Feb. 12, 2020, Phoenix – Grey Daze, Chester Bennington’s pre-Linkin Park band, take fans behind the scenes into the making of their forthcoming album, Amends (https://found.ee/GD_Amends), with an eight-part video series dubbed Making Amends (https://found.ee/GD_MakingAmendsPart1).
The web-based series explores the Phoenix-based band’s beginnings, their motivation for reuniting, how the album was made and the musicians who pitched in to ensure Chester’s dream of a Grey Daze reunion and album release were fulfilled.
The band recently announced that Amends, their eagerly-awaited album, featuring newly recorded music with re-mastered vocals from the group’s long out-of-print, and largely undiscovered, catalog, will be released on April 10 via Loma Vista Recordings. Two singles have been made available as well: “Sickness” (https://found.ee/GD_SicknessVideo) and “What’s In The Eye” (https://found.ee/GD_WITE).
Amends is the origin story of one of modern rock’s most recognizable voices and also a full circle moment among friends. The album is the fulfillment of a planned Grey Daze reunion that Chester had announced prior to his untimely passing. The remaining band members – Dowdell (drums), Mace Beyers (bass) and Cristin Davis (guitar) – along with Talinda Bennington (Chester’s widow) and his parents, made it their mission to see the project through with assistance from Tom Whalley, the founder of Loma Vista Recordings and former Warner Bros. Records Chairman during Linkin Park’s tenure at the label. Dowdell, Beyers and Davis selected the tracks from the band’s mid-90s, but largely unknown, catalog and re-recorded the music in 2019 to accompany Chester’s re-mastered vocals. Produced by Jay Baumgardner, several musicians leant their time and talent to the album, including Korn’s Brian “Head” Welch and James “Munky” Shaffer, Paige Hamilton (Helmet), Chris Traynor (Bush, Helmet, Orange 9MM), LP, Jasen Rauch (Breaking Benjamin) and Ryan Shuck (Orgy).
Dowdell and Talinda Bennington recently spoke with Rolling Stone about the project, discussing how it came to fruition and the emotions of sharing this album with the world. “He wanted to do Grey Daze again because the music was awesome, he loved it back then, and he was excited to be able to create,” Talinda shared in the Rolling Stone piece. “Doing it now that he had all this experience under his belt – he had accomplished so much and come so far since then – he was excited about it. I can hear him now. He’s like, ‘F**k yeah!’”
Amends is available in a variety of collectible formats with several iterations available exclusively via the band’s website (https://found.ee/GD_AmendsStore). The CD comes as a 16-page case-bound book; a first pressing, ruby red vinyl variant exclusive to the band’s webstore; and a numbered deluxe edition featuring both a CD and LP, which includes the first ever disc tray designed for vinyl, as well as a 60-page book with never-before-seen photos and 180g red and white splattered vinyl. Digital and other standard versions of the album are available here: https://found.ee/GD_Amends. Pre-orders include instant downloads of “What’s In The Eye” and “Sickness.” A CD single is also available at independent record stores nationwide, featuring both new singles “What’s In The Eye” and “Sickness,” as well as a $3 off coupon for the full album, Amends.
