Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is supporting its third set, "Phobia," which was released in August and peaked at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 chart. Band frontman Ben Burnley said he challenged himself while writing and recording the album.
"I'm doing things vocally that I haven't done before and we're using different time signatures and tunings that are new for us," Burnley said in a press release. "I look at evolution this way: Every time you write a song, it's one less thing that you can do. Of course, there is always pressure to at least match what you've done before, but there is nothing I can do about it other than write the best possible songs I can."
Source
Breath Video
Breaking Benjamin - Breath Music Video
Breaking Benjamin - Breath Music Video
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Debut break through
Formed in 1998 by vocalist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel, Breaking Benjamin quickly garnered a strong local following. In 1999, the band briefly renamed themselves "Plan 9." In late 2000, after various line-up changes, the band changed its name back to "Breaking Benjamin" and two friends of Burnley, Aaron Fink and Mark Klepaski, left their previous band, Lifer, and joined the ranks of Breaking Benjamin as guitarist and bassist, respectively. Lifer was a band that gained brief mainstream attention because of their part in an MTV cover band contest that resulted in a record deal with Universal Records.
The band signed to Hollywood Records in 2001 after the success of an independently-released, self-titled EP, which sold all 2,000 copies that were manufactured. Hollywood Records released their full-length, major-label debut, Saturate, on August 27, 2002. The album's first single, "Polyamorous", received a fair amount of radio play, although it failed to reach mainstream audiences. A video was released in two different versions for Polyamorous: one that had all live-action footage, and one that had footage of the video game Run Like Hell; both videos can be seen on YouTube. The following single "Skin" was also released from Saturate, although it fared worse than "Polyamorous" and received even less airplay."Skin" was also performed live on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. "Medicate" was also released as a single, to little commercial success and airplay. Saturate has gone on to sell over 300,000 copies.
The band signed to Hollywood Records in 2001 after the success of an independently-released, self-titled EP, which sold all 2,000 copies that were manufactured. Hollywood Records released their full-length, major-label debut, Saturate, on August 27, 2002. The album's first single, "Polyamorous", received a fair amount of radio play, although it failed to reach mainstream audiences. A video was released in two different versions for Polyamorous: one that had all live-action footage, and one that had footage of the video game Run Like Hell; both videos can be seen on YouTube. The following single "Skin" was also released from Saturate, although it fared worse than "Polyamorous" and received even less airplay."Skin" was also performed live on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. "Medicate" was also released as a single, to little commercial success and airplay. Saturate has gone on to sell over 300,000 copies.
Saturate
Saturate
Amazon Price: $10.97 (as of 10/12/2008)
Sophomore album
Breaking Benjamin released their sophomore album, We Are Not Alone, on June 29, 2004. The album featured the leadoff single "So Cold", which reached as high as number two on the United States Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The band had two music videos made for the song, one of which was a promotional video made for the movie Hellboy. The commercial success of "So Cold" led to We Are Not Alone achieving platinum status in late 2005. Also released as singles from the album were "Sooner or Later" and a re- recorded version of "Rain", which was featured on later pressings of the album. While the former again got the band as high as number two on the Mainstream Rock chart and featured a music video, the latter garnered little radio play and had no video created for it. Later in 2004, the band released the So Cold EP. The EP contained live recordings of We Are Not Alone's "So Cold" (an acoustic recording), "Breakdown", and "Away", as well as studio recordings of "Blow Me Away", a song that was featured in Bungie's videogame Halo 2, and "Lady Bug", an early fan favorite of the band's.
In September of 2004, drummer, and founding member of Breaking Benjamin, Jeremy Hummel was relieved of his duties in the band. Subsequently, on September 28, 2005, Hummel filed a federal lawsuit against the remaining members of Breaking Benjamin, as well as its management, claiming he was not paid for songs he helped write. Hummel's lawsuit asked for more than $8 million in damages. A message was released October 25, 2006 on the bands official website stating that the band and Hummel had come to agreement on the lawsuit.
In September of 2004, drummer, and founding member of Breaking Benjamin, Jeremy Hummel was relieved of his duties in the band. Subsequently, on September 28, 2005, Hummel filed a federal lawsuit against the remaining members of Breaking Benjamin, as well as its management, claiming he was not paid for songs he helped write. Hummel's lawsuit asked for more than $8 million in damages. A message was released October 25, 2006 on the bands official website stating that the band and Hummel had come to agreement on the lawsuit.
We Are Not Alone
We Are Not Alone
Amazon Price: $10.97 (as of 10/12/2008)
Third release
The band released their third album, Phobia, on August 8, 2006; the album debuted at number two on the Billboard album charts. The first single, "The Diary of Jane" was released online on May 22, 2006 and later was released on the radio June 6, 2006. The music video for "The Diary Of Jane" premiered on Yahoo! Music on June 21st, 2006. The song has reached as high as number two on the Mainstream Rock chart. Frontman Ben Burnley indicated on RockLine that Phobia was written so that all the songs could stand as singles, each having an equal opportunity to be next. Soon after, the band announced on their Myspace page and during a live performance that "Breath" will be the next single.
In the fall of 2006 the band began a tour opening for Godsmack for the IV tour, hitting up mostly eastern and Ohio Valley venues, and soon moving out west, still in support of the Phobia album. Several of the shows had been canceled, or turned into Breaking Benjamin headliners due to scheduling conflicts. Many of Breaking Benjamin's tour dates from December 3rd have been rescheduled due to illness in the band's ranks. All dates were rescheduled as the band announced another headlining leg before going on a Nationwide tour with Three Days Grace and Nickelback.
On March 4, 2007, HDNet premiered a one-hour show of the Breaking Benjamin concert in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania at Stabler Arena. This is also the concert that was included on the Phobia re-release DVD in April of 2007, advertised as "The Homecoming". Footage of the band's live Stabler Arena performance of "Breath" comprises the song's music video[1].
On April 17th, 2007, Breaking Benjamin re-released the album Phobia. The album featured a DVD with about an hour of their Stabler Arena concert footage.
The band recently obtained their first number 1 billboard single with "Breath."
Source
In the fall of 2006 the band began a tour opening for Godsmack for the IV tour, hitting up mostly eastern and Ohio Valley venues, and soon moving out west, still in support of the Phobia album. Several of the shows had been canceled, or turned into Breaking Benjamin headliners due to scheduling conflicts. Many of Breaking Benjamin's tour dates from December 3rd have been rescheduled due to illness in the band's ranks. All dates were rescheduled as the band announced another headlining leg before going on a Nationwide tour with Three Days Grace and Nickelback.
On March 4, 2007, HDNet premiered a one-hour show of the Breaking Benjamin concert in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania at Stabler Arena. This is also the concert that was included on the Phobia re-release DVD in April of 2007, advertised as "The Homecoming". Footage of the band's live Stabler Arena performance of "Breath" comprises the song's music video[1].
On April 17th, 2007, Breaking Benjamin re-released the album Phobia. The album featured a DVD with about an hour of their Stabler Arena concert footage.
The band recently obtained their first number 1 billboard single with "Breath."
Source
Phobia
Phobia
Amazon Price: $13.99 (as of 10/12/2008)
The Diary of Jane
Members
- Benjamin Burnley - Vocals, Guitar
- Aaron Fink - Guitar
- Mark Klepaski - Bass
- Chad Szeliga - Drums
Sooner or Later
Trivia
- The name "Breaking Benjamin" comes from lead vocalist Benjamin Burnley's early solo experience. Burnley was covering a Nirvana song during an open-mic night at a club when he dropped the microphone to the ground, breaking it. The person who owned the microphone came onstage and said, 'Thanks to Benjamin for breaking my fucking mic.'
- According to the band, the Breaking Benjamin logo, a celtic knot, was found in a tattoo book.
- During live shows, the band has been known to frequently cover Nirvana, Tool, Depeche Mode, and on more recent tours Deftones, and Nine Inch Nails songs.
- The first single from the band's sophomore release We Are Not Alone, "So Cold", spent 37 weeks in the top 20 of the Billboard charts (as of February 3, 2005).
- Breaking Benjamin had written 2 other songs before they were finally combined to become So Cold. The first was Inertia, then Always. Both were never released, but have been played live.
- Aaron Fink pointed out that his father joined the band on tour, and that his father's music collection is what originally sparked his interest in music. Gary Fincke is a professor at Susquehanna University and wrote Amp'd: A Father's Backstage Pass about his travels with the band.
- The band created an original cut for the immensely popular video game Halo 2 entitled "Blow Me Away", which can be heard on the So Cold EP & the Halo 2, Vol. 1 Soundtrack.
- Breaking Benjamin contributed a cover of Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever" to Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen.
- The band never travels outside of the U.S. and Canada due to Ben Burnley's fear of flying (though he said he would love to play outside the states and will go as far as a boat will take him).
- At live performances, Breaking Benjamin often plays a brief sound clip of the Wicked Witch of the West prior to playing Home, which has its lyrics largely influenced by The Wizard of Oz (1939 film).
- Singer Ben Burnley says he taught himself to play guitar by listening to Nirvana's "Nevermind."
