for Shinoda to step in and do his thing. Like many of the songs here, they go from mid-tempo verses to seething choruses. Formulaic, but effective.
Likely the best all-around song is “Just Like Heroin.” The bass from Mace Beyers drives this song. Such a simple chorus, “Just like heroin … just excuses,” speaks volumes in only five words. This one you’ll go back to again and again, if only to hear the painful shrieks that you know aren’t just window dressing.
They can’t all be this strong, though. “B12” and “Morei Sky” sound like songs that were NEARLY finished, but something went missing.
After you hear the formula a few times, the songs may flow together, and while the closer “Shouting Out” stretches its wings with strong backing melodies, the uplifting attempt is still colored by the underlying shadows. They took a chance on a choir-like chorus, and it works.
It doesn’t matter why some people think Grey Daze Amends exist. The important part is that it DOES. Just knowing how it all began, the promise Bennington showed, and the fact he fulfilled said promise in legendary fashion … that’s what matters.
Genre: Alternative Rock
Band:
Chester Bennington (vocals)
Mace Beyers (bass)
Cristin Davis (guitar)
Sean Dowdell (drums)
Tracklisting:
01. Sickness
02. Sometimes
03. What’s in the Eye
04. The Syndrome
05. In Time
06. Just Like Heroine
07. B12
08. Soul Song
09. Morei Sky
10. She Shines
11. Shouting Out
Label: Lorna Vista Recordings
Online:
www.facebook.com/realgreydaze
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(7.2 / 10)
