Chester Bennington had a fierce response to anyone who accused Linkin Park of 'selling out'

'What matters is that you took the chance to do something that you felt was important to you and that’s what being an artist is all about'

(Rich Fury/Getty)

Late Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington had recently spoken out in fierce defence of the band's new album One More Light, saying he would punch anyone who called them sell-outs "in the f***ing mouth".

Bennington, whose death is being treated by officials as a possible suicide, was irritated by critics who suggested that they had gone in a slightly new direction as part of a "marketing decision".

“Either you like the song or you don’t and if you don’t like the song because you hear it and on a knee-jerk reaction it’s like ‘oh it doesn’t have metal in it so I don’t like it’, that’s fine, like whatever,” he told Kerrang! radio.

"But if you’re gonna be the person who says like ‘they made a marketing decision to make this kind of record to make money’ you can f***ing meet me outside and I will punch you in your f***ing mouth because that is the wrong f***ing answer.

"Because guess what, calling us a sell out for that purpose is… selling out on your f***ing excuse as to why you don’t like it. You’re a f***ing pussy.

"For any band to take musical risks because you like what you’re doing in spite of what you know some people will say they don’t like, it doesn’t matter if they like it or not. What matters is that you took the chance to do something that you felt was important to you and that’s what being an artist is all about."

Linkin Park spent years releasing albums which stayed true to their mainstays of rock and rap-core whilst also branching out and challenging themselves as a band.

At age 41, the Linkin Park lead singer's passing has shocked the music community, in which he was known as one of the leading pioneers of the nu-metal genre.

According to prevention experts, his death arriving on his late friend and fellow artist Chris Cornell's 53rd birthday may bear some importance.

​“Anniversaries bring up the fact that the person isn't with us anymore,” says Julie Cerel, president of the American Association of Suicidology said. “It becomes a time of risk for people who are hopeless and hurting.”

While there's no official word hinting that Bennington's death had anything to do with that date, Bennington had spoken openly about his struggles with depression and addiction.

​American Association of Suicidology (AAS) board member and vice president of suicide prevention group Six Feet Over, said that Bennington's fans may now be dealing with their own complicated feelings over the singer's death.

“The loss of Chester Bennington is touching thousands, if not millions, of fans across the world and that pain is real,” she said.

Lehto says that in the wake of a suicide death, having casual conversations can make a big difference. So can reaching out for more urgent help if the risk of suicide feels imminent.

"My message would be that you matter,” she says. “No matter your hardships, no matter how your heroes may have died, your life is important."

* For confidential support on mental health call Samaritans free from any phone, at any time, on 116 123 (UK & RoI) or email jo@samaritans.org. In the US call 1-800-273-TALK *