Linkin Park star Mike Shinoda has channelled his feelings about his bandmate Chester Bennington’s suicide into new songs.
The singer passed away in July (17) and Shinoda has now released Post Traumatic, which features three songs – Place to Start, Over Again, and Watching As I Fall – inspired by the tragedy.
“The past six months have been a rollercoaster,” a statement from Shinoda to fans reads. “Amidst the chaos, I’ve started to feel an intense gratitude – for your tributes and messages of support, for the career you have allowed me to have, and for the simple opportunity to create. Today, I’m sharing three songs I wrote and produced, with visuals that I filmed, painted, and edited myself.”
“At its core, grief is a personal, intimate experience,” the statement continues. “As such, this is not Linkin Park, nor is it (Shinoda’s spin-off band) Fort Minor – it’s just me. Art has always been the place I go when I need to sort through the complexity and confusion of the road ahead. I don’t know where this path goes, but I’m grateful I get to share it with you.”
In October (17), Linkin Park reunited for a tribute show at the Hollywood Bowl and in December they released a live record, One More Light Live, which featured tracks recorded on the road in Europe with Bennington. Linkin Park were only able to play 21 dates of their One More Night tour before the singer’s death.
“All six of us in the band were so proud of the shows on the One More Night Tour,” he told Billboard. “Everyone was at their very best, especially Chester. He was singing better than I’ve ever heard him onstage. The idea to release this album came from our fans and friends, and I’m so glad they asked for it. It’s a really nice way to showcase what a special experience each night was.”