Chester Bennington's widow, Talinda Bennington, has confirmed that the late Linkin Park vocalist had been working on a new album with his original band, Grey Daze, shortly before his death – and that the band will now be releasing a new album featuring his vocals.

The vocal takes being used were some of the last Bennington recorded before his death in 2017.

Taking to Instagram to share the news, Talinda Bennington wrote: "One of Chester's greatest gifts was music. The only thing he took more pride in was being a father to his children.

"Given how much he cared, he wanted fans to hear everything he did, and his musical journey started with Grey Daze.

"In February 2017, Chester and his bandmates began re-recording their music for a planned re-release of the band's early music and by June, he announced that Grey Daze was reuniting and would be playing a 20th-anniversary reunion show that fall.

"When Chester passed away, Grey Daze's reunion seemed like an afterthought to everyone involved; they were suffering, I was suffering, and there were way too many emotions to work through before we could even think about what would happen to that project.

"Once the clouds lifted a bit, once we could focus on what Chester would want us to do, we looked for a way to continue what Chester was working on – the things he was proud of and wanted to share with his fans.

"The Grey Daze project is one of the ways we can continue to tell Chester's story and connect with his fans.

"Through our foundation, 320, I endeavour every day making sure Chester's legacy shines a light for positive change. For us, releasing a new Grey Daze album will shine a light on where my husband started and hopefully give fans a better understanding of his art and a more full picture of his journey through this incredible music."

Grey Daze announced in February they were re-recording parts of their back catalogue with Bennington's son Jaime taking the vocal parts. It's not clear whether the new album will feature any of this material or not.

Grey Daze originally formed in 1993 and released two albums – Wake Me in 1994 and No Sun Today in 1997 – before Bennington left to pursue Linkin Park.

You can read Talinda's full statement below.