WATCH: Chester Bennington gives himself a violent beating in Linkin Park’s ‘Heavy’ video
It's hard-hitting stuff
Three weeks to the day after they first unveiled their new pop direction, Linkin Park have premiered the official video for ‘Heavy’.
In keeping with the song’s potent lyrics, the Tim Mattia directed video sees both Chester Bennington and co-vocalist Kiiara struggle to battle their angry inner demons.
After smashing several mirrors, starting a fight in a counselling meeting and breaking a TV, the hard-hitting video reaches its climax with Chester having a violent fight with himself in a public toilet. Really it’s a stark juxtaposition to the song’s sanguine sounds.
Watch the video here:
Speaking exclusively to Kerrang! Magazine last week, Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda said he’s completely at ease with some of the comments fired at the band on social media since the single was unveiled.
Mike said: “I love the fact that you’ll find comments pretty regularly that say things like, ‘The heavy stuff is my thing, but I can get into this,’ or; ‘I’m going to skip this one.’ Both are fine with us.”
In fact, it wasn’t the disparaging remarks that have surprised Mike – “I was expecting more of that” – instead it’s the number of people who have embraced the shift in direction with open arms: “It’s shocking to me.”
Chester added: “I think the lyrical content is what provides the sustenance. We want something nourishing, not something that’s like candy – like that song ‘Blue’ by Eiffel 65.
“Things can be poppy but still have a lot of substance. That’s what we shoot for.”