fbpx
Wikipedia

Breaking Benjamin

Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, formed in 1999 by lead singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel. The first lineup of the band also included guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist Mark James Klepaski. This lineup released two albums, Saturate (2002) and We Are Not Alone (2004), before Hummel was replaced by Chad Szeliga in 2005. The band released two more studio albums, Phobia (2006) and Dear Agony (2009), before entering an extended hiatus in early 2010 due to Burnley's recurring illnesses.[1]

Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin performing in 2015. From left to right, Keith Wallen, Shaun Foist, Benjamin Burnley, Aaron Bruch, and Jasen Rauch.
Background information
Also known asPlan 9
OriginWilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres
Years active
  • 1999–2010
  • 2014–present
LabelsHollywood
Members
Past members
  • Jason Davoli
  • Jonathan "Bug" Price
  • Jeremy Hummel
  • Aaron Fink
  • Mark James Klepaski
  • Chad Szeliga
Websitebreakingbenjamin.com

Amid the hiatus, the release of a compilation album, Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin (2011), unauthorized by Burnley, brought about legal trouble within the band resulting in the dismissal of Fink and Klepaski. Szeliga later announced his departure in 2013 citing creative differences. Burnley remained the sole member of the band until late 2014, when the current lineup was announced, including bassist and backing vocalist Aaron Bruch, guitarist and backing vocalist Keith Wallen, guitarist Jasen Rauch, and drummer Shaun Foist. The band afterward released Dark Before Dawn (2015) and Ember (2018), which debuted at number one and three on the Billboard 200, respectively.[2] Following these albums, the band released another compilation, Aurora (2020), featuring reworked acoustic versions of past songs along with one original new song.

Despite significant lineup changes, the band's musical style and lyrical content have remained consistent, with Burnley serving as the primary composer and lead vocalist since the band's inception. The band has commonly been noted for its formulaic hard rock tendencies with angst-heavy lyrics, swelling choruses, and "crunching" guitars. In the United States alone, the band has sold more than 19 million units[3] and yielded three RIAA-certified platinum records, two gold records, and several certified singles, including three multi-platinum, three platinum, and six gold.

History

Formation and Saturate (1998–2003)

Benjamin Burnley was originally in a band named Breaking Benjamin in 1998, that played "softer music", such as Weezer and the Beatles covers, and was "nothing like" subsequent lineups.[4] The name originates from an incident in which Burnley broke a borrowed microphone, prompting its owner to retort, "Thanks to Benjamin for breaking my fucking mic".[5] This band included guitarist Aaron Fink, bassist Nick Hoover, and drummer Chris Lightcap, but soon broke up when Burnley moved to California.[6] After returning to Pennsylvania with drummer Jeremy Hummel, Burnley formed Plan 9, which also included bassist Jason Davoli. Plan 9, a reference to Plan 9 from Outer Space, was continually misnamed as "Planet 9". Therefore, the group reclaimed the name Breaking Benjamin from the previous band, as Burnley still had promotional stickers with that name.[4]

The three-piece first gained attention when Freddie Fabbri, a DJ for active rock radio station WBSX, put the group's track "Polyamorous" in rotation.[7] After it became the number one requested track on the station,[7] Fabbri financed the recording of the group's eponymous EP, which sold all 2,000 copies that were printed in 2001.[8] Jonathan "Bug" Price was credited on bass, replacing Davoli.[9] After growing dissatisfied with their previous band, former bandmate Aaron Fink and bassist Mark James Klepaski joined Breaking Benjamin.[10] In early 2002, over a dozen record companies visited a two-night showcase where Breaking Benjamin was playing, and the group subsequently signed with Hollywood Records.[7] Shortly afterward, Breaking Benjamin began recording their first full-length major-label record, Saturate, which was released on August 7, 2002, and produced by Ulrich Wild.[8] It peaked at No. 136 on the Billboard 200,[11] and was later certified gold on September 25, 2015.[12] In early 2003, Breaking Benjamin participated in the Jägermeister Music Tour,[13] then toured as a supporting act for Godsmack.[14]

Out of the little media coverage received, Saturate garnered positive reception, with Jason Taylor from AllMusic stating that the album "has serious potential to become one of 2002's most successful debuts", feeling that "although it is repetitive and generic, it is undeniably addictive", ultimately scoring the album 2.5 out of 5.[15] The disc received a favorable review from Schwegweb's Vin Cherubino, who noted, "The music has just as much quality as any popular artist in the same genre. Influences from bands such as Tool can be heard, making the music seem all so familiar and palatable."[16]

We Are Not Alone (2003–2005)

Breaking Benjamin returned to the studio in October 2003 with producer David Bendeth for their second album We Are Not Alone.[17] Burnley also worked with The Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan over the course of six days in December 2003 to write the songs "Rain", "Forget It", and "Follow".[18] Despite initially being nervous, Burnley felt it was one of the highlights of his career.[18]

 
Breaking Benjamin performing at the Minnesota State Fair on August 25, 2005

The album was released on June 29, 2004,[17] and sold 48,000 copies in its first week,[19] peaking at No. 20 on the Billboard 200.[11] It was later certified gold on October 21, 2004, then platinum on June 13, 2005.[12] It was also certified gold in New Zealand on August 29, 2005.[20] The record features singles such as "So Cold" and "Sooner or Later", both of which peaked at No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart.[21] "So Cold" became a platinum single on September 25, 2015.[12] MTV writer Jon Wiederhorn writes that the initial commercial success of the album can be attributed to a tour two weeks prior to the album's debut which "generated prerelease buzz".[18] They later co-headlined a tour with Evanescence, Seether, and Three Days Grace.[22]

We Are Not Alone garnered mixed reviews. It was met with high acclaim from IGN's Colin Moriarty, who felt "extremely satisfied", saying "safely and confidently" that it "might be [his] personal favorite album of the year". He gave it a score of 9.3 out of 10.[23] Conversely, Exclaim! writer Amber Authier said, "On first listen its simply generic sound did nothing for me." Though she later admitted, "I listened to Breaking Benjamin several times over a week and several elements of the disc started to grow on me, even appeal to me." The writer concluded, "Breaking Benjamin created a standard of quality for themselves that they simply couldn't meet on the entire disc."[24]

On November 3, 2004, a non-album single named "Blow Me Away" was released, to commercial success, ultimately going gold on November 24, 2015.[12] On November 23, 2004, Breaking Benjamin released the So Cold EP, which features live versions of the songs "Away" and "Breakdown", a live acoustic version of "So Cold", and studio acoustic recordings of "Blow Me Away" and "Lady Bug".[25]

In late 2005, drummer Hummel filed a federal lawsuit against Breaking Benjamin. According to the lawsuit, Hummel requested earlier that year to take a paternity leave to be with his wife during the birth of their first child, to which all members of the band agreed and hired Kevin Soffera as a temporary substitute on drums. However, Burnley later called Hummel and terminated him, citing chemistry issues. In the lawsuit, Hummel contended wrongful termination and lack of compensation for profits accrued by We Are Not Alone and other non-album tracks that appeared in Halo 2 and National Treasure: Book of Secrets. The band's manager, Larry Mazer (who was also named in the lawsuit), asserted that the lawsuit was "totally frivolous" and his termination had "nothing to do with the paternity leave."

Mazer said the band received no payment for the Halo 2 appearance, adding that the song was included for promotional reasons and Burnley was happy to have it in the video game. The band received minimal payment for the National Treasure 2 appearance, and Mazer stated that otherwise, "[Hummel] is 100 per cent current."[26] Ben "B.C." Vaught served as a sit-in drummer for the band,[6] and they later toured with 3 Doors Down and Staind in November 2005.[27] The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount in April 2006.[6]

Phobia (2005–2007)

After the departure of Jeremy Hummel, Breaking Benjamin auditioned fifteen drummers, of whom Chad Szeliga stood out for his ability as a stage performer and the fact that he had "serious problem-solving skills", according to Burnley.[28] The group's next album, Phobia, was again produced by Bendeth and was the first to be recorded with Szeliga.[29] The concept of the album is dedicated to Burnley's various phobias. The cover of the album depicts a winged man suspended over a runway, which represents the singer's fear of flying. Burnley also suffers from death anxiety, a fear of the dark, driving anxiety,[30] and hypochondria.[31] Burnley cites his fear of flying as for why he did not perform overseas, saying, "I'll go as far as a boat will take me", though at the time the band's record label had not facilitated travel by boat.[30] Phobia's "Intro" and "Outro" tracks feature sound effects of an airport intercom, airplane turbulence, car doors, and crowd panic.[32]

Phobia was released on August 8, 2006, to commercial success. The album sold more than 131,000 copies in its first week of sales[33] and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.[11] It went gold on November 8, 2006, then platinum on May 21, 2009.[12] Its lead single, "The Diary of Jane", peaked at No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart[34] and was the fastest single added to radio playlists in the history of Hollywood Records,[6] later receiving a double platinum certification on November 24, 2015.[12] "Breath", the record's second single, spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart,[6] and went platinum on November 24, 2015.[12] The third single, "Until the End", peaked at No. 6 on the same chart,[34] and became a gold single on February 11, 2014.[12]

In February 2007 in support of Phobia, AXS TV (then known as HDNet) aired a one-hour Breaking Benjamin concert from Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The broadcast recording was included on the re-released Phobia DVD in April, billed as "The Homecoming".[35][36] A music video was created for "Breath", which was made from footage of the song's performance at the show.[36] Breaking Benjamin followed with spring and fall tours alongside Three Days Grace, accompanied by Puddle of Mudd during the spring tour,[37] and Seether, Skillet, and Red during the fall tour.[38]

Phobia received mixed critical reception. It received praise for general composition and musicianship but received criticism for a lack of originality. AllMusic's Corey Apar found the album "nothing if not consistent" and, while generally regarding the album with positive sentiments, noted a lack of distinction from the "rest of the post-grunge/alt-metal pack" aside from "a certain charm".[29] IGN's Spence D. gave the disc a negative review, citing tedium and lack of vocal distinction, feeling that the group's "intersection of hard rock and emo-oriented introspection" is "not a bad thing, but also not a terribly memorable or earth-shattering one, either."[39] However, the writer praised the musicianship of Fink, Klepaski, and Szeliga, ultimately giving the album a score of 5.7 out of 10.[39] Entertainment Weekly graded the album C+ and noted its angst-ridden themes, saying, "as pathological angst goes, it's expertly done, with expansive choruses and epic riffs – not that that matters, when, like, we're all going to die cold and alone anyway."[40]

Dear Agony (2009–2010)

 
Breaking Benjamin performing in Fort Wayne, Indiana in January 2010

Breaking Benjamin began working on a fourth album, titled Dear Agony, in 2009. It was the first album Burnley wrote while completely sober.[41] In 2007, Burnley experienced fatigue and phosphenes following three consecutive days of no sleep and heavy drinking, after which he decided to remain sober.[42] Burnley acknowledged an improved clarity and coherence within Dear Agony due to his sobriety.[43] The album cover features Burnley's brain scan, representing the recurrent themes on Dear Agony related to the singer's chronic illnesses caused by alcohol consumption.[41]

Burnley collaborated with then-Red guitarist Jasen Rauch on various tracks for Dear Agony: The two equally wrote together the songs "Without You" and "Hopeless", and Rauch wrote the outro for "I Will Not Bow", also helping write "Lights Out".[44] Burnley said of the collaboration, "I love writing with him because he does stuff exactly like I would've done," adding, "writing-wise, we're like the same person."[44]

Dear Agony was released on September 9, 2009, and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.[11] The disc initially outsold its predecessor in its first week, moving more than 134,000 copies.[33] It ultimately achieved gold certification on February 16, 2010.[12] The album's lead single "I Will Not Bow" reached No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart,[34] and went platinum on November 24, 2015.[12] The other two singles, "Lights Out" and "Give Me a Sign", peaked at No. 9[45] and No. 6[46] on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart, respectively (the latter of which also receiving a gold certification on November 24, 2015).[12]

Breaking Benjamin toured in support of the album in January and February 2010 with Three Days Grace and Flyleaf,[47] then with Red, Chevelle, and Thousand Foot Krutch in March 2010.[48] In April, Breaking Benjamin began touring with Nickelback, Shinedown, and Sick Puppies on their Dark Horse Tour.[49] Prior to the last show of the Dark Horse Tour, Burnley stated he was ill and therefore no longer able to tour in support of the album, placing the band on hiatus.[6] After internet rumors began to circulate that the band had broken up, Burnley released a statement "officially letting everyone know that Breaking Benjamin has not broken up".[6]

Dear Agony received mixed critical reception. AllMusic's James Monger gave the album a positive review, stating it "feels a lot like their first three", noting a consistency that "feels like a well-oiled machine".[50] The disc received a negative review from Consequence of Sound's Alex Young, who complained of over-production and the disc's sell-out nature at the hands of three-time Breaking Benjamin producer David Bendeth: "Dear Agony is the unfortunate side effect of a trend in 'producer' David Bendeth's world, training wild chimpanzees to be more tasteful whilst handling silverware", ultimately giving the record a half-star "for teaching Breaking Benjamin's peers who not to hire for production credit".[51] About Entertainment gave the record a mixed review, feeling that "though it lacks the breakthrough singles of Phobia, Dear Agony does have its moments", adding, "frustratingly, Dear Agony never reaches greatness, settling for an admirable competency that's still the envy of many of their contemporaries".[52]

Hiatus and Shallow Bay (2010–2013)

In March 2010, Hollywood Records requested that the band produce two new master recordings and a greatest hits album, and sought permission to release a new version of the hit song "Blow Me Away" featuring Sydnee Duran of Valora.[6] In May 2011, Fink and Klepaski granted the record company's requests after they were offered a $100,000 payment.[53] Burnley, alleging that Fink and Klepaski acted unilaterally on both the song remix and the compilation album, not informing him or the band's management, fired the two via email, demanding at least $250,000 in punitive fees and compensatory damages, as well as the exclusive right to the name Breaking Benjamin.[53]

Fink and Klepaski's attorneys stated the two "dispute and strictly deny" Burnley's allegations, instead asserting that a January 2009 agreement (allowing Burnley to dismiss them for "just cause") was no longer valid because of the singer's status of indefinite hiatus.[53] The case was ordered by a judge to arbitration.[53] Burnley's attorney, Brian Caplan, told the Associated Press, "The relationship between Mr. Burnley and the two other members of the band has ended. ... Mr. Burnley intends on moving forward using the name Breaking Benjamin and the band will continue. It just won't continue in its prior configuration. He's not retiring."[54]

In August 2011, Hollywood Records scheduled the release of the Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin compilation album, featuring every single from the band's catalog, including the remix of "Blow Me Away".[55] A two-disc deluxe edition was released alongside it, with the second disc containing altered versions of b-sides and rarities.[55] Burnley publicly opposed the album's release, saying content had been altered without his consent and did not meet his standards.[55] Burnley later elaborated, saying that the rarities were taken off of his laptop without his consent, and were intended for in-studio reference and not public release, but that he was otherwise content with previously released tracks on Shallow Bay.[56]

The album was released on August 16, 2011, and peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200, also topping the Hard Rock Albums chart in 2011, 2012, and 2013.[57] The disc received positive critical reception. The Daily Trojan's Krishna Jetti praised it for balance and a progressive retrospective history.[58] AllMusic's Gregory Heaney felt similarly, saying, "Shallow Bay is a great jumping-on point for new fans, capturing the band at their height delivering some of their best moments in one convenient package. For older fans, this collection may just serve as a reminder of a crucial turning point in Breaking Benjamin's career."[57]

In April 2013, Burnley announced that the dispute involving Fink and Klepaski was resolved and that he would retain the right to continue the band under the name Breaking Benjamin.[59] Three days later, Szeliga announced his departure, citing creative differences.[60]

Return and Dark Before Dawn (2014–2016)

In August 2014, Breaking Benjamin announced via Facebook that the band reformed as a quintet with, except for Burnley, all new members, including: Dear Agony co-writer Jasen Rauch (guitar, originally from Red); Keith Wallen (guitar and backing vocals, originally from Adelitas Way); Aaron Bruch (bass and backing vocals); and Shaun Foist (drums, originally from Picture Me Broken).[61] Burnley said of the lineup, "Everybody that's in the band now is deliberately handpicked." And he noted that "Keith [Wallen] and Aaron [Bruch] are really, really amazing singers. That's kind of what the band always needed."[61] On March 18, 2015, a new single entitled "Failure" as well as a new album, Dark Before Dawn, were announced for release on March 23 and June 23, respectively.[62]

 
Breaking Benjamin performing at Rock am Ring in Germany 2016

The new lineup debuted with acoustic shows in late 2014,[63] then went on a four-venue winter tour in the north-eastern United States.[64] The band afterward announced 2015 spring,[64] summer,[65] and fall[66] tour dates, supported by bands such as Young Guns[64][65] and Starset.[66] In July 2015, the band announced their first overseas performance, in which they headlined a four-day cruise venue in February 2016 along with Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Flyleaf, et al.[67] The band also performed on a joint U.S. tour with Shinedown in October and November along with Sevendust,[68] and proceeded to play further outside of the United States in June 2016 at venues such as the Download Festival in the United Kingdom,[69] Rock am Ring in Germany,[70] and Nova Rock in Austria.[71]

Burnley explained that writing for Dark Before Dawn was intermittent and fragmentary, taking place throughout the hiatus, though it was toward the end of the hiatus in 2013 when it became cohesive.[42] After growing frustrated with the lack of answers regarding his health condition, Burnley decided to abandon searching for a diagnosis and focus on the album.[72] Recorded and produced at a personal studio of Burnley's,[73] Dark Before Dawn is the first album with the front man credited as the producer. Burnley stated that, "I would say that I did the same amount of producing on this album as I've done on other albums, just never had my name [on it]", adding, "You know, I'm not doing anything different here than I have done in the past. Why shouldn't I be known to be doing it?"[74]

Within an hour of pre-order availability, Dark Before Dawn reached No. 1 on the rock albums chart on iTunes and No. 3 on the overall album chart.[75] It sold 135,000 pure album units and 141,000 equivalent album units in its first week, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making the album the group's heretofore most successful sales effort.[76] It achieved gold certification on August 18, 2016.[77] The disc's lead single "Failure" spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart as well.[78] Billboard's Jason Lipshutz felt the album's success was "eyebrow-raising", noting that, in addition to the band's lineup change, "135,000 in pure album sales is a hefty number in 2015 – it's a bigger number than the respective bows of recent Madonna, ASAP Rocky, and Kelly Clarkson albums".[79]

Joe DeTomaso, program director of active rock station WAQX-FM, stated, "They've always been a top-level band for the format, but not quite on the level of Disturbed or Shinedown or bands like that. They always seem to put out hit records without getting the kind of recognition that they deserved."[79] Forbes's Hugh McIntyre writes that runner-up Tori Kelly's 75,000 copies "puts Breaking Benjamin's figures into perspective" and that despite "a pretty extensive lineup change, it looks like fans were awaiting their return with open arms".[80]

The album was met with mostly positive critical reception, many critics praising the album for staying true to the group's sound, though others criticized it for sounding too similar to previous material. Dan Marsicano from About Entertainment stated, "Burnley could have made his creation just another dose of the glitzy, overproduced crap that is heard on every rock radio station in the world. Instead, Breaking Benjamin hardly deviate from the hooky jams that were present on Dear Agony."[73] Conversely, AllMusic's James Monger felt that "it's hard to conceal the fact that most of these songs are nearly interchangeable with the band's older material."[81] Revolver's Jeremy Borjon felt that "the music's true force only becomes apparent through deeper and repeated listenings, as the songs, on the surface, have a tendency to blend into one another".[82]

Ember (2017–2018)

The group's sixth studio album was first revealed to be completed in August 2017.[83] The band toured with Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet For My Valentine on their North American tour,[84] following with a U.S. mini-tour with 10 Years, and then a tour with Five Finger Death Punch beginning in the second quarter of 2018.[85] In December 2017, Ember and its lead single "Red Cold River" were announced for release in the second quarter of 2018 and January 5, 2018, respectively.[86] On January 26, "Feed the Wolf" was released as a pre-order bonus, along with a release date for the album of April 13, 2018.[87] Three subsequent songs—"Blood",[88] "Psycho",[89] and "Save Yourself"[90]—were released ahead of the album as promotional releases. It sold 88,000 units in its first week of sales, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.[91] "Red Cold River" peaked at No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart,[92] and No. 5 on the Hot Rock Songs chart.[93]

Writing for the album began in 2016, with recording primarily happening in 2017.[94] While Burnley remained the primary composer for the album, he stated that around half of it was written by the rest of the band.[95] Burnley returned to producing for the album, along with the rest of the band,[96] a first for the group. Rauch commented that the album pushes the boundaries with heavier material than the band's done in the past. He said "playing-wise, it's the most difficult album", and that they took advantage of the three-guitar player dynamic, but that the album nonetheless does not depart from Breaking Benjamin's established sound.[97] Burnley explained that there was demand for heavier material from fans, and that the group was happy to reflect that.[98] He later explained that he believed fans gravitated to the heavier side of the band, but that "we also make sure to explore our melodic and softer side too", saying that the album seeks to give both sides to the furthest degree.[99]

Burnley stated that he chose Ember as the album title as something that could be the end of something or the start of it, but emphasized an intentional ambiguity to leave it open to interpretation.[95] Official music videos were released for singles "Red Cold River", "Torn in Two", and "Tourniquet" on January 18, April 12, and December 13, respectively, with Burnley explaining that they are part of a three-part continuity. The music video for "Torn in Two" is a continuation of a narrative started by "Red Cold River", and features references to all of Breaking Benjamin's past music videos.[95] "Tourniquet" concludes the trilogy as a sequel to both previous videos.[100] Dancer and actor Derek Hough (who had previously covered "Ashes of Eden" in a choreographed music video)[101] has an appearance on the album, saying that the opportunity was "a dream come true".[102] Burnley later explained that he reached out to Hough after seeing his cover of "Ashes of Eden", and that the song he is featured on is "The Dark of You".[103]

 
Breaking Benjamin performing at Louder Than Life in 2019

Ember received mostly positive critical reception, and was noted both for its familiarity and its heavier stylistic shift. AllMusic's Neil Yeung gave a generally favorable review but emphasized its familiarity, saying, "As far as variety goes, this is a fairly standard collection of tunes from a band that is mainly concerned with giving fans what they want and expect."[104] Conversely, Loudwire's Chad Childers called Ember "a heavy record—not just in terms of sound where you could argue that they've never sounded heavier, but also in terms of lyrical content", saying the group is "proving that they're better (and yes, heavier) than ever with plenty still left to say".[105]

Luke Nuttall of The Soundboard gave the album a mixed review, saying, "Even the most dedicated diehard has to admit that this is far from groundbreaking or any sort of departure from their past material, and such an unashamed recycling of work seldom leads to positive results", but adding, "Ember manages to elevate above radio-rock's most uninspired efforts, but this is purely for those who've been there all the way through; for everyone else, it's there to embrace or avoid as per want."[106]

Aurora and non-album collaboration singles (2018–2022)

In an interview in December 2018, Burnley stated there will be an album of acoustic renditions of past songs in 2019.[107] In July 2019, Burnley confirmed during a radio interview that the new acoustic album will feature collaborations from Red, Underoath, Saint Asonia, and Lacey Sturm.[108]

The band's 2019 North American headline tour with Chevelle and Three Days Grace went from July 21 to September 25.[109]

On October 28, 2019, the band officially announced the album Aurora via their official social media pages, with a release date of January 24, 2020.[110] They also announced their 2020 co-headlining North American tour with Korn.[111] On December 6, 2019, the band released "Far Away" featuring Scooter Ward of Cold, the first single from Aurora.[112] On January 10, 2020, the band released an acoustic version of "Red Cold River" featuring Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath. In March 2020, they announced their summer 2020 tour, with Bush, Theory of a Deadman, Saint Asonia, and Cory Marks.[113] On May 19, 2020, the band announced the cancellation of the tour due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[114]

On July 10, 2020, the band released a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris", with singer Diamante.[115]

In September 2021, the band played US tour with Papa Roach and Memphis May Fire,[116] in April-May 2022 - with Seether, Starset and Lacey Sturm.[117]

In August 2022, the band released a collaborative song with Starset called "Waiting on the Sky to Change".[118]

Upcoming seventh studio album (2022–present)

In August-September 2022, Breaking Benjamin toured North America co-headlining with Alice in Chains and Bush,[119] in April-May 2023 - with Bush.[120]

In a May 2023 interview, Jasen Rauch stated the band has been writing a new album "for a little over a year".[121] In July 2023, Keith Wallen confirmed that the band was working on new music and that a release could happen within a year.[122]

In July-September 2023, the band has been playing North America tour supporting Disturbed alongside Theory of a Deadman and Jinjer.[123]

Characteristics

Musical style

Breaking Benjamin's musical style is primarily classified as hard rock[124] and alternative rock,[125] and more specifically as post-grunge[126] and alternative metal.[127][a] This approach has commonly been noted for its consistency; Corey Apar felt that "Breaking Benjamin are nothing if not consistent",[29] and Alex Young felt that "Breaking Benjamin is one of the few modern rock bands on the radio that, if you have heard any song in its catalog prior, could be immediately recognized."[51] Despite a complete lineup change prior to the release of Dark Before Dawn, Dan Marsicano stated, "Breaking Benjamin hardly deviate from the hooky jams that were present on Dear Agony. They have had an established sound since their breakout We Are Not Alone – hard-edged riffs with emotional upheaval – and that isn't tampered with on Dark Before Dawn."[73]

Their style is described by Apar as "mixing heavy hard rock dynamics with a moody demeanor that never slips into full-on dejection".[29] Spence D. characterizes the band as "[persisting] in delivering crunching guitars topped off with somewhat generic, angst-ridden [lyrics] that waffle between being plaintive and aggressive" with vocals that "[deliver] just the right amount of emotion, fluctuating between contemplative subjectivity and growling anger".[39] Young felt that Breaking Benjamin is "indicative of early '00s modern rock, while also now and then being more Filter-esque or technically proficient, primarily on guitar during 2002's Saturate, and from then on, with bass and drums".[51]

Breaking Benjamin's style was described by The Wall Street Journal in 2020 as "a subgenre of rock 'n' roll, often called 'active rock'. ... The genre includes bands like Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch, and Three Days Grace, hard rockers who growl and yell, but can be as tender and emotive as Coldplay".[2]

Composition

Burnley is the primary songwriter in the band.[128] Music industry attorney and author Martin Frascogna writes that "it's unmistakably clear that Burnley started the group, is the creative force behind the group and essentially dictates the group's decisions".[129] Bands such as Nirvana, Live, Bush, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and The Beatles have been cited as influences.[130] Burnley remarked in 2009 that while the other band members did contribute, it was "always left up to me to put all the pieces together and make it so that it's even anything at all".[44] However, Burnley considered Rauch to be his "writing partner" during Dear Agony and stated that he looked forward to writing with him in the future.[44]

After joining the band in 2014 as part of the new lineup, Rauch provided writing contributions on Dark Before Dawn, writing the intro and outro tracks as well as riffs on two other tracks.[131] Burnley revealed in 2015 that the whole band would write songs for Breaking Benjamin in the future, and that "It just so happens that when they came on board for this album, I was already 95 percent done", adding, "I'm really looking forward to writing the next one all together."[131] 2018's Ember represents the band's first effort with full composition credit given to members other than Burnley.[104]

Breaking Benjamin's lyrical content evolved as a product of Burnley's sobriety, the front man noting that the lyricism in Dear Agony is more thought out.[43] Rito Asilo of the Inquirer writes that Burnley "owes the improved clarity and coherence in Breaking Benjamin's music to sobriety."[132] Burnley has said that before sobriety, anything that made sense thematically was a coincidence, and that he would take shots if he were dissatisfied with a lyric.[133] Breaking Benjamin's lyrics have been noted for their vague, angst-heavy themes,[134] Burnley saying that "I try to keep my writing vague so people can draw their own conclusions."[43]

Live performance

 
Rhythm guitarist and vocalist Keith Wallen performing in 2016

Breaking Benjamin's live sound has corresponded with lineup arrangements. The band originally lacked backing vocalists and tertiary instrumentation, requiring them to rely on pre-recorded tracks during live performances.[131] However, the band was noted for a change in such respects with the second iteration of the band assembled in 2014.[135] Bruch and Wallen were selected in part for their ability as singers, providing all backing vocals on both new studio recordings and during live shows.[135]

Burnley noted that it was important to add two new singers in order to replicate vocal techniques such as three-part harmonies, octave range, and layered vocals.[56] Rauch, acting as a third guitarist, provides the band with "more freedom while simultaneously thickening up their live sound", as some songs feature three guitar parts or layered guitars or are meant to feature Burnley only performing vocals, such as "I Will Not Bow" and "Lights Out".[136] Foist utilizes Roland V-Kit electronic drums during live performances and triggers certain sounds as heard in studio recordings, such as the piano notes in "Breakdown".[56] Additionally, Rauch is equipped with a Roland GR-55 guitar synthesizer allowing him to play orchestral strings and choir sound effects, further eliminating any reliance on pre-recorded tracks.[32]

Breaking Benjamin is known for frequent live collaborations with co-touring musicians, including David Draiman (Disturbed),[137][138] Adam Gontier (Saint Asonia),[139] Shaun Morgan (Seether),[140] Dustin Bates (Starset),[141] Morgan Rose (Sevendust),[142] Chris Motionless (Motionless in White),[143] and Jared Dines.[144] Benjamin Burnley himself joins co-touring bands for a guest appearance, having performed with Alice in Chains,[145] Chevelle,[146] and Evans Blue[147] among others. The band also occasionally brings fans on stage to perform with them.[148][149][150]

Members

Current members

  • Benjamin Burnley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1999–present)
  • Jasen Rauch – lead guitar, programming (2014–present)
  • Keith Wallen – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2014–present)
  • Aaron Bruch – bass, backing vocals (2014–present)
  • Shaun Foist – drums, programming (2014–present)

Former members

  • Chad Szeliga – drums (2005–2013)
  • Aaron Fink – lead guitar (2002–2011)
  • Mark James Klepaski – bass (2002–2011)
  • Jeremy Hummel – drums (1999–2004)
  • Jonathan "Bug" Price – bass (2001)
  • Jason Davoli – bass (1999)

Touring musicians

  • Kevin Soffera – drums (2004)
  • Ben "BC" Vaught – drums (2004–2005)

Timeline

Gallery

Discography

Studio albums

Notes

  1. ^ However, the band's recurrent online biography written by AllMusic's Alex Henderson states of the alternative metal label, "Korn and Tool have also been cited as influences, but unlike Korn, Breaking Benjamin doesn't have strong hip-hop leanings and isn't quite alternative metal – hard alternative rock, certainly, but not quite alternative metal."[8]

References

  1. ^ "Breaking Benjamin Frontman Pushes Through Pain to Number One". Rolling Stone. July 2015.
  2. ^ a b Kornelis, Chris (January 20, 2020). . The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 22, 2020. Retrieved January 23, 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ Monacelli 2015.
  4. ^ a b Book 2015.
  5. ^ Craft 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Sisak 2011.
  7. ^ a b c Duff 2002.
  8. ^ a b c Henderson & n.d.
  9. ^ Breaking Benjamin 2001.
  10. ^ St. James 2003.
  11. ^ a b c d Billboard 200.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k RIAA.
  13. ^ Zeiler 2003.
  14. ^ MTV News 2003.
  15. ^ Taylor 2002.
  16. ^ Cherubino 2002.
  17. ^ a b Loftus 2004a.
  18. ^ a b c Wiederhorn 2004.
  19. ^ Billboard 2004, p. 49.
  20. ^ RIANZ.
  21. ^ Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs, pp. 1–2.
  22. ^ Moss 2004.
  23. ^ Moriarty 2004.
  24. ^ Authier 2004.
  25. ^ Loftus 2004b.
  26. ^ Amerman 2005, p. 1a.
  27. ^ Business Wire 2005.
  28. ^ Modern Drummer 2010.
  29. ^ a b c d Apar 2006.
  30. ^ a b Miranda & Holmquest 2004.
  31. ^ "Benjamin Burnley biography, married, wife, illness, tattoos, interview, cancer, net worth • biography". bijog.com. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  32. ^ a b Lello 2015.
  33. ^ a b Bishop 2014.
  34. ^ a b c Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs.
  35. ^ AXS TV 2011.
  36. ^ a b Kelly 2007.
  37. ^ Blair 2007.
  38. ^ IGN Music 2007.
  39. ^ a b c D. 2006.
  40. ^ Greenblatt 2006.
  41. ^ a b Lipshutz 2009.
  42. ^ a b Wiederhorn 2015.
  43. ^ a b c Florino 2010.
  44. ^ a b c d Lello 2009.
  45. ^ Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs 100904.
  46. ^ Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs 100417.
  47. ^ Ultimate Guitar 2010.
  48. ^ Tunelab 2010.
  49. ^ Morentin 2010.
  50. ^ Monger 2009.
  51. ^ a b c Young 2009.
  52. ^ a b Grierson 2009.
  53. ^ a b c d Sisak & Gaydos 2011.
  54. ^ Rubinkam 2011.
  55. ^ a b c KPNT 2011.
  56. ^ a b c Rosen 2015b.
  57. ^ a b Heaney 2011.
  58. ^ Jetti 2011.
  59. ^ Childers 2013.
  60. ^ Frederick 2015.
  61. ^ a b Hargis 2014.
  62. ^ KSHE 2015.
  63. ^ Schoof 2014.
  64. ^ a b c Zadrozny 2015.
  65. ^ a b Hoyle 2015.
  66. ^ a b MPJ 2015.
  67. ^ Titus 2015.
  68. ^ Childers 2015.
  69. ^ James 2015.
  70. ^ . Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  71. ^ . Novarock.at. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  72. ^ Trunk 2015.
  73. ^ a b c Marsicano 2015.
  74. ^ Trunk 2015, event occurs at 19:03.
  75. ^ Blabbermouth 2015.
  76. ^ Caulfield 2015.
  77. ^ Screamer Magazine 2016.
  78. ^ Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs, p. 1.
  79. ^ a b Lipshutz 2015.
  80. ^ McIntyre 2015.
  81. ^ Monger 2015.
  82. ^ Borjon 2015.
  83. ^ Hartmann 2017.
  84. ^ Childers 2017.
  85. ^ Payne 2018.
  86. ^ Blabbermouth 2017.
  87. ^ Divita 2018.
  88. ^ Divita 2018b.
  89. ^ Divita 2018c.
  90. ^ Hartmann 2018.
  91. ^ Caulfield 2018.
  92. ^ Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs 1061958.
  93. ^ Billboard Hot Rock Songs 1061958.
  94. ^ Mitchell 2017.
  95. ^ a b c Wendowski 2018.
  96. ^ Davis 2018.
  97. ^ Anderson 2017, event occurs at 01:43.
  98. ^ Burnley 2017, event occurs at 03:25.
  99. ^ Blabbermouth 2018.
  100. ^ Christopher 2018.
  101. ^ Ganz 2017.
  102. ^ Stubblebine 2017.
  103. ^ Childers 2018.
  104. ^ a b Yeung 2018.
  105. ^ Childers 2018b.
  106. ^ Nuttall 2018.
  107. ^ Wendowski 2018b.
  108. ^ Childers, Chad (July 23, 2019). "Breaking Benjamin Plan Acoustic Album With Underoath, Red, Saint Asonia + Former Flyleaf Singers". Loudwire. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  109. ^ Erickson, Anne (February 19, 2019). "Breaking Benjamin, Chevelle, and Three Days Grace announce 2019 North American tour". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  110. ^ Childers, Chad (October 28, 2019). "BREAKING BENJAMIN DETAIL GUEST-FILLED 'AURORA' ALBUM". Loudwire. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  111. ^ Divita, Joe (October 28, 2019). "Korn + Breaking Benjamin Announce 2020 Co-Headlining Tour". Loudwire. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  112. ^ "Listen to Breaking Benjamin's New Song "FAR AWAY" Featuring Scooter Ward of COLD". Music Mayhem Magazine. December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  113. ^ Childers, Chad (March 3, 2020). "Breaking Benjamin Announce Summer Tour With Bush, Theory of a Deadman, Saint Asonia + Cory Marks". Loudwire. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  114. ^ "Breaking Benjamin Cancel 2020 Tour Dates with Bush + More". Loudwire. May 19, 2020.
  115. ^ "Diamante Unveils Cover of Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" Featuring Breaking Benjamin Frontman Ben Burnley". Music Mayhem Magazine. July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  116. ^ Breaking Benjamin Announce 2021 U.S. Tour Dates With Papa Roach
  117. ^ Breaking Benjamin Announce Spring Tour With Seether + More
  118. ^ "Breaking Benjamin Team up with Starset for 'Waiting on the Sky to Change' Cover". August 18, 2022.
  119. ^ Breaking Benjamin tours the country with Alice in Chains and Bush on Aug. 10-Oct. 8 | NEPA Scene
  120. ^ Breaking Benjamin + Bush Announce Spring 2023 Tour Dates
  121. ^ Breaking Benjamin Have Been Working on First New Album in 5 Years
  122. ^ "Breaking Benjamin Keith Wallen". YouTube.
  123. ^ Disturbed Announce Big 2023 North American Tour With Three Guests
  124. ^ Henderson & n.d; Wiederhorn 2015; Lipshutz 2015; Mansfield 2015; D. 2006; Greenblatt 2006; Marsicano 2015; Titus 2015.
  125. ^ Henderson & n.d; Sisak & Gaydos 2011; Miller 2004; Lipshutz 2009; Cox 2014; Floyd 2015; Walden 2015; Davis-Young 2015.
  126. ^ Henderson & n.d; Young 2009; Lipshutz 2009; Greene 2006; Apar 2006.
  127. ^ Grierson 2009; Leroy 2004; Apar 2006; Saincome 2015; Marsicano 2015.
  128. ^ Frederick 2015b.
  129. ^ Frascogna 2011.
  130. ^ Henderson & n.d; Miranda & Holmquest 2004.
  131. ^ a b c Bowar 2015.
  132. ^ Asilo 2015.
  133. ^ Brayton 2009.
  134. ^ Grierson 2009; Greenblatt 2006; D. 2006.
  135. ^ a b Trunk 2015; Axton 2015; Rosen 2015a; Rosen 2015b; Kielich 2015; Hahn 2014
  136. ^ Axton 2015.
  137. ^ David Draiman + Breaking Benjamin Perform 'Under Pressure'
  138. ^ Disturbed's David Draiman Joins Breaking Benjamin for Cover of Pantera's "Walk" in Dallas | Dallas Observer
  139. ^ Breaking Benjamin Joined On Stage By Adam Gontier | Strife Mag
  140. ^ [Breaking Benjamin - Diary of Jane (w/ Shaun Morgan of Seether) LIVE May 6, 2022 - YouTube Breaking Benjamin - Diary of Jane (w/ Shaun Morgan of Seether) LIVE May 6, 2022 - YouTube]
  141. ^ Starset vocalist Dustin Bates joins Breaking Benjamin during live performance of "Breath" - watch - New Fury Media
  142. ^ Breaking Benjamin Performs "Failure" with Sevendust Drummer Morgan Rose - Music Mayhem Magazine
  143. ^ Watch Motionless In White's Chris Motionless Join Breaking Benjamin Onstage In Florida - Theprp.com
  144. ^ Watch Jared Dines Play Live With Breaking Benjamin - Maniacs Online | Heavy Metal News, Music Videos, Tours & Merch
  145. ^ Alice in Chains - 'Man in The Box' [ft. Benjamin Burnley | Live - Mansfield, MA - 10/8/2022 - YouTube]
  146. ^ Chevelle ft. Benjamin Burnley - Closure (Live at SLC 2019) - YouTube
  147. ^ Breaking Benjamin w/ Evans Blue – Verizon Wireless Theater – Houston, TX – HoustonMusicReview.com
  148. ^ Breaking Benjamin Toad's New Haven - Fan sings "Failure" - YouTube
  149. ^ Breaking Benjamin - Angels Fall (Live 18/06/2016) - YouTube
  150. ^ Breaking Benjamin brings fan on stage to sing breath (Bismarck, ND 3/31/19) - YouTube

Sources

  • Amerman, Kevin (September 29, 2005). . Times Leader. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015.
  • Anderson, Rockwell (April 25, 2017). Rockwell Unscene Interview: Breaking Benjamin - Las Rageous (interview video). Las Vegas: Tattoo.com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2021. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  • Apar, Corey (2006). "Phobia". AllMusic. All Media Network. from the original on November 15, 2013.
  • Asilo, Rito (July 4, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin finds clarity in sobriety". Philippine Daily Inquirer. from the original on July 26, 2015.
  • Authier, Amber (September 1, 2004). "Breaking Benjamin We Are Not Alone". Exclaim!. from the original on June 26, 2015.
  • Axton, Gene (July 14, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin stops home for show at Montage Mountain in September". Times Leader. from the original on July 18, 2015.
  • "HDNet Schedule for Mon. October 3, 2011 to Sun. October 9, 2011" (PDF). AXS TV. CBS Corporation. October 3, 2011. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  • . Billboard. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2015.
  • . Billboard. Archived from the original on July 29, 2016. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  • "Rock Music: Top Mainstream Rock Songs Chart for the Week of September 4, 2010". Billboard. September 4, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2010.
  • . Billboard. April 17, 2010. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
  • "Breaking Benjamin Red Cold River Chart History - Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs". Billboard. March 31, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  • "Breaking Benjamin Red Cold River Chart History - Billboard Hot Rock Songs". Billboard. January 20, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.[permanent dead link]
  • Billboard. Vol. 116. June 17, 2004. pp. 5–63. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
  • Bishop, Matt (April 20, 2014). "Breaking Benjamin announce their return". The Rock Revival. from the original on May 24, 2013.
  • "Breaking Benjamin to release 'Dark Before Dawn' album in June". Blabbermouth. March 23, 2015. from the original on April 2, 2015.
  • "Breaking Benjamin To Release 'Red Cold River' Single In January". Blabbermouth. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  • "BREAKING BENJAMIN's 'Ember' Gets Official Release Date; Listen To New Song 'Feed The Wolf'". Blabbermouth.net. January 25, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  • Blair, Kevin, ed. (April 3, 2007). "Three Days Grace Announce US Spring Tour with Breaking Benjamin, Puddle of Mudd". Starpulse Radio. Media Holdings LLC. from the original on November 2, 2007.
  • Brayton, Rebecca (2009). "Interview with Breaking Benjamin on Writing Sober". WatchMojo.com. from the original on March 19, 2015.
  • Book, Ryan (May 18, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin Talks "Failure," Leeches and Covering Weezer". Music Times. Emily Wittmann. from the original on June 26, 2015.
  • Borjon, Jeremy (June 16, 2015). . Revolver. Archived from the original on June 26, 2015.
  • Bowar, Chad (June 17, 2015). . About Entertainment. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015.
  • Breaking Benjamin (2001). Breaking Benjamin EP (liner notes). Danville, Pennsylvania: Independent.
  • Burnley, Benjamin (October 27, 2017). (Interview). Interviewed by Colfax. Denver, Colorado: KBPI. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  • "3 Doors Down to Headline All Star Summer Tour; Staind and Breaking Benjamin to Open". Business Wire. May 9, 2005. from the original on July 1, 2015.
  • Caulfield, Keith (July 1, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin Earns Its First No. 1 Album on the Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. from the original on July 1, 2015.
  • Caulfield, Keith (April 22, 2018). "Jason Aldean Scores Fourth No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart With 'Rearview Town'". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  • Cherubino, Vin (2002). "CD Review of Breaking Benjamin Saturate". Schwegweb. from the original on July 9, 2015.
  • Childers, Chad (April 20, 2013). "Breaking Benjamin Front man Benjamin Burnley Retains Rights to Band's Name". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. from the original on March 27, 2015.
  • Childers, Chad (August 10, 2015). "Shinedown + Breaking Benjamin Team Up for Fall 2015 U.S. Tour". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  • Childers, Chad (October 2, 2017). "Avenged Sevenfold Announce Winter 2018 North American Tour Dates With Breaking Benjamin + Bullet For My Valentine". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  • Childers, Chad (January 18, 2018). "Breaking Benjamin Welcome "Dancing With the Stars" Derek Hough For New Song "The Dark of You"". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  • Childers, Chad (April 12, 2018). "Breaking Benjamin Explore Their Dark Side With Fiery "Ember"". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  • Christopher, Michael (December 10, 2018). "Breaking Benjamin Announce 2019 North American Tour". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. Retrieved December 13, 2018.
  • Cox, Danny (June 17, 2014). "Breaking Benjamin's hits keep coming as they own the stage". AXS TV. CBS Corporation. from the original on April 11, 2015.
  • Craft, Dan (July 16, 2015). "Breaking good: A smashing comeback for Ben & Co". The Pantagraph. Julie Bechtel. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  • D., Spence (September 11, 2006). . IGN. Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014.
  • Davis, Heather (January 2018). "Breaking Benjamin Bio — 2018". Hollywood Records. from the original on January 25, 2018.
  • Davis-Young, Katherine (July 2, 2015). "Alt-rockers Breaking Benjamin top Billboard 200 for first time". Reuters (Press release). Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  • Divita, Joe (January 26, 2018). "Breaking Benjamin 'Feed the Wolf' + Reveal 'Ember' Release Date". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  • Divita, Joe (February 23, 2018). "Breaking Benjamin's "Blood" is a Storm of Heaviness and Atmospheric Beauty". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  • Divita, Joe (March 23, 2018). "Breaking Benjamin Deal Out Brutality on "Psycho"". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  • Duff, Michael, ed. (November 28, 2002). "November Ticket Mania – Who is Breaking Benjamin". KCBD. NBC. from the original on July 16, 2015.
  • Florino, Rick (February 3, 2010). "Interview: Breaking Benjamin". Artist Direct. from the original on July 1, 2015.
  • Floyd, Marcus (July 3, 2015). . Renowned for Sound. Archived from the original on January 10, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  • Frascogna, Martin (August 19, 2011). "Breaking Benjamin Dispute Lays Bare Dirty Laundry Behind The Scenes Of Record Label Deals". Techdirt. from the original on November 1, 2013.
  • Frederick, Brittany (March 24, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin returns with new single 'Failure,' new album on the way". AXS TV. CBS Corporation. from the original on July 11, 2015.
  • Frederick, Brittany (June 25, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin make strong, if different, comeback with 'Dark Before Dawn'". AXS TV. CBS Corporation. from the original on July 11, 2015.
  • Ganz, Jami (March 28, 2017). "Derek Hough debuts new music video, talks World of Dance $1 million prize". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  • Greenblatt, Leah (August 25, 2006). "Phobia (Music – Breaking Benjamin)". Entertainment Weekly. from the original on July 8, 2015.
  • Greene, Andy (August 16, 2006). "Chart Roundup: Rick Ross, Breaking Benjamin, Slayer". Rolling Stone. from the original on February 3, 2013.
  • Grierson, Tim (September 14, 2009). "Breaking Benjamin – 'Dear Agony' Review". About Entertainment. from the original on July 12, 2014.
  • Hahn, Gary (October 17, 2014). "Breaking Benjamin return with a vengeance". Times Union. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  • Hargis, Trudy (October 16, 2014). "Q&A with Breaking Benjamin's Benjamin Burnley". Times Union. from the original on April 2, 2015.
  • Hartmann, Graham (August 30, 2017). "Breaking Benjamin Complete Recording Sixth Studio Album". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  • Hartmann, Graham (April 6, 2018). "Breaking Benjamin Keep the Heavy Coming With New Track 'Save Yourself'". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  • Heaney, Gregory (2011). "Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin". AllMusic. All Media Network. from the original on March 7, 2016.
  • Henderson, Alex. "Breaking Benjamin". AllMusic. All Media Network. from the original on May 22, 2014.
  • Hoyle, Hayley (June 24, 2015). . Infectious Magazine. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  • "Breaking Benjamin Fall Tour Schedule – Phobia support continues as band saddles up and hits the road". IGN. Ziff Davis. July 13, 2007. from the original on October 25, 2012.
  • St. James, Adam, ed. (2003). . Guitar.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2015.
  • James (December 6, 2015). "Download Festival Confirm 33 Bands in New Announcement". Kerrang!. Bauer Consumer Media. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  • Jetti, Krishna (September 18, 2011). "Breaking Benjamin releases greatest hits album". The Daily Trojan. from the original on August 2, 2014.
  • Kelly, Amy (June 12, 2007). . Ultimate Guitar Archive. Eugeny Naidenov. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  • Breaking Benjamin Title Release at FallBall 2017 (interview video). Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, Tucson, Arizona: KFMA. October 21, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  • Kielich, Kris (February 16, 2015). "Concert Review: Breaking Benjamin at Main Street Armory". City Newspaper. Retrieved July 18, 2015.
  • . KPNT. Emmis Communications. August 2, 2011. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  • . K-SHE 95. Emmis Communications. March 18, 2015. Archived from the original on May 17, 2015.
  • Lello, Michael (November 18, 2009). . The Weekender. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011.
  • Lello, Michael (June 9, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin's Ben Burnley On New Lineup: 'The Band Is Better Than It Ever Was'". Headlines & Global News. from the original on June 9, 2015.
  • Leroy, Dan (November 28, 2004). . The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
  • Lipshutz, Jason (October 9, 2009). "Breaking Benjamin Takes 'Agony' To Top 10". Billboard. from the original on December 3, 2014.
  • Lipshutz, Jason (July 2, 2015). "How Did Breaking Benjamin Sell So Many Albums Last Week?". Billboard. from the original on July 4, 2015.
  • Loftus, Johnny (2004). "We Are Not Alone". AllMusic. All Media Network. from the original on November 15, 2013.
  • Loftus, Johnny (2004). "So Cold [EP]". AllMusic. All Media Network. from the original on September 21, 2014.
  • Marsicano, Dan (June 23, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin – Dark Before Dawn Review". About Entertainment. from the original on July 1, 2015.
  • Mansfield, Brian (July 1, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin takes No. 1 album spot". USA Today. from the original on July 4, 2015.
  • McIntyre, Hugh (July 1, 2015). "Rock Band Breaking Benjamin Hit Number One On The Albums Chart For The First Time". Forbes. from the original on July 2, 2015.
  • Miller, Kirk (August 12, 2004). "Breaking Benjamin Break". Rolling Stone. from the original on February 3, 2013.
  • Miranda, Robert; Holmquest, Kevin (November 22, 2004). . Talk It Out. Jodi Leib. Archived from the original on April 19, 2013.
  • Mitchell, Tiffany (January 13, 2017). "Breaking Benjamin - Interview with Benjamin Burnley, Aaron Bruch, Jasen Rauch, and Keith Wallen". Shockwave Magazine. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  • "Chad Szeliga: Props from Peers". Modern Drummer. Isabel Spagnardi. August 24, 2010. from the original on February 25, 2014.
  • Monacelli, Emily (July 13, 2015). "Godsmack, Breaking Benjamin coming to Kellogg Arena in September". Kalamazoo Gazette. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  • Monger, James (2009). "Dear Agony". AllMusic. All Media Network. from the original on December 14, 2013.
  • Monger, James (2015). "Dark Before Dawn". AllMusic. All Media Network. from the original on July 1, 2015.
  • Morentin, Elizabeth (January 6, 2010). (PDF) (Press release). Los Angeles, California: Live Nation Entertainment. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 26, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  • Moriarty, Colin (June 29, 2004). "We Are Not Alone – Breaking Benjamin shatter the sophomore slump". IGN. Ziff Davis. from the original on July 8, 2015.
  • Moss, Corey (May 18, 2004). "Your Bus or Mine? Evanescence and Seether to Tour U.S. in July". MTV News. Viacom. from the original on July 25, 2015.
  • . Musician Photo Journal. July 23, 2015. Archived from the original on October 20, 2015. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  • MTV News (April 8, 2003). "Godsmack Not Into Doing Hoity-Toity Summer Sanitarium Tour, Announce Own Dates". MTV News. Viacom. from the original on July 25, 2015.
  • Nuttall, Luke (April 16, 2018). "Album Review: 'Ember' by Breaking Benjamin". The Soundboard. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  • Payne, Chris (March 12, 2018). "Breaking Benjamin Announces New U.S. Tour Dates With 10 Years". Billboard. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  • RIAA. "Gold & Platinum – RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  • RIANZ. "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart - The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  • Rosen, Craig (May 20, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin Fights Through the Pain With 'Dark Before Dawn'". Yahoo! Music. Live Nation Entertainment. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  • Rosen, Steve (June 17, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin's Ben Burnley: 'I Like Having a Staple Sound That People Recognize and I'm Not Interested in Changing It'". Ultimate Guitar Archive. from the original on July 26, 2015.
  • Rubinkam, Michael (August 2, 2011). "Lead singer of Breaking Benjamin fires bandmates". Yahoo! News. Associated Press. from the original on November 29, 2014.
  • Saincome, Matt (June 17, 2015). "Stuck in Traffic with Breaking Benjamin". SF Weekly. San Francisco Newspaper Company. from the original on July 5, 2015.
  • Schoof, Dustin (October 27, 2014). "Breaking Benjamin returns to the area with triumphant performance in Stroudsburg – Review". Lehigh Valley Live. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014.
  • "Breaking Benjamin "Dark Before Dawn" Certified Gold". Screamer magazine. Primedia. August 18, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2017.
  • Sisak, Michael (August 3, 2011). . The Citizens' Voice. Daniel Haggerty. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015.
  • Sisak, Michael; Gaydos, Kristen (August 2, 2011). "Breaking Benjamin broken over song dispute". The Citizens' Voice. Daniel Haggerty. from the original on October 29, 2014.
  • Stubblebine, Allison (November 1, 2017). "Derek Hough Talks Mental Health, Shares Emotional 'Hold On' Video: Exclusive Interview". Billboard. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  • Taylor, Jason (2002). "Saturate". AllMusic. All Media Network. from the original on December 14, 2013.
  • Titus, Christa (July 7, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin to Headline Inaugural Axes & Anchors Cruise". Billboard. from the original on July 9, 2015.
  • Trunk, Eddie (June 23, 2015). Breaking Benjamin LIVE Chat on YouTube Space NY featuring host Eddie Trunk from "That Metal Show" (interview video). YouTube Space, New York City: YouTube. from the original on July 1, 2015.
  • . Tunelab. January 14, 2010. Archived from the original on January 12, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  • "Three Days Grace Announce Additional Dates". Ultimate Guitar Archive. Eugeny Naidenov. January 12, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  • Walden, Eric (October 29, 2015). "Concert preview: Breaking Benjamin becoming less broken these days". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  • Wendowski, Andrew (April 15, 2018). "Breaking Benjamin's Ben Burnley Talks Ember In-Depth, "Torn In Two" Music Video References, and 20 Year Band Anniversary Celebrations". Music Mayhem Magazine. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  • Wendowski, Andrew (December 19, 2018). "Breaking Benjamin's Ben Burnley Talks Forthcoming Acoustic Album, "Tourniquet" Music Video, 2019 Plans and more". Music Mayhem Magazine. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  • Wiederhorn, Jon (July 13, 2004). "Billy Corgan, Evanescence Help Breaking Benjamin Break Big". MTV News. Viacom. from the original on April 5, 2015.
  • Wiederhorn, Jon (July 1, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin Battle Mystery Illness on Painful Road to Number One". Rolling Stone. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  • Yeung, Neil Z. (April 13, 2018). "Ember - Breaking Benjamin". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  • Young, Alex (November 21, 2009). "Breaking Benjamin – Dear Agony". Consequence of Sound. Townsquare Media. from the original on April 11, 2015.
  • Zadrozny, Anya (February 18, 2015). "Breaking Benjamin announce 2015 U.S. Spring tour". Loudwire. Diffuser Network. from the original on March 16, 2015.
  • Zeiler, Sarah (March 4, 2003). "The Jägermeister Music Tour Is Back! Saliva and (hed) Planet Earth to Headline NYC Date: March 7th @ Roseland". PR Newswire. UBM. from the original on April 18, 2015.

External links

  • Official website

breaking, benjamin, american, rock, band, from, wilkes, barre, pennsylvania, formed, 1999, lead, singer, guitarist, benjamin, burnley, drummer, jeremy, hummel, first, lineup, band, also, included, guitarist, aaron, fink, bassist, mark, james, klepaski, this, l. Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania formed in 1999 by lead singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel The first lineup of the band also included guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist Mark James Klepaski This lineup released two albums Saturate 2002 and We Are Not Alone 2004 before Hummel was replaced by Chad Szeliga in 2005 The band released two more studio albums Phobia 2006 and Dear Agony 2009 before entering an extended hiatus in early 2010 due to Burnley s recurring illnesses 1 Breaking BenjaminBreaking Benjamin performing in 2015 From left to right Keith Wallen Shaun Foist Benjamin Burnley Aaron Bruch and Jasen Rauch Background informationAlso known asPlan 9OriginWilkes Barre Pennsylvania U S GenresHard rock post grunge alternative metalYears active1999 2010 2014 presentLabelsHollywoodMembersBenjamin Burnley Aaron Bruch Shaun Foist Jasen Rauch Keith WallenPast membersJason Davoli Jonathan Bug Price Jeremy Hummel Aaron Fink Mark James Klepaski Chad SzeligaWebsitebreakingbenjamin wbr comAmid the hiatus the release of a compilation album Shallow Bay The Best of Breaking Benjamin 2011 unauthorized by Burnley brought about legal trouble within the band resulting in the dismissal of Fink and Klepaski Szeliga later announced his departure in 2013 citing creative differences Burnley remained the sole member of the band until late 2014 when the current lineup was announced including bassist and backing vocalist Aaron Bruch guitarist and backing vocalist Keith Wallen guitarist Jasen Rauch and drummer Shaun Foist The band afterward released Dark Before Dawn 2015 and Ember 2018 which debuted at number one and three on the Billboard 200 respectively 2 Following these albums the band released another compilation Aurora 2020 featuring reworked acoustic versions of past songs along with one original new song Despite significant lineup changes the band s musical style and lyrical content have remained consistent with Burnley serving as the primary composer and lead vocalist since the band s inception The band has commonly been noted for its formulaic hard rock tendencies with angst heavy lyrics swelling choruses and crunching guitars In the United States alone the band has sold more than 19 million units 3 and yielded three RIAA certified platinum records two gold records and several certified singles including three multi platinum three platinum and six gold Contents 1 History 1 1 Formation and Saturate 1998 2003 1 2 We Are Not Alone 2003 2005 1 3 Phobia 2005 2007 1 4 Dear Agony 2009 2010 1 5 Hiatus and Shallow Bay 2010 2013 1 6 Return and Dark Before Dawn 2014 2016 1 7 Ember 2017 2018 1 8 Aurora and non album collaboration singles 2018 2022 1 9 Upcoming seventh studio album 2022 present 2 Characteristics 2 1 Musical style 2 2 Composition 2 3 Live performance 3 Members 3 1 Gallery 4 Discography 4 1 Studio albums 5 Notes 6 References 6 1 Sources 7 External linksHistoryFormation and Saturate 1998 2003 Main article Saturate Breaking Benjamin album Benjamin Burnley was originally in a band named Breaking Benjamin in 1998 that played softer music such as Weezer and the Beatles covers and was nothing like subsequent lineups 4 The name originates from an incident in which Burnley broke a borrowed microphone prompting its owner to retort Thanks to Benjamin for breaking my fucking mic 5 This band included guitarist Aaron Fink bassist Nick Hoover and drummer Chris Lightcap but soon broke up when Burnley moved to California 6 After returning to Pennsylvania with drummer Jeremy Hummel Burnley formed Plan 9 which also included bassist Jason Davoli Plan 9 a reference to Plan 9 from Outer Space was continually misnamed as Planet 9 Therefore the group reclaimed the name Breaking Benjamin from the previous band as Burnley still had promotional stickers with that name 4 nbsp Polyamorous EP version source source track Sample of the EP version of Polyamorous as first heard on Fabbri s radio station in 2001 Problems playing this file See media help The three piece first gained attention when Freddie Fabbri a DJ for active rock radio station WBSX put the group s track Polyamorous in rotation 7 After it became the number one requested track on the station 7 Fabbri financed the recording of the group s eponymous EP which sold all 2 000 copies that were printed in 2001 8 Jonathan Bug Price was credited on bass replacing Davoli 9 After growing dissatisfied with their previous band former bandmate Aaron Fink and bassist Mark James Klepaski joined Breaking Benjamin 10 In early 2002 over a dozen record companies visited a two night showcase where Breaking Benjamin was playing and the group subsequently signed with Hollywood Records 7 Shortly afterward Breaking Benjamin began recording their first full length major label record Saturate which was released on August 7 2002 and produced by Ulrich Wild 8 It peaked at No 136 on the Billboard 200 11 and was later certified gold on September 25 2015 12 In early 2003 Breaking Benjamin participated in the Jagermeister Music Tour 13 then toured as a supporting act for Godsmack 14 Out of the little media coverage received Saturate garnered positive reception with Jason Taylor from AllMusic stating that the album has serious potential to become one of 2002 s most successful debuts feeling that although it is repetitive and generic it is undeniably addictive ultimately scoring the album 2 5 out of 5 15 The disc received a favorable review from Schwegweb s Vin Cherubino who noted The music has just as much quality as any popular artist in the same genre Influences from bands such as Tool can be heard making the music seem all so familiar and palatable 16 We Are Not Alone 2003 2005 Main article We Are Not Alone Breaking Benjamin album Breaking Benjamin returned to the studio in October 2003 with producer David Bendeth for their second album We Are Not Alone 17 Burnley also worked with The Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan over the course of six days in December 2003 to write the songs Rain Forget It and Follow 18 Despite initially being nervous Burnley felt it was one of the highlights of his career 18 nbsp Breaking Benjamin performing at the Minnesota State Fair on August 25 2005The album was released on June 29 2004 17 and sold 48 000 copies in its first week 19 peaking at No 20 on the Billboard 200 11 It was later certified gold on October 21 2004 then platinum on June 13 2005 12 It was also certified gold in New Zealand on August 29 2005 20 The record features singles such as So Cold and Sooner or Later both of which peaked at No 2 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart 21 So Cold became a platinum single on September 25 2015 12 MTV writer Jon Wiederhorn writes that the initial commercial success of the album can be attributed to a tour two weeks prior to the album s debut which generated prerelease buzz 18 They later co headlined a tour with Evanescence Seether and Three Days Grace 22 We Are Not Alone garnered mixed reviews It was met with high acclaim from IGN s Colin Moriarty who felt extremely satisfied saying safely and confidently that it might be his personal favorite album of the year He gave it a score of 9 3 out of 10 23 Conversely Exclaim writer Amber Authier said On first listen its simply generic sound did nothing for me Though she later admitted I listened to Breaking Benjamin several times over a week and several elements of the disc started to grow on me even appeal to me The writer concluded Breaking Benjamin created a standard of quality for themselves that they simply couldn t meet on the entire disc 24 On November 3 2004 a non album single named Blow Me Away was released to commercial success ultimately going gold on November 24 2015 12 On November 23 2004 Breaking Benjamin released the So Cold EP which features live versions of the songs Away and Breakdown a live acoustic version of So Cold and studio acoustic recordings of Blow Me Away and Lady Bug 25 In late 2005 drummer Hummel filed a federal lawsuit against Breaking Benjamin According to the lawsuit Hummel requested earlier that year to take a paternity leave to be with his wife during the birth of their first child to which all members of the band agreed and hired Kevin Soffera as a temporary substitute on drums However Burnley later called Hummel and terminated him citing chemistry issues In the lawsuit Hummel contended wrongful termination and lack of compensation for profits accrued by We Are Not Alone and other non album tracks that appeared in Halo 2 and National Treasure Book of Secrets The band s manager Larry Mazer who was also named in the lawsuit asserted that the lawsuit was totally frivolous and his termination had nothing to do with the paternity leave Mazer said the band received no payment for the Halo 2 appearance adding that the song was included for promotional reasons and Burnley was happy to have it in the video game The band received minimal payment for the National Treasure 2 appearance and Mazer stated that otherwise Hummel is 100 per cent current 26 Ben B C Vaught served as a sit in drummer for the band 6 and they later toured with 3 Doors Down and Staind in November 2005 27 The lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount in April 2006 6 Phobia 2005 2007 Main article Phobia Breaking Benjamin album After the departure of Jeremy Hummel Breaking Benjamin auditioned fifteen drummers of whom Chad Szeliga stood out for his ability as a stage performer and the fact that he had serious problem solving skills according to Burnley 28 The group s next album Phobia was again produced by Bendeth and was the first to be recorded with Szeliga 29 The concept of the album is dedicated to Burnley s various phobias The cover of the album depicts a winged man suspended over a runway which represents the singer s fear of flying Burnley also suffers from death anxiety a fear of the dark driving anxiety 30 and hypochondria 31 Burnley cites his fear of flying as for why he did not perform overseas saying I ll go as far as a boat will take me though at the time the band s record label had not facilitated travel by boat 30 Phobia s Intro and Outro tracks feature sound effects of an airport intercom airplane turbulence car doors and crowd panic 32 Phobia was released on August 8 2006 to commercial success The album sold more than 131 000 copies in its first week of sales 33 and peaked at No 2 on the Billboard 200 11 It went gold on November 8 2006 then platinum on May 21 2009 12 Its lead single The Diary of Jane peaked at No 2 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart 34 and was the fastest single added to radio playlists in the history of Hollywood Records 6 later receiving a double platinum certification on November 24 2015 12 Breath the record s second single spent seven weeks at No 1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart 6 and went platinum on November 24 2015 12 The third single Until the End peaked at No 6 on the same chart 34 and became a gold single on February 11 2014 12 In February 2007 in support of Phobia AXS TV then known as HDNet aired a one hour Breaking Benjamin concert from Stabler Arena in Bethlehem Pennsylvania The broadcast recording was included on the re released Phobia DVD in April billed as The Homecoming 35 36 A music video was created for Breath which was made from footage of the song s performance at the show 36 Breaking Benjamin followed with spring and fall tours alongside Three Days Grace accompanied by Puddle of Mudd during the spring tour 37 and Seether Skillet and Red during the fall tour 38 Phobia received mixed critical reception It received praise for general composition and musicianship but received criticism for a lack of originality AllMusic s Corey Apar found the album nothing if not consistent and while generally regarding the album with positive sentiments noted a lack of distinction from the rest of the post grunge alt metal pack aside from a certain charm 29 IGN s Spence D gave the disc a negative review citing tedium and lack of vocal distinction feeling that the group s intersection of hard rock and emo oriented introspection is not a bad thing but also not a terribly memorable or earth shattering one either 39 However the writer praised the musicianship of Fink Klepaski and Szeliga ultimately giving the album a score of 5 7 out of 10 39 Entertainment Weekly graded the album C and noted its angst ridden themes saying as pathological angst goes it s expertly done with expansive choruses and epic riffs not that that matters when like we re all going to die cold and alone anyway 40 Dear Agony 2009 2010 Main article Dear Agony nbsp Breaking Benjamin performing in Fort Wayne Indiana in January 2010Breaking Benjamin began working on a fourth album titled Dear Agony in 2009 It was the first album Burnley wrote while completely sober 41 In 2007 Burnley experienced fatigue and phosphenes following three consecutive days of no sleep and heavy drinking after which he decided to remain sober 42 Burnley acknowledged an improved clarity and coherence within Dear Agony due to his sobriety 43 The album cover features Burnley s brain scan representing the recurrent themes on Dear Agony related to the singer s chronic illnesses caused by alcohol consumption 41 Burnley collaborated with then Red guitarist Jasen Rauch on various tracks for Dear Agony The two equally wrote together the songs Without You and Hopeless and Rauch wrote the outro for I Will Not Bow also helping write Lights Out 44 Burnley said of the collaboration I love writing with him because he does stuff exactly like I would ve done adding writing wise we re like the same person 44 Dear Agony was released on September 9 2009 and peaked at No 4 on the Billboard 200 11 The disc initially outsold its predecessor in its first week moving more than 134 000 copies 33 It ultimately achieved gold certification on February 16 2010 12 The album s lead single I Will Not Bow reached No 1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart 34 and went platinum on November 24 2015 12 The other two singles Lights Out and Give Me a Sign peaked at No 9 45 and No 6 46 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart respectively the latter of which also receiving a gold certification on November 24 2015 12 Breaking Benjamin toured in support of the album in January and February 2010 with Three Days Grace and Flyleaf 47 then with Red Chevelle and Thousand Foot Krutch in March 2010 48 In April Breaking Benjamin began touring with Nickelback Shinedown and Sick Puppies on their Dark Horse Tour 49 Prior to the last show of the Dark Horse Tour Burnley stated he was ill and therefore no longer able to tour in support of the album placing the band on hiatus 6 After internet rumors began to circulate that the band had broken up Burnley released a statement officially letting everyone know that Breaking Benjamin has not broken up 6 Dear Agony received mixed critical reception AllMusic s James Monger gave the album a positive review stating it feels a lot like their first three noting a consistency that feels like a well oiled machine 50 The disc received a negative review from Consequence of Sound s Alex Young who complained of over production and the disc s sell out nature at the hands of three time Breaking Benjamin producer David Bendeth Dear Agony is the unfortunate side effect of a trend in producer David Bendeth s world training wild chimpanzees to be more tasteful whilst handling silverware ultimately giving the record a half star for teaching Breaking Benjamin s peers who not to hire for production credit 51 About Entertainment gave the record a mixed review feeling that though it lacks the breakthrough singles of Phobia Dear Agony does have its moments adding frustratingly Dear Agony never reaches greatness settling for an admirable competency that s still the envy of many of their contemporaries 52 Hiatus and Shallow Bay 2010 2013 Main article Shallow Bay The Best of Breaking Benjamin In March 2010 Hollywood Records requested that the band produce two new master recordings and a greatest hits album and sought permission to release a new version of the hit song Blow Me Away featuring Sydnee Duran of Valora 6 In May 2011 Fink and Klepaski granted the record company s requests after they were offered a 100 000 payment 53 Burnley alleging that Fink and Klepaski acted unilaterally on both the song remix and the compilation album not informing him or the band s management fired the two via email demanding at least 250 000 in punitive fees and compensatory damages as well as the exclusive right to the name Breaking Benjamin 53 Fink and Klepaski s attorneys stated the two dispute and strictly deny Burnley s allegations instead asserting that a January 2009 agreement allowing Burnley to dismiss them for just cause was no longer valid because of the singer s status of indefinite hiatus 53 The case was ordered by a judge to arbitration 53 Burnley s attorney Brian Caplan told the Associated Press The relationship between Mr Burnley and the two other members of the band has ended Mr Burnley intends on moving forward using the name Breaking Benjamin and the band will continue It just won t continue in its prior configuration He s not retiring 54 In August 2011 Hollywood Records scheduled the release of the Shallow Bay The Best of Breaking Benjamin compilation album featuring every single from the band s catalog including the remix of Blow Me Away 55 A two disc deluxe edition was released alongside it with the second disc containing altered versions of b sides and rarities 55 Burnley publicly opposed the album s release saying content had been altered without his consent and did not meet his standards 55 Burnley later elaborated saying that the rarities were taken off of his laptop without his consent and were intended for in studio reference and not public release but that he was otherwise content with previously released tracks on Shallow Bay 56 The album was released on August 16 2011 and peaked at No 22 on the Billboard 200 also topping the Hard Rock Albums chart in 2011 2012 and 2013 57 The disc received positive critical reception The Daily Trojan s Krishna Jetti praised it for balance and a progressive retrospective history 58 AllMusic s Gregory Heaney felt similarly saying Shallow Bay is a great jumping on point for new fans capturing the band at their height delivering some of their best moments in one convenient package For older fans this collection may just serve as a reminder of a crucial turning point in Breaking Benjamin s career 57 In April 2013 Burnley announced that the dispute involving Fink and Klepaski was resolved and that he would retain the right to continue the band under the name Breaking Benjamin 59 Three days later Szeliga announced his departure citing creative differences 60 Return and Dark Before Dawn 2014 2016 Main article Dark Before Dawn In August 2014 Breaking Benjamin announced via Facebook that the band reformed as a quintet with except for Burnley all new members including Dear Agony co writer Jasen Rauch guitar originally from Red Keith Wallen guitar and backing vocals originally from Adelitas Way Aaron Bruch bass and backing vocals and Shaun Foist drums originally from Picture Me Broken 61 Burnley said of the lineup Everybody that s in the band now is deliberately handpicked And he noted that Keith Wallen and Aaron Bruch are really really amazing singers That s kind of what the band always needed 61 On March 18 2015 a new single entitled Failure as well as a new album Dark Before Dawn were announced for release on March 23 and June 23 respectively 62 nbsp Breaking Benjamin performing at Rock am Ring in Germany 2016The new lineup debuted with acoustic shows in late 2014 63 then went on a four venue winter tour in the north eastern United States 64 The band afterward announced 2015 spring 64 summer 65 and fall 66 tour dates supported by bands such as Young Guns 64 65 and Starset 66 In July 2015 the band announced their first overseas performance in which they headlined a four day cruise venue in February 2016 along with Yngwie Malmsteen Zakk Wylde Flyleaf et al 67 The band also performed on a joint U S tour with Shinedown in October and November along with Sevendust 68 and proceeded to play further outside of the United States in June 2016 at venues such as the Download Festival in the United Kingdom 69 Rock am Ring in Germany 70 and Nova Rock in Austria 71 Burnley explained that writing for Dark Before Dawn was intermittent and fragmentary taking place throughout the hiatus though it was toward the end of the hiatus in 2013 when it became cohesive 42 After growing frustrated with the lack of answers regarding his health condition Burnley decided to abandon searching for a diagnosis and focus on the album 72 Recorded and produced at a personal studio of Burnley s 73 Dark Before Dawn is the first album with the front man credited as the producer Burnley stated that I would say that I did the same amount of producing on this album as I ve done on other albums just never had my name on it adding You know I m not doing anything different here than I have done in the past Why shouldn t I be known to be doing it 74 Within an hour of pre order availability Dark Before Dawn reached No 1 on the rock albums chart on iTunes and No 3 on the overall album chart 75 It sold 135 000 pure album units and 141 000 equivalent album units in its first week debuting at No 1 on the Billboard 200 making the album the group s heretofore most successful sales effort 76 It achieved gold certification on August 18 2016 77 The disc s lead single Failure spent nine weeks at No 1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart as well 78 Billboard s Jason Lipshutz felt the album s success was eyebrow raising noting that in addition to the band s lineup change 135 000 in pure album sales is a hefty number in 2015 it s a bigger number than the respective bows of recent Madonna ASAP Rocky and Kelly Clarkson albums 79 Joe DeTomaso program director of active rock station WAQX FM stated They ve always been a top level band for the format but not quite on the level of Disturbed or Shinedown or bands like that They always seem to put out hit records without getting the kind of recognition that they deserved 79 Forbes s Hugh McIntyre writes that runner up Tori Kelly s 75 000 copies puts Breaking Benjamin s figures into perspective and that despite a pretty extensive lineup change it looks like fans were awaiting their return with open arms 80 The album was met with mostly positive critical reception many critics praising the album for staying true to the group s sound though others criticized it for sounding too similar to previous material Dan Marsicano from About Entertainment stated Burnley could have made his creation just another dose of the glitzy overproduced crap that is heard on every rock radio station in the world Instead Breaking Benjamin hardly deviate from the hooky jams that were present on Dear Agony 73 Conversely AllMusic s James Monger felt that it s hard to conceal the fact that most of these songs are nearly interchangeable with the band s older material 81 Revolver s Jeremy Borjon felt that the music s true force only becomes apparent through deeper and repeated listenings as the songs on the surface have a tendency to blend into one another 82 Ember 2017 2018 Main article Ember album The group s sixth studio album was first revealed to be completed in August 2017 83 The band toured with Avenged Sevenfold and Bullet For My Valentine on their North American tour 84 following with a U S mini tour with 10 Years and then a tour with Five Finger Death Punch beginning in the second quarter of 2018 85 In December 2017 Ember and its lead single Red Cold River were announced for release in the second quarter of 2018 and January 5 2018 respectively 86 On January 26 Feed the Wolf was released as a pre order bonus along with a release date for the album of April 13 2018 87 Three subsequent songs Blood 88 Psycho 89 and Save Yourself 90 were released ahead of the album as promotional releases It sold 88 000 units in its first week of sales debuting at No 3 on the Billboard 200 91 Red Cold River peaked at No 2 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart 92 and No 5 on the Hot Rock Songs chart 93 Writing for the album began in 2016 with recording primarily happening in 2017 94 While Burnley remained the primary composer for the album he stated that around half of it was written by the rest of the band 95 Burnley returned to producing for the album along with the rest of the band 96 a first for the group Rauch commented that the album pushes the boundaries with heavier material than the band s done in the past He said playing wise it s the most difficult album and that they took advantage of the three guitar player dynamic but that the album nonetheless does not depart from Breaking Benjamin s established sound 97 Burnley explained that there was demand for heavier material from fans and that the group was happy to reflect that 98 He later explained that he believed fans gravitated to the heavier side of the band but that we also make sure to explore our melodic and softer side too saying that the album seeks to give both sides to the furthest degree 99 Burnley stated that he chose Ember as the album title as something that could be the end of something or the start of it but emphasized an intentional ambiguity to leave it open to interpretation 95 Official music videos were released for singles Red Cold River Torn in Two and Tourniquet on January 18 April 12 and December 13 respectively with Burnley explaining that they are part of a three part continuity The music video for Torn in Two is a continuation of a narrative started by Red Cold River and features references to all of Breaking Benjamin s past music videos 95 Tourniquet concludes the trilogy as a sequel to both previous videos 100 Dancer and actor Derek Hough who had previously covered Ashes of Eden in a choreographed music video 101 has an appearance on the album saying that the opportunity was a dream come true 102 Burnley later explained that he reached out to Hough after seeing his cover of Ashes of Eden and that the song he is featured on is The Dark of You 103 nbsp Breaking Benjamin performing at Louder Than Life in 2019Ember received mostly positive critical reception and was noted both for its familiarity and its heavier stylistic shift AllMusic s Neil Yeung gave a generally favorable review but emphasized its familiarity saying As far as variety goes this is a fairly standard collection of tunes from a band that is mainly concerned with giving fans what they want and expect 104 Conversely Loudwire s Chad Childers called Ember a heavy record not just in terms of sound where you could argue that they ve never sounded heavier but also in terms of lyrical content saying the group is proving that they re better and yes heavier than ever with plenty still left to say 105 Luke Nuttall of The Soundboard gave the album a mixed review saying Even the most dedicated diehard has to admit that this is far from groundbreaking or any sort of departure from their past material and such an unashamed recycling of work seldom leads to positive results but adding Ember manages to elevate above radio rock s most uninspired efforts but this is purely for those who ve been there all the way through for everyone else it s there to embrace or avoid as per want 106 Aurora and non album collaboration singles 2018 2022 Main article Aurora Breaking Benjamin album In an interview in December 2018 Burnley stated there will be an album of acoustic renditions of past songs in 2019 107 In July 2019 Burnley confirmed during a radio interview that the new acoustic album will feature collaborations from Red Underoath Saint Asonia and Lacey Sturm 108 The band s 2019 North American headline tour with Chevelle and Three Days Grace went from July 21 to September 25 109 On October 28 2019 the band officially announced the album Aurora via their official social media pages with a release date of January 24 2020 110 They also announced their 2020 co headlining North American tour with Korn 111 On December 6 2019 the band released Far Away featuring Scooter Ward of Cold the first single from Aurora 112 On January 10 2020 the band released an acoustic version of Red Cold River featuring Spencer Chamberlain of Underoath In March 2020 they announced their summer 2020 tour with Bush Theory of a Deadman Saint Asonia and Cory Marks 113 On May 19 2020 the band announced the cancellation of the tour due to the COVID 19 pandemic 114 On July 10 2020 the band released a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls Iris with singer Diamante 115 In September 2021 the band played US tour with Papa Roach and Memphis May Fire 116 in April May 2022 with Seether Starset and Lacey Sturm 117 In August 2022 the band released a collaborative song with Starset called Waiting on the Sky to Change 118 Upcoming seventh studio album 2022 present In August September 2022 Breaking Benjamin toured North America co headlining with Alice in Chains and Bush 119 in April May 2023 with Bush 120 In a May 2023 interview Jasen Rauch stated the band has been writing a new album for a little over a year 121 In July 2023 Keith Wallen confirmed that the band was working on new music and that a release could happen within a year 122 In July September 2023 the band has been playing North America tour supporting Disturbed alongside Theory of a Deadman and Jinjer 123 CharacteristicsMusical style nbsp Into the Nothing source source Into the Nothing Dear Agony is an example of the band s recurrent formula involving crunchy guitars swelling choruses angst heavy vocals and tight construction 52 Problems playing this file See media help Breaking Benjamin s musical style is primarily classified as hard rock 124 and alternative rock 125 and more specifically as post grunge 126 and alternative metal 127 a This approach has commonly been noted for its consistency Corey Apar felt that Breaking Benjamin are nothing if not consistent 29 and Alex Young felt that Breaking Benjamin is one of the few modern rock bands on the radio that if you have heard any song in its catalog prior could be immediately recognized 51 Despite a complete lineup change prior to the release of Dark Before Dawn Dan Marsicano stated Breaking Benjamin hardly deviate from the hooky jams that were present on Dear Agony They have had an established sound since their breakout We Are Not Alone hard edged riffs with emotional upheaval and that isn t tampered with on Dark Before Dawn 73 Their style is described by Apar as mixing heavy hard rock dynamics with a moody demeanor that never slips into full on dejection 29 Spence D characterizes the band as persisting in delivering crunching guitars topped off with somewhat generic angst ridden lyrics that waffle between being plaintive and aggressive with vocals that deliver just the right amount of emotion fluctuating between contemplative subjectivity and growling anger 39 Young felt that Breaking Benjamin is indicative of early 00s modern rock while also now and then being more Filter esque or technically proficient primarily on guitar during 2002 s Saturate and from then on with bass and drums 51 Breaking Benjamin s style was described by The Wall Street Journal in 2020 as a subgenre of rock n roll often called active rock The genre includes bands like Disturbed Five Finger Death Punch and Three Days Grace hard rockers who growl and yell but can be as tender and emotive as Coldplay 2 Composition Burnley is the primary songwriter in the band 128 Music industry attorney and author Martin Frascogna writes that it s unmistakably clear that Burnley started the group is the creative force behind the group and essentially dictates the group s decisions 129 Bands such as Nirvana Live Bush Pearl Jam Stone Temple Pilots and The Beatles have been cited as influences 130 Burnley remarked in 2009 that while the other band members did contribute it was always left up to me to put all the pieces together and make it so that it s even anything at all 44 However Burnley considered Rauch to be his writing partner during Dear Agony and stated that he looked forward to writing with him in the future 44 After joining the band in 2014 as part of the new lineup Rauch provided writing contributions on Dark Before Dawn writing the intro and outro tracks as well as riffs on two other tracks 131 Burnley revealed in 2015 that the whole band would write songs for Breaking Benjamin in the future and that It just so happens that when they came on board for this album I was already 95 percent done adding I m really looking forward to writing the next one all together 131 2018 s Ember represents the band s first effort with full composition credit given to members other than Burnley 104 Breaking Benjamin s lyrical content evolved as a product of Burnley s sobriety the front man noting that the lyricism in Dear Agony is more thought out 43 Rito Asilo of the Inquirer writes that Burnley owes the improved clarity and coherence in Breaking Benjamin s music to sobriety 132 Burnley has said that before sobriety anything that made sense thematically was a coincidence and that he would take shots if he were dissatisfied with a lyric 133 Breaking Benjamin s lyrics have been noted for their vague angst heavy themes 134 Burnley saying that I try to keep my writing vague so people can draw their own conclusions 43 Live performance nbsp Rhythm guitarist and vocalist Keith Wallen performing in 2016Breaking Benjamin s live sound has corresponded with lineup arrangements The band originally lacked backing vocalists and tertiary instrumentation requiring them to rely on pre recorded tracks during live performances 131 However the band was noted for a change in such respects with the second iteration of the band assembled in 2014 135 Bruch and Wallen were selected in part for their ability as singers providing all backing vocals on both new studio recordings and during live shows 135 Burnley noted that it was important to add two new singers in order to replicate vocal techniques such as three part harmonies octave range and layered vocals 56 Rauch acting as a third guitarist provides the band with more freedom while simultaneously thickening up their live sound as some songs feature three guitar parts or layered guitars or are meant to feature Burnley only performing vocals such as I Will Not Bow and Lights Out 136 Foist utilizes Roland V Kit electronic drums during live performances and triggers certain sounds as heard in studio recordings such as the piano notes in Breakdown 56 Additionally Rauch is equipped with a Roland GR 55 guitar synthesizer allowing him to play orchestral strings and choir sound effects further eliminating any reliance on pre recorded tracks 32 Breaking Benjamin is known for frequent live collaborations with co touring musicians including David Draiman Disturbed 137 138 Adam Gontier Saint Asonia 139 Shaun Morgan Seether 140 Dustin Bates Starset 141 Morgan Rose Sevendust 142 Chris Motionless Motionless in White 143 and Jared Dines 144 Benjamin Burnley himself joins co touring bands for a guest appearance having performed with Alice in Chains 145 Chevelle 146 and Evans Blue 147 among others The band also occasionally brings fans on stage to perform with them 148 149 150 MembersCurrent members Benjamin Burnley lead vocals rhythm guitar 1999 present Jasen Rauch lead guitar programming 2014 present Keith Wallen rhythm guitar backing vocals 2014 present Aaron Bruch bass backing vocals 2014 present Shaun Foist drums programming 2014 present Former members Chad Szeliga drums 2005 2013 Aaron Fink lead guitar 2002 2011 Mark James Klepaski bass 2002 2011 Jeremy Hummel drums 1999 2004 Jonathan Bug Price bass 2001 Jason Davoli bass 1999 Touring musicians Kevin Soffera drums 2004 Ben BC Vaught drums 2004 2005 Timeline Gallery Breaking Benjamin live at Frequency Festival 2017 nbsp Aaron Bruch nbsp Jasen Rauch nbsp Benjamin Burnley nbsp Shaun Foist nbsp Keith WallenDiscographyMain article Breaking Benjamin discography Studio albums Saturate 2002 We Are Not Alone 2004 Phobia 2006 Dear Agony 2009 Dark Before Dawn 2015 Ember 2018 Notes However the band s recurrent online biography written by AllMusic s Alex Henderson states of the alternative metal label Korn and Tool have also been cited as influences but unlike Korn Breaking Benjamin doesn t have strong hip hop leanings and isn t quite alternative metal hard alternative rock certainly but not quite alternative metal 8 References Breaking Benjamin Frontman Pushes Through Pain to Number One Rolling Stone July 2015 a b Kornelis Chris January 20 2020 The Chart Topping Rock Band You ve Never Heard Of The Wall Street Journal Archived from the original on January 22 2020 Retrieved January 23 2020 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Monacelli 2015 a b Book 2015 Craft 2015 a b c d e f g h Sisak 2011 a b c Duff 2002 a b c Henderson amp n d Breaking Benjamin 2001 St James 2003 a b c d Billboard 200 a b c d e f g h i j k RIAA Zeiler 2003 MTV News 2003 Taylor 2002 Cherubino 2002 a b Loftus 2004a a b c Wiederhorn 2004 Billboard 2004 p 49 RIANZ Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs pp 1 2 Moss 2004 Moriarty 2004 Authier 2004 Loftus 2004b Amerman 2005 p 1a Business Wire 2005 Modern Drummer 2010 a b c d Apar 2006 a b Miranda amp Holmquest 2004 Benjamin Burnley biography married wife illness tattoos interview cancer net worth biography bijog com Retrieved February 3 2021 a b Lello 2015 a b Bishop 2014 a b c Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs AXS TV 2011 a b Kelly 2007 Blair 2007 IGN Music 2007 a b c D 2006 Greenblatt 2006 a b Lipshutz 2009 a b Wiederhorn 2015 a b c Florino 2010 a b c d Lello 2009 Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs 100904 Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs 100417 Ultimate Guitar 2010 Tunelab 2010 Morentin 2010 Monger 2009 a b c Young 2009 a b Grierson 2009 a b c d Sisak amp Gaydos 2011 Rubinkam 2011 a b c KPNT 2011 a b c Rosen 2015b a b Heaney 2011 Jetti 2011 Childers 2013 Frederick 2015 a b Hargis 2014 KSHE 2015 Schoof 2014 a b c Zadrozny 2015 a b Hoyle 2015 a b MPJ 2015 Titus 2015 Childers 2015 James 2015 Breaking Benjamin Rock am Ring 2016 Archived from the original on January 7 2016 Retrieved December 22 2017 NOVAROCK HOME Novarock at Archived from the original on June 16 2017 Retrieved December 22 2017 Trunk 2015 a b c Marsicano 2015 Trunk 2015 event occurs at 19 03 Blabbermouth 2015 Caulfield 2015 Screamer Magazine 2016 Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs p 1 a b Lipshutz 2015 McIntyre 2015 Monger 2015 Borjon 2015 Hartmann 2017 Childers 2017 Payne 2018 Blabbermouth 2017 Divita 2018 Divita 2018b Divita 2018c Hartmann 2018 Caulfield 2018 Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs 1061958 Billboard Hot Rock Songs 1061958 Mitchell 2017 a b c Wendowski 2018 Davis 2018 Anderson 2017 event occurs at 01 43 Burnley 2017 event occurs at 03 25 Blabbermouth 2018 Christopher 2018 Ganz 2017 Stubblebine 2017 Childers 2018 a b Yeung 2018 Childers 2018b Nuttall 2018 Wendowski 2018b Childers Chad July 23 2019 Breaking Benjamin Plan Acoustic Album With Underoath Red Saint Asonia Former Flyleaf Singers Loudwire Retrieved September 12 2019 Erickson Anne February 19 2019 Breaking Benjamin Chevelle and Three Days Grace announce 2019 North American tour Consequence of Sound Retrieved September 12 2019 Childers Chad October 28 2019 BREAKING BENJAMIN DETAIL GUEST FILLED AURORA ALBUM Loudwire Retrieved November 1 2019 Divita Joe October 28 2019 Korn Breaking Benjamin Announce 2020 Co Headlining Tour Loudwire Retrieved November 1 2019 Listen to Breaking Benjamin s New Song FAR AWAY Featuring Scooter Ward of COLD Music Mayhem Magazine December 6 2019 Retrieved December 16 2019 Childers Chad March 3 2020 Breaking Benjamin Announce Summer Tour With Bush Theory of a Deadman Saint Asonia Cory Marks Loudwire Retrieved March 11 2020 Breaking Benjamin Cancel 2020 Tour Dates with Bush More Loudwire May 19 2020 Diamante Unveils Cover of Goo Goo Dolls Iris Featuring Breaking Benjamin Frontman Ben Burnley Music Mayhem Magazine July 10 2020 Retrieved July 12 2020 Breaking Benjamin Announce 2021 U S Tour Dates With Papa Roach Breaking Benjamin Announce Spring Tour With Seether More Breaking Benjamin Team up with Starset for Waiting on the Sky to Change Cover August 18 2022 Breaking Benjamin tours the country with Alice in Chains and Bush on Aug 10 Oct 8 NEPA Scene Breaking Benjamin Bush Announce Spring 2023 Tour Dates Breaking Benjamin Have Been Working on First New Album in 5 Years Breaking Benjamin Keith Wallen YouTube Disturbed Announce Big 2023 North American Tour With Three Guests Henderson amp n d Wiederhorn 2015 Lipshutz 2015 Mansfield 2015 D 2006 Greenblatt 2006 Marsicano 2015 Titus 2015 Henderson amp n d Sisak amp Gaydos 2011 Miller 2004 Lipshutz 2009 Cox 2014 Floyd 2015 Walden 2015 Davis Young 2015 Henderson amp n d Young 2009 Lipshutz 2009 Greene 2006 Apar 2006 Grierson 2009 Leroy 2004 Apar 2006 Saincome 2015 Marsicano 2015 Frederick 2015b Frascogna 2011 Henderson amp n d Miranda amp Holmquest 2004 a b c Bowar 2015 Asilo 2015 Brayton 2009 Grierson 2009 Greenblatt 2006 D 2006 a b Trunk 2015 Axton 2015 Rosen 2015a Rosen 2015b Kielich 2015 Hahn 2014 Axton 2015 David Draiman Breaking Benjamin Perform Under Pressure Disturbed s David Draiman Joins Breaking Benjamin for Cover of Pantera s Walk in Dallas Dallas Observer Breaking Benjamin Joined On Stage By Adam Gontier Strife Mag Breaking Benjamin Diary of Jane w Shaun Morgan of Seether LIVE May 6 2022 YouTube Breaking Benjamin Diary of Jane w Shaun Morgan of Seether LIVE May 6 2022 YouTube Starset vocalist Dustin Bates joins Breaking Benjamin during live performance of Breath watch New Fury Media Breaking Benjamin Performs Failure with Sevendust Drummer Morgan Rose Music Mayhem Magazine Watch Motionless In White s Chris Motionless Join Breaking Benjamin Onstage In Florida Theprp com Watch Jared Dines Play Live With Breaking Benjamin Maniacs Online Heavy Metal News Music Videos Tours amp Merch Alice in Chains Man in The Box ft Benjamin Burnley Live Mansfield MA 10 8 2022 YouTube Chevelle ft Benjamin Burnley Closure Live at SLC 2019 YouTube Breaking Benjamin w Evans Blue Verizon Wireless Theater Houston TX HoustonMusicReview com Breaking Benjamin Toad s New Haven Fan sings Failure YouTube Breaking Benjamin Angels Fall Live 18 06 2016 YouTube Breaking Benjamin brings fan on stage to sing breath Bismarck ND 3 31 19 YouTube Sources Amerman Kevin September 29 2005 Band sees no basis for lawsuit The drummer was fired justly and was properly paid says Breaking Benjamin s manager Times Leader Archived from the original on July 1 2015 Anderson Rockwell April 25 2017 Rockwell Unscene Interview Breaking Benjamin Las Rageous interview video Las Vegas Tattoo com Archived from the original on November 13 2021 Retrieved October 22 2017 Apar Corey 2006 Phobia AllMusic All Media Network Archived from the original on November 15 2013 Asilo Rito July 4 2015 Breaking Benjamin finds clarity in sobriety Philippine Daily Inquirer Archived from the original on July 26 2015 Authier Amber September 1 2004 Breaking Benjamin We Are Not Alone Exclaim Archived from the original on June 26 2015 Axton Gene July 14 2015 Breaking Benjamin stops home for show at Montage Mountain in September Times Leader Archived from the original on July 18 2015 HDNet Schedule for Mon October 3 2011 to Sun October 9 2011 PDF AXS TV CBS Corporation October 3 2011 Retrieved September 2 2015 Breaking Benjamin Chart history Billboard 200 Billboard Archived from the original on June 3 2016 Retrieved August 26 2015 Breaking Benjamin Chart history Mainstream Rock Songs Billboard Archived from the original on July 29 2016 Retrieved July 9 2015 Rock Music Top Mainstream Rock Songs Chart for the Week of September 4 2010 Billboard September 4 2010 Retrieved September 4 2010 Rock Music Top Mainstream Rock Songs Chart for the Week of April 17 2010 Billboard April 17 2010 Archived from the original on March 7 2016 Retrieved April 17 2010 Breaking Benjamin Red Cold River Chart History Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs Billboard March 31 2018 Retrieved April 24 2018 Breaking Benjamin Red Cold River Chart History Billboard Hot Rock Songs Billboard January 20 2018 Retrieved April 24 2018 permanent dead link Billboard Vol 116 June 17 2004 pp 5 63 ISSN 0006 2510 Retrieved July 9 2015 Bishop Matt April 20 2014 Breaking Benjamin announce their return The Rock Revival Archived from the original on May 24 2013 Breaking Benjamin to release Dark Before Dawn album in June Blabbermouth March 23 2015 Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Breaking Benjamin To Release Red Cold River Single In January Blabbermouth December 19 2017 Retrieved December 19 2017 BREAKING BENJAMIN s Ember Gets Official Release Date Listen To New Song Feed The Wolf Blabbermouth net January 25 2018 Retrieved January 25 2018 Blair Kevin ed April 3 2007 Three Days Grace Announce US Spring Tour with Breaking Benjamin Puddle of Mudd Starpulse Radio Media Holdings LLC Archived from the original on November 2 2007 Brayton Rebecca 2009 Interview with Breaking Benjamin on Writing Sober WatchMojo com Archived from the original on March 19 2015 Book Ryan May 18 2015 Breaking Benjamin Talks Failure Leeches and Covering Weezer Music Times Emily Wittmann Archived from the original on June 26 2015 Borjon Jeremy June 16 2015 Review Breaking Benjamin Dark Before Dawn Revolver Archived from the original on June 26 2015 Bowar Chad June 17 2015 Breaking Benjamin Interview A Conversation with Vocalist Benjamin Burnley About Entertainment Archived from the original on July 11 2015 Breaking Benjamin 2001 Breaking Benjamin EP liner notes Danville Pennsylvania Independent Burnley Benjamin October 27 2017 Breaking Benjamin Frontman Ben Burnley Interview Interviewed by Colfax Denver Colorado KBPI Archived from the original on November 3 2018 Retrieved October 30 2017 3 Doors Down to Headline All Star Summer Tour Staind and Breaking Benjamin to Open Business Wire May 9 2005 Archived from the original on July 1 2015 Caulfield Keith July 1 2015 Breaking Benjamin Earns Its First No 1 Album on the Billboard 200 Chart Billboard Archived from the original on July 1 2015 Caulfield Keith April 22 2018 Jason Aldean Scores Fourth No 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart With Rearview Town Billboard Retrieved April 24 2018 Cherubino Vin 2002 CD Review of Breaking Benjamin Saturate Schwegweb Archived from the original on July 9 2015 Childers Chad April 20 2013 Breaking Benjamin Front man Benjamin Burnley Retains Rights to Band s Name Loudwire Diffuser Network Archived from the original on March 27 2015 Childers Chad August 10 2015 Shinedown Breaking Benjamin Team Up for Fall 2015 U S Tour Loudwire Diffuser Network Retrieved August 10 2015 Childers Chad October 2 2017 Avenged Sevenfold Announce Winter 2018 North American Tour Dates With Breaking Benjamin Bullet For My Valentine Loudwire Diffuser Network Retrieved January 21 2018 Childers Chad January 18 2018 Breaking Benjamin Welcome Dancing With the Stars Derek Hough For New Song The Dark of You Loudwire Diffuser Network Retrieved January 18 2018 Childers Chad April 12 2018 Breaking Benjamin Explore Their Dark Side With Fiery Ember Loudwire Diffuser Network Retrieved April 24 2018 Christopher Michael December 10 2018 Breaking Benjamin Announce 2019 North American Tour Loudwire Diffuser Network Retrieved December 13 2018 Cox Danny June 17 2014 Breaking Benjamin s hits keep coming as they own the stage AXS TV CBS Corporation Archived from the original on April 11 2015 Craft Dan July 16 2015 Breaking good A smashing comeback for Ben amp Co The Pantagraph Julie Bechtel Retrieved August 23 2015 D Spence September 11 2006 Breaking Benjamin Phobia More of the same from the Pennsylvania quartet IGN Ziff Davis Archived from the original on February 19 2014 Davis Heather January 2018 Breaking Benjamin Bio 2018 Hollywood Records Archived from the original on January 25 2018 Davis Young Katherine July 2 2015 Alt rockers Breaking Benjamin top Billboard 200 for first time Reuters Press release Retrieved December 26 2015 Divita Joe January 26 2018 Breaking Benjamin Feed the Wolf Reveal Ember Release Date Loudwire Diffuser Network Retrieved January 26 2018 Divita Joe February 23 2018 Breaking Benjamin s Blood is a Storm of Heaviness and Atmospheric Beauty Loudwire Diffuser Network Retrieved February 24 2018 Divita Joe March 23 2018 Breaking Benjamin Deal Out Brutality on Psycho Loudwire Diffuser Network Retrieved April 24 2018 Duff Michael ed November 28 2002 November Ticket Mania Who is Breaking Benjamin KCBD NBC Archived from the original on July 16 2015 Florino Rick February 3 2010 Interview Breaking Benjamin Artist Direct Archived from the original on July 1 2015 Floyd Marcus July 3 2015 Album Review Breaking Benjamin Dark Before Dawn Renowned for Sound Archived from the original on January 10 2016 Retrieved December 26 2015 Frascogna Martin August 19 2011 Breaking Benjamin Dispute Lays Bare Dirty Laundry Behind The Scenes Of Record Label Deals Techdirt Archived from the original on November 1 2013 Frederick Brittany March 24 2015 Breaking Benjamin returns with new single Failure new album on the way AXS TV CBS Corporation Archived from the original on July 11 2015 Frederick Brittany June 25 2015 Breaking Benjamin make strong if different comeback with Dark Before Dawn AXS TV CBS Corporation Archived from the original on July 11 2015 Ganz Jami March 28 2017 Derek Hough debuts new music video talks World of Dance 1 million prize Entertainment Weekly Retrieved November 1 2017 Greenblatt Leah August 25 2006 Phobia Music Breaking Benjamin Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on July 8 2015 Greene Andy August 16 2006 Chart Roundup Rick Ross Breaking Benjamin Slayer Rolling Stone Archived from the original on February 3 2013 Grierson Tim September 14 2009 Breaking Benjamin Dear Agony Review About Entertainment Archived from the original on July 12 2014 Hahn Gary October 17 2014 Breaking Benjamin return with a vengeance Times Union Retrieved July 18 2015 Hargis Trudy October 16 2014 Q amp A with Breaking Benjamin s Benjamin Burnley Times Union Archived from the original on April 2 2015 Hartmann Graham August 30 2017 Breaking Benjamin Complete Recording Sixth Studio Album Loudwire Diffuser Network Retrieved October 1 2017 Hartmann Graham April 6 2018 Breaking Benjamin Keep the Heavy Coming With New Track Save Yourself Loudwire Diffuser Network Retrieved April 24 2018 Heaney Gregory 2011 Shallow Bay The Best of Breaking Benjamin AllMusic All Media Network Archived from the original on March 7 2016 Henderson Alex Breaking Benjamin AllMusic All Media Network Archived from the original on May 22 2014 Hoyle Hayley June 24 2015 Breaking Benjamin Announces New Tour Dates Infectious Magazine Archived from the original on February 25 2021 Retrieved July 30 2015 Breaking Benjamin Fall Tour Schedule Phobia support continues as band saddles up and hits the road IGN Ziff Davis July 13 2007 Archived from the original on October 25 2012 St James Adam ed 2003 If It s Broke Aaron Fink of Breaking Benjamin Guitar com Archived from the original on July 3 2015 James December 6 2015 Download Festival Confirm 33 Bands in New Announcement Kerrang Bauer Consumer Media Retrieved January 21 2016 Jetti Krishna September 18 2011 Breaking Benjamin releases greatest hits album The Daily Trojan Archived from the original on August 2 2014 Kelly Amy June 12 2007 Breaking Benjamin Guitarist The Hands And The Passion Ultimate Guitar Archive Eugeny Naidenov Archived from the original on September 12 2015 Retrieved September 2 2015 Breaking Benjamin Title Release at FallBall 2017 interview video Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium Tucson Arizona KFMA October 21 2017 Retrieved October 22 2017 Kielich Kris February 16 2015 Concert Review Breaking Benjamin at Main Street Armory City Newspaper Retrieved July 18 2015 Breaking Benjamin front man disowns upcoming Hits collection KPNT Emmis Communications August 2 2011 Archived from the original on April 15 2015 Retrieved April 15 2015 New Breaking Benjamin album out in June single coming next week K SHE 95 Emmis Communications March 18 2015 Archived from the original on May 17 2015 Lello Michael November 18 2009 Exclusive Ben Burnley interview transcript The Weekender Archived from the original on July 17 2011 Lello Michael June 9 2015 Breaking Benjamin s Ben Burnley On New Lineup The Band Is Better Than It Ever Was Headlines amp Global News Archived from the original on June 9 2015 Leroy Dan November 28 2004 Combat Rock By Way Of R amp B The New York Times Archived from the original on July 1 2015 Retrieved February 6 2017 Lipshutz Jason October 9 2009 Breaking Benjamin Takes Agony To Top 10 Billboard Archived from the original on December 3 2014 Lipshutz Jason July 2 2015 How Did Breaking Benjamin Sell So Many Albums Last Week Billboard Archived from the original on July 4 2015 Loftus Johnny 2004 We Are Not Alone AllMusic All Media Network Archived from the original on November 15 2013 Loftus Johnny 2004 So Cold EP AllMusic All Media Network Archived from the original on September 21 2014 Marsicano Dan June 23 2015 Breaking Benjamin Dark Before Dawn Review About Entertainment Archived from the original on July 1 2015 Mansfield Brian July 1 2015 Breaking Benjamin takes No 1 album spot USA Today Archived from the original on July 4 2015 McIntyre Hugh July 1 2015 Rock Band Breaking Benjamin Hit Number One On The Albums Chart For The First Time Forbes Archived from the original on July 2 2015 Miller Kirk August 12 2004 Breaking Benjamin Break Rolling Stone Archived from the original on February 3 2013 Miranda Robert Holmquest Kevin November 22 2004 Ben Burnley Breaking Flight with Breaking Benjamin Talk It Out Jodi Leib Archived from the original on April 19 2013 Mitchell Tiffany January 13 2017 Breaking Benjamin Interview with Benjamin Burnley Aaron Bruch Jasen Rauch and Keith Wallen Shockwave Magazine Retrieved April 24 2018 Chad Szeliga Props from Peers Modern Drummer Isabel Spagnardi August 24 2010 Archived from the original on February 25 2014 Monacelli Emily July 13 2015 Godsmack Breaking Benjamin coming to Kellogg Arena in September Kalamazoo Gazette Retrieved July 16 2015 Monger James 2009 Dear Agony AllMusic All Media Network Archived from the original on December 14 2013 Monger James 2015 Dark Before Dawn AllMusic All Media Network Archived from the original on July 1 2015 Morentin Elizabeth January 6 2010 Nickelback extends 2010 Dark Horse Tour with Breaking Benjamin Shinedown and Sick Puppies with second leg of arena dates PDF Press release Los Angeles California Live Nation Entertainment Archived from the original PDF on June 26 2015 Retrieved April 6 2015 Moriarty Colin June 29 2004 We Are Not Alone Breaking Benjamin shatter the sophomore slump IGN Ziff Davis Archived from the original on July 8 2015 Moss Corey May 18 2004 Your Bus or Mine Evanescence and Seether to Tour U S in July MTV News Viacom Archived from the original on July 25 2015 Breaking Benjamin amp Starset Tag s Summerstage Musician Photo Journal July 23 2015 Archived from the original on October 20 2015 Retrieved July 30 2015 MTV News April 8 2003 Godsmack Not Into Doing Hoity Toity Summer Sanitarium Tour Announce Own Dates MTV News Viacom Archived from the original on July 25 2015 Nuttall Luke April 16 2018 Album Review Ember by Breaking Benjamin The Soundboard Retrieved April 24 2018 Payne Chris March 12 2018 Breaking Benjamin Announces New U S Tour Dates With 10 Years Billboard Retrieved April 24 2018 RIAA Gold amp Platinum RIAA Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved August 30 2016 RIANZ NZ Top 40 Albums Chart The Official New Zealand Music Chart Recorded Music NZ Retrieved October 22 2017 Rosen Craig May 20 2015 Breaking Benjamin Fights Through the Pain With Dark Before Dawn Yahoo Music Live Nation Entertainment Retrieved September 29 2015 Rosen Steve June 17 2015 Breaking Benjamin s Ben Burnley I Like Having a Staple Sound That People Recognize and I m Not Interested in Changing It Ultimate Guitar Archive Archived from the original on July 26 2015 Rubinkam Michael August 2 2011 Lead singer of Breaking Benjamin fires bandmates Yahoo News Associated Press Archived from the original on November 29 2014 Saincome Matt June 17 2015 Stuck in Traffic with Breaking Benjamin SF Weekly San Francisco Newspaper Company Archived from the original on July 5 2015 Schoof Dustin October 27 2014 Breaking Benjamin returns to the area with triumphant performance in Stroudsburg Review Lehigh Valley Live Archived from the original on December 20 2014 Breaking Benjamin Dark Before Dawn Certified Gold Screamer magazine Primedia August 18 2016 Retrieved October 22 2017 Sisak Michael August 3 2011 From breaking to broken The success amp failure of Breaking Benjamin The Citizens Voice Daniel Haggerty Archived from the original on July 1 2015 Sisak Michael Gaydos Kristen August 2 2011 Breaking Benjamin broken over song dispute The Citizens Voice Daniel Haggerty Archived from the original on October 29 2014 Stubblebine Allison November 1 2017 Derek Hough Talks Mental Health Shares Emotional Hold On Video Exclusive Interview Billboard Retrieved November 1 2017 Taylor Jason 2002 Saturate AllMusic All Media Network Archived from the original on December 14 2013 Titus Christa July 7 2015 Breaking Benjamin to Headline Inaugural Axes amp Anchors Cruise Billboard Archived from the original on July 9 2015 Trunk Eddie June 23 2015 Breaking Benjamin LIVE Chat on YouTube Space NY featuring host Eddie Trunk from That Metal Show interview video YouTube Space New York City YouTube Archived from the original on July 1 2015 Breaking Benjamin Announce Tour with Chevelle Tunelab January 14 2010 Archived from the original on January 12 2014 Retrieved September 4 2015 Three Days Grace Announce Additional Dates Ultimate Guitar Archive Eugeny Naidenov January 12 2010 Retrieved September 4 2015 Walden Eric October 29 2015 Concert preview Breaking Benjamin becoming less broken these days The Salt Lake Tribune Retrieved December 26 2015 Wendowski Andrew April 15 2018 Breaking Benjamin s Ben Burnley Talks Ember In Depth Torn In Two Music Video References and 20 Year Band Anniversary Celebrations Music Mayhem Magazine Retrieved April 24 2018 Wendowski Andrew December 19 2018 Breaking Benjamin s Ben Burnley Talks Forthcoming Acoustic Album Tourniquet Music Video 2019 Plans and more Music Mayhem Magazine Retrieved December 27 2018 Wiederhorn Jon July 13 2004 Billy Corgan Evanescence Help Breaking Benjamin Break Big MTV News Viacom Archived from the original on April 5 2015 Wiederhorn Jon July 1 2015 Breaking Benjamin Battle Mystery Illness on Painful Road to Number One Rolling Stone Retrieved September 4 2015 Yeung Neil Z April 13 2018 Ember Breaking Benjamin AllMusic RhythmOne Retrieved April 13 2018 Young Alex November 21 2009 Breaking Benjamin Dear Agony Consequence of Sound Townsquare Media Archived from the original on April 11 2015 Zadrozny Anya February 18 2015 Breaking Benjamin announce 2015 U S Spring tour Loudwire Diffuser Network Archived from the original on March 16 2015 Zeiler Sarah March 4 2003 The Jagermeister Music Tour Is Back Saliva and hed Planet Earth to Headline NYC Date March 7th Roseland PR Newswire UBM Archived from the original on April 18 2015 External links nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Breaking Benjamin Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Breaking Benjamin amp oldid 1217003242, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.