Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has spoken of the members of the online community calling Soundgarden, etc. frontman Chris Cornell and Linkin Park vocalist Chester Bennington cowards for committing suicide earlier this year. While Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch drew fire for initially reacting in such fashion, he later walked back his comments.
When asked about the matter by Loudwire, Taylor offered:
“Calling them ‘cowards’ is a very immature way of looking at it. Obviously they’re hurt, which is why they’re lashing out and saying that. It’s the easy way to look at something like that because it makes you not have to face what a serious issue it is.
It’s easy for someone to label it like that so they can turn their back on it and pretend that it was something that didn’t happen to them, when inside they’re hurting. People who fight depression are almost in a constant state of hurting. it comes and goes, the tide rises, the tide ebbs. It’s hard to get past that break. I think people need to realize that not only is that immature, but it’s cop out. And it’s needlessly, needlessly simplifying a very real issue…”
Taylor went on to discuss his own struggles with manic depression and later added of the passing of the two beloved musicians:
“It is a goddamn tragedy. That does not make them cowards. I’ve even heard people recently say something to the fact of, ’It was bound to happen. This was always going to happen.’
And I’ve gotten so angry hearing that that I’ve gone on record saying, ‘You are absolutely wrong for saying that.’ No one… Suicide should not be a foregone conclusion. That means you’re not listening. You say you care about that person, that means you’re not listening.”
Taylor went on to urge those facing such thoughts to seek out help through the numerous resources, including www.youcannotbereplaced.com, www.yourockfoundation.org and more.
