Breaking Benjamin

Hailing from Pennsylvania, Breaking Benjamin blend metal accents into their alternative rock sound, delivering a radio-oriented style marked by aggressive drive alongside melodic contours. Early on, the group drew from the somber minor-key dirges of grunge acts like Alice in Chains together with the ominous atmosphere of nu-metal bands such as Godsmack and Chevelle, eventually emerging as one of the United States’ leading rock outfits by securing a number-one placement for the single “Breath” in 2007 and reaching the summit of the Billboard 200 in 2015 with Dark Before Dawn. Three additional releases—2004’s We Are Not Alone, 2006’s Phobia, and 2009’s Dear Agony—have also earned platinum certification in the U.S.

After leaving Lifer in late 2000, guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist Mark Klepaski united with vocalist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel to establish Breaking Benjamin. The quartet initially cultivated a post-grunge approach suited to radio during their Wilkes-Barre performances, shaped by influences including Live, Bush, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Nirvana; over time they incorporated the downtuned guitar textures associated with Korn and Tool.

Local alt-rock station WBSX-FM personality Freddie Fabbri took notice of the band’s Wilkes-Barre shows in 2001 and added their track “Polyamorous” to rotation while also funding the self-titled debut EP. Hollywood Records signed them that same year and paired them with producer and engineer Ulrich Wild, known for work with Static-X, Pantera, and Slipknot, for the 2002 full-length Saturate. Two years later David Bendeth helmed We Are Not Alone, which included contributions from Billy Corgan; the album supported a tour with Evanescence, and three singles charted on Billboard, with “So Cold” and “Sooner or Later” each reaching number two on the Mainstream Rock Songs tally.

Phobia, the band’s third album, arrived in August 2006 featuring new drummer Chad Szeliga and led by the single “The Diary of Jane,” which received substantial airplay and propelled the record to a number-two debut on the Billboard charts. A fall reissue added bonus tracks, after which the group toured with Godsmack before entering the studio for their fourth album. Dear Agony, propelled by the lead single “I Will Not Bow,” surfaced in summer 2009 and was followed by further touring alongside Three Days Grace and Nickelback until Burnley paused activities owing to ongoing health concerns. Legal conflicts within the group resulted in the dismissal of Fink and Klepaski shortly before the 2011 compilation Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin appeared; Szeliga departed in 2013.

Burnley announced in 2014 that Breaking Benjamin would proceed as a five-piece, and the June 2015 release Dark Before Dawn marked their first new material in six years. The album featured Burnley on production along with guitarists Jasen Rauch and Keith Wallen, bassist Aaron Bruch, and drummer Shaun Foist. Lead single “Failure” entered the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Rock Songs chart, while the set itself became the band’s first American number one. Still supporting Dark Before Dawn, the group tracked their sixth album Ember, issued in 2018; it debuted at number three and yielded the hit singles “Red Cold River,” “Feed the Wolf,” and “Blood.” Aurora followed two years later, presenting reimagined renditions of earlier songs with guest appearances by Cold’s Scooter Ward, Saint Asonia’s Adam Gontier, and Underøath’s Spencer Chamberlain. In 2022 the band reached number two on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with “Waiting on the Sky to Change,” a collaboration with Ohio’s Starset. Breaking Benjamin signed with BMG in 2024 and released “Awaken,” the first single from their forthcoming seventh studio album.