PHOENIX — Before he was the lead singer of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington got his start in the Valley with the band Grey Daze.
The group recorded a couple of albums in the 1990s and disbanded before Bennington went on to become a prominent presence during the alt-rock boom of the early 2000s.
But now his old bandmates are about to release a set of tracks featuring vocals Bennington recorded years before his death in 2017.
"The Phoenix" will be released by Grey Daze on June 17 and includes a set of tracks containing vocals Bennington recorded between the ages of 18 and 21, according to the Arizona Republic.
The band previously released an album in 2020 including Bennington's vocals (with the approval of the late singer's family) and now Grey Daze is continuing the project with another album that honors Bennington's legacy.
Grey Daze's members say they wanted to pay tribute to Bennington's musical roots and make sure this early vocal material wouldn't be forgotten.
"It was erased from history for so long," said drummer Sean Dowdell in a recent docuseries on making the new album.
And because more time has passed since Bennington's death, the band says making "The Phoenix" was not as emotional as their earlier album.
"I don't tear up when I hear (Bennington) singing like I did on the first record," said guitarist Cristin Davis.
Bennington was born in Phoenix and first met his Grey Daze bandmates while attending Greenway High School in the Valley. Despite later achieving international fame and success with Linkin Park, Bennington would say he always felt a connection to the Valley.
"I always feel tied to Phoenix. I still go to Arizona all the time, and my family is there," the late singer told the Phoenix New Times in 2015.
More information on the band's new album can be found here.
