On Thursday 20th July 2017, the world lost a living legend. UK based metalcore band This Dying Hour struggled to comprehend that we now live in a world without Chester Bennington, who through Linkin Park, provided a torch in a world of darkness to millions across the world. This Dying Hour have released a mash up cover of ‘Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer’ to commemorate the vocalist.
Stream the single here: https://biglink.to/thisdyinghour
Doing a Linkin Park cover was a no-brainer for This Dying Hour, however selecting a song that demonstrated their love for Chester Bennington and Linkin Park, but also captured the spirit of This Dying Hour, was the tough part.
Jay-Z’s original vocal on ‘Points of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer’ depicted the struggles he faced in life just for looking different, and carries a message that not only awarded him a Grammy but is a reminder that the fight for equality continues; not just racial equality but equality for all. For that reason, This Dying Hour decided to use the lyrics in their original integrity.
The band comment: “Ultimately, we had a lot of fun producing this cover and although we will never be a “preachy” band, this has given us the opportunity to continue Chester and Jay-Z’s message in the positive way it was intended.”
Formed in 2005, This Dying Hour wanted to leave an impression on their local scene. It was a time when Architects, Sylosis, TesseracT, Bleed From Within and Bury Tomorrow were all breaking ground, who This Dying Hour had the pleasure of supporting across the UK.
However in 2017, tragedy struck when vocalist Dave Pickup lost his life after a fatal hit and run accident. A year later, tragedy struck again with the passing of founding member Sean Crossey, who sadly lost his battle with cancer. These devastating events took a huge emotional toll on the band, losing friends who they considered to be family.
In 2020, bassist Nat Douglas and guitarist Ash Whitelockdecided it was time to make music again. “It was something that we contemplated for a while but never thought would happen,” says Douglas. Although the tragedy of the untimely passing of two of the band’s original line-up is never far from their minds, with the addition of new members Gaz Ward, Duncan Lee, and Julia Hogan, This Dying Hour remain loyal to their roots, authentic sound, and community.
The band started 2021 as they meant to go on, having already gained recognition from BBC Introducing and DSP Playlists with their 4-track EP Fire And The Blind. ‘Cornered’ was the first single from the EP, a concept single written from the perspective of both Jessie Pinkman and Walter White of Breaking Bad. Having a split personality, that person often struggles with addiction: “I’m not in danger, I’m the danger.”
Against all the odds and even as their sound evolves, the legacy of their original incarnation lives on.
For fans of Slipknot, Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying.
For more information:
https://www.facebook.com/thisdyinghouruk/
https://www.instagram.com/thisdyinghour/
https://twitter.com/THISDYINGHOURUK
