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Dead by Sunrise is the side-project put together by Chester Bennington, the vocalist from Linkin Park. Naturally, this, the debut record from the project, is going to be compared to Linkin Park in both good and bad ways, and rightfully so. In a lot of ways Out of Ashes is a record that could quite easily slip somewhere into the Linkin Park discography, probably between Meteora and Minutes to Midnight. But at the same time, Dead by Sunrise brings enough of its own characteristics to the table in order to be judged on its own merits. While Mike Shinoda brings the hip-hop element to LP, Bennington is better known for his often-anguished vocals as well as the other scream, the almost feminine vocal associated with most of Linkin Park’s ballads.
As you’d expect without the influence of Shinoda, Dead by Sunrise moves away from the rap-rock sound of Bennington’s other band in order to embrace a wider range of styles and influences. Punk rock influences rear their head on more than one track, notably the gem “Inside of Me,” which features polished guitars complementing Bennington’s frantic and desperate screams. While there is only so much of Bennington’s screams I can take, unlike most “screamers,” his delivery is still clean and he doesn’t just do it for the sake of doing it; he’s attempting to get across an emotion. The aforementioned track also features one of the records biggest choruses and a solo that, if stretched out a little longer, would suggest that this band could easily be more than a side project. There’s little nu-metal aggression though, instead the band take a more layered approach to alternative rock and come across as more sonic as on tracks “Let Down,” one of the more down-tempo tracks on the record. That doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of energy to the record though – “My Suffering” should be turned up to eleven with its raging vocals and synergy akin to Nirvana or The Vines. Album-closer “In the Darkness” seems almost Radiohead-esque, its acoustic elements making for a delicate finale to the album. This coalition of styles showcases all the things that Bennington hasn’t been able to get on a Linkin Park record.
Lyrically, Bennington does the same sort of thing he does on most Linkin Park records, and that’s get his problems out there and whine about them. Sure, that can become tiresome, but more so on this record than any LP record, he comes across as more sincere and honest, perhaps because, as the singer has suggested, this is a record more personal to him. Bennington spends a lot of time singing about his relationships, his alcohol and drugs problems and his own anger issues. Perhaps his only real misstep on this record is when he takes time out to complain about the state of society, ranging from the stuff that’s on TV to the rising gas prices; “End of the World” is the one track I’d definitely skip.
And while this seems fresh in comparison to the radio-friendly drivel featured heavily on Linkin Park’s Minutes to Midnight [2007], at the same time it’s nothing groundbreaking, and arguably the hip-hop elements provided by Shinoda make Chester and his problems a much more interesting prospect. There’s plenty of crunching guitars and intense lyrics to keep a lot of people interested for a long time, but ultimately this just comes across as something to pass the time before the new LP record comes out, although really, how many people are really anticipating that one? Bennington’s gifts remain however, and that ensures that this record is not totally forgettable. The guy has a an ability to carry strong melodies that few others in the genre possess, and his high-yet-gravely tones have created their own niche in modern rock. And when the album threatens to get bogged down by a downbeat angst-filled track akin to Linkin Park, Bennington’s uplifting voice steps in on an uprising gem like “Give Me Your Name” or “Condemned” and just about saves the day.
Essential Downloads: "Crawl Back In," "Inside of Me," "My Suffering," "Condemned" and "Into the Darkness."
