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In the early '90s, as grunge hit its mainstream peak, a young Phoenix-based band inspired by that Seattle sound held auditions for a lead singer. A teenaged
Chester Bennington answered the call, impressing drummer
Sean Dowdell with his take on
Pearl Jam's "Alive." Together they formed the post-grunge outfit
Grey Daze. Influenced by the pain and gloom heard in the music of
Alice in Chains,
Nirvana, and
Soundgarden,
Grey Daze's distinct grunge flavor was a far cry from the hip-hop and electronic-influenced sounds of
Bennington's later work with hybrid rock band
Linkin Park, instead taking cues from the scene's minor chords, sludgy execution, and dour lyrics. After recording a pair of albums in 1994 and 1997, the group went their separate ways and
Bennington would become the inimitable voice of
Linkin Park and, later,
Stone Temple Pilots and
Dead by Sunrise. Two decades after their debut,
Grey Daze scheduled a reunion, but plans were cut short by
Bennington's death in July 2017. To honor the late vocalist and his legacy, the surviving bandmembers forged ahead with the help of some famous friends, delivering the re-recorded 2020 compilation
Amends and 2022's
The Phoenix.
After nailing that audition in 1992,
Bennington -- just 15 at the time -- got permission from his father to join the band and the guys began recording their first effort. Arriving in 1994, their debut, Wake Me, featured early versions of "Sometimes," "She Shines," and "Morei Sky." Playing live around Arizona,
Grey Daze steadily built an underground following, filling clubs and even sharing the stage with
Bush and
No Doubt in 1996. In between albums, founding bassist Jonathan Krause and guitarist
Jason Barnes left the group and their slots were filled by
Mace Beyers and Bobby Benish, respectively. This incarnation of the band went on to record
Grey Daze's sophomore album, ...No Sun Today. Released in 1997, the set included the singles "B12" and "Anything, Anything," a cover of the 1985
Dramarama song. However, despite the local radio airplay and increased touring, the group split up in 1998. The next year,
Bennington had another successful audition, this time with a Los Angeles-based act called Xero. That group later renamed themselves
Linkin Park and the rest is history.
Over the years,
Bennington and
Dowdell remained in touch, rekindling their friendship both as neighbors and as business partners backing
Dowdell's Club Tattoo. In 2017, for the 20th anniversary of their sophomore LP, the pair decided to get
Grey Daze back on track, going so far as to announce a show that October with
Beyers and guitarist
Cristin Davis (filling the slot of Benish, who passed away in 2004). However, on July 20,
Bennington was found dead in his home and plans came to a halt. As
Bennington's friends, family, and fans grieved his passing,
Dowdell decided to proceed with the original plans, honoring
Bennington's wishes to reactivate
Grey Daze. Along with producer
Jay Baumgardner (Helmet,
Sevendust,
P.O.D.),
Dowdell,
Beyers, and
Davis re-recorded previously released
Grey Daze tracks with the help of a team of musicians who included
Page Hamilton (Helmet),
Brian Welch and James Shaffer (
Korn),
Jasen Rauch (
Breaking Benjamin),
Chris Traynor (
Bush),
Marcos Curiel (
P.O.D.),
Ryan Shuck (
Bennington's bandmate in
Dead by Sunrise), and
Chester's son, Jaime Bennington. The results became 2020's
Amends, a modernized reworking of the band's '90s material that retained
Bennington's original vocal recordings. Taking its title from a lyric on "Morei Sky" ("If I had a second chance/I'd make amends"), the album brought the late vocalist's past and present full circle. Months later, the band's surviving members returned to the studio with producer
Billy Bush and reworked a handful of album cuts for the acoustic
Amends... Stripped EP, which was release in early 2021.
In June 2022, the group released a second effort titled
The Phoenix. Collecting the remaining tracks that didn't make it onto
Amends, the set was produced by Esjay Jones and features contributions from
Dave Navarro ("Holding You"),
Filter's
Richard Patrick ("Believe Me"), and
Bennington's daughters Lily and Lila ("Hole"). ~ Neil Z. Yeung