Live the Scene
An album that manages to separate itself from the singer's day job...just
Given the freedom of artistic interpretation, Chester Bennington's side project Dead By Sunrise do both a little and a lot to shake the Linkin Park tag super glued to 'Out of Ashes.' Fairly sceptical before the album fell into the LTS inbox, its an album that manages to separate itself from the singer's day job...just.
With Linkin Park's nu metal hyperbole growing tiresome and rather thin since début 'Hybrid Theory,' Dead By Sunrise has give Bennington the chance to explore his deepest personal trauma and come out the other side with a stomping collection of elaborate musings.
Opener 'Fire' is still a nu-metal by numbers affair, but songs like 'Crawl Back In' and 'Condemned' are awash with a punk rock vibe, stinging guitar solos and anguished vocals. At time it feels like conceited nu-metal masquerading ideas above its station, but multiple listens will uncover a deeper venture.
Helped along by members from Orgy, 'Too Late' and 'Inside Me' boast a textured and layered sound scape, interpreting Bennington's frustrated rage in a shiny, produced package. The harder edged tunes like 'My Suffering,' which erupt into dissonant screams, show a less subtle weapon in DBS's arsenal. The sing along aesthetics are ever present and correct, and the album has a swagger about it that is neither arrogant or unmerited.
Bennington wants this album to exist as a completely separate entity to LP, but in truth that is wishful thinking when his trademark vocals are stamped all over it. In truth, its hard to make this album out. Give it a listen yourself. At least twice. There are peaks and troughs littered throughout, but if Linkin Park, Orgy and 30 Seconds to Mars put butter on your biscuit, there's more than likely something here for you.
