The world of rock music will never be the same after Chester Bennington, the lead singer of Linkin Park, committed suicide at the age of 41 last week. Now with heavy hearts, his fellow band mates released an official statement written in the form of an an open letter to Chester, describing their relationship and their difficulty with accepting his passing.

“Our hearts are broken,” Linkin Park wrote on the band’s Facebook page. “The shockwaves of grief and denial are still sweeping through our family as we come to grips with what has happened,” Linkin Park wrote.

“You touched so many lives, maybe even more than you realized. In the past few days, we’ve seen an outpouring of love and support, both public and private, from around the world. [Bennington’s wife] Talinda and the family appreciate it, and want the world to know that you were the best husband, son, and father; the family will never be whole without you.” Scroll below to read the rest of Linkin Park’s official statement.

If you head to Linkin Park’s website, you’ll see a breath-taking panoramic picture of Bennington in the middle of a show, and an ode to the talented singer that reads “#RIPChester. At the bottom of the page is a list of several resources for anybody who is in need of support.

Just a few hours before Bennington’s death, the band released a new music video for their track “Talking to Myself,” one of the many fan favorites from their newest album One More Light.

Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat