Dead by Sunrise
| Company type | Supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2005 in Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Founder | Chester Bennington |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Chester Bennington (vocalist), Amir Derakh, Ryan Shuck, Brandon Belsky, Elias Andra, Anthony "Fu" Valcic, Frank Zummo |
| Products | Music albums, singles |
Dead by Sunrise—initially known as Snow White Tan—was a rock supergroup from the United States, established in 2005 in Los Angeles, California. The ensemble was spearheaded by vocalist Chester Bennington, famed as the frontman of Linkin Park. The group also featured Amir Derakh, Ryan Shuck, Brandon Belsky, Elias Andra, and Anthony "Fu" Valcic, all associated with Julien-K and Orgy. Their first album, Out of Ashes, was launched globally on October 13, 2009.
Out of Ashes (2005–2009)
Dead by Sunrise came into existence in 2005 during a break in Linkin Park’s activities following the conclusion of the Meteora era. Bennington described this venture as an outlet for darker, more introspective material that did not fit within Linkin Park’s framework. The band's roots can be traced back to Bennington’s early acoustic collaborations with Shuck during the Hybrid Theory period. Among their initial live renditions was an acoustic version of "Morning After," performed at Linkin Park concerts in 2001.
Originally called "Snow White Tan," the band adopted the name Dead by Sunrise to mirror Bennington’s self-characterization of living a "vampire"-like existence throughout the recording process. This new name symbolized his personal battles and journey toward healing, aligning with the thematic essence of the album Out of Ashes.
In September 2005, Snow White Tan delivered an acoustic rendition of "Let Down" on national television as part of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Although scheduled to appear at the Taste The Music Festival that same year, unforeseen circumstances forced them to withdraw. By December 2005, the album was completed but its release was postponed due to Bennington’s obligations with Linkin Park’s Minutes To Midnight. Dead by Sunrise showcased select tracks live in 2008 and supported Linkin Park during tours across Europe, Japan, and North America. Their European tour included a special dedication to the German Armed Forces.
Recording sessions for Out of Ashes resumed in late 2008 after Linkin Park wrapped up their album cycle. Collaborating with producer Howard Benson, the band polished both new compositions and previously written material, delivering a mix of hard rock anthems, ballads, and synth-infused songs. Bennington played a significant role in songwriting, production oversight, and programming. The album’s sound incorporates elements from grunge, pop rock, and punk rock genres.
The singles "Crawl Back In" and "Let Down" were promoted with music videos; notably, "Crawl Back In" reached number 11 on the Mainstream Rock chart.
Later career, hiatus, and death of Chester Bennington (2010–2018)
In 2009, Bennington expressed that Dead by Sunrise was intended as an ongoing project with potential releases every five years. Nevertheless, by 2010 he acknowledged difficulties in maintaining this alongside Linkin Park’s evolving musical direction. That year saw Brandon Belsky depart from the group; Elias Andra also exited later in 2010 and was briefly succeeded before Frank Zummo took over drumming duties. Following these changes, the band entered a period of inactivity.
Their last public appearance was an acoustic performance at the 2011 Stars of the Season Gala supporting pediatric rehabilitation initiatives. Although discussions about new material occurred in 2012 and again in 2017, scheduling conflicts prevented any further releases.
On July 20, 2017, Chester Bennington tragically died by suicide. The band promptly released a statement addressing his passing. Former members Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh joined Grey Daze’s Mace Beyers for an acoustic tribute event in Las Vegas and participated in Linkin Park’s memorial concert performing "One Step Closer" alongside Korn’s Jonathan Davis.
In September 2018, Julien-K paid tribute to Bennington during Italy’s One More Light 2 memorial show by performing both as Julien-K and Dead By Sunrise with guest vocalists.
In 2024, Dead By Sunrise issued a deluxe vinyl edition of Out Of Ashes, which included a previously unreleased acoustic performance from Las Vegas recorded in 2009. Band members Ryan Shuck and Amir Derakh revealed intentions to release demos and early song versions to gratify devoted fans.
Members
- Chester Bennington – lead vocalist
- Amir Derakh – lead guitarist
- Ryan Shuck – rhythm guitarist, backing vocals
- Elias Andra – drums and percussion
- Brandon Belsky – bassist
- Anthony "Fu" Valcic – keyboards and synthesizers
- Frank Zummo – drummer
Timeline
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Studio albums
| Title | Album information | Highest chart positions achieved | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Alt. |
US Rock |
AUT | FRA | GER | JPN | NLD | SWI | UK | ||
| Out of Ashes |
|
29 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 109 | 5 | 16 | 82 | 18 | 74 |
Singles
| Song Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Positions | Album Name | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Adult |
US Alt. |
US Main. Rock |
US Rock |
GER |
JPN Hot | |||||||||
| "Crawl Back In" | 2009 | — | 23 | 11 | 22 | 66 | — | Out of Ashes | ||||||
| "Let Down" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||||
| "Fire" | — | — | — | — | — | 47 | ||||||||
| "—" indicates the track did not chart or was not released in that market. | ||||||||||||||
Promotional singles
| Song Title | Year Released | Highest Chart Positions | Album Title | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Adult Pop |
US Main. Rock | |||
| "My Suffering" | 2009 | — | — | Out of Ashes |
| "Inside of Me" | 2010 | — | 40 | |
| "Too Late" | 39 | — | ||
Music videos
| Video Title | Release Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Crawl Back In" | 2009 | P. R. Brown |
| "Let Down" (Live) | —[1] | |
| "Let Down" | P. R. Brown | |
| "Fire" | 2010 | — |
- ↑ "Let Down (Live) | Dead By Sunrise | Music Video". MTV Music. Viacom Media Networks. October 26, 2009. Archived from the original on October 29, 2009.