World feels so numb

The voice of those who could not scream for themselves has been silenced.

Chester Bennington did not have a rock star name, but he tried hard and he got far and it did matter.

His body of work provided the soundtrack to not only an entire generation but also the closing titles of all the decent Transformers films.

Widely credited with reinvigorating the rock genre in the early 2000s, Linkin Park’s combination of melody and power with raw, heartfelt and true lyrics reached millions, and the pain the Bennington put into his words finally overwhelmed him.

The saddest thing is that his songs feel like an extended suicide note spread over two decades, and whilst Bennington sometimes talked of suicide genuinely nobody saw it coming.

If there is something to take away from his death, it is the solace his work brought to so many, and the encouragement and help it gave to others who carried their own wounds.

If you are ever tempted to follow, remember how much you’d like to have helped him right now, and remember that others will help you if you reach out to them – and do it.

“When life leaves us blind, loves keeps us kind.”

If you need to talk – reach out to the Samaritans, don’t suffer in silence