Grey Daze Vinyl Records
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 flavour 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.