Breaking Benjamin Discography: Favorite Song On Each CD

2002 "SKIN"   from SATURATE

Benjamin Burnley and his band, Breaking Benjamin, have released only four CDs in ten years but each collection has generated platinum selling sales and received critically acclaimed reviews.   Their debut, Saturate, featured Rock Radio favorites, Polyamorous and Skin.   They tackled two covers, Depeche Mode's Enjoy The Silence and Queen's Who Wants To Live Forever.   I'm going with Skin, ironically Benjamin hates his own song and has said on stage that he won't sing along with the audience!   Talk about a diva move there!  They wanted Medicate as the single, the label won and picked Skin.

2004 "SOONER OR LATER" from WE ARE NOT ALONE

The band's success piqued the curiousity of Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins.  Billy helped with their 2nd CD and the Corgan-produced "Rain" was a popular radio hit.  Lead single, So Cold, was added to the Hellboy Soundtrack and Blow Me Away was the theme song to the epic video game, Halo 2.   The song that gets the most plays on my iTunes is "Sooner Or Later", love that intense line, "Your scream is burning through my veins"

2006 "DIARY OF JANE"  from PHOBIA

Benjamin Burnley has a fear of flying, hence they poked fun at by naming their third CD, Phobia.   With heavy promotion and a killer lead single, The Diary Of Jane, record sales were out of control, as the CD went straight to #1.   Their sound was becoming more aggressive, Until The End (on a previous blog) features a Burnley death scream in the mix.   Capitalizing on their increased popularity, Breaking Benjamin released a concert DVD to follow up the CD.  The Diary Of Jane is the band's biggest selling single and their only #1 hit.  The video has an ironic twist at the end, if you missed it, please check it out!

DAILY MUSIC TRIVIA:  Which band have Breaking Benjamin co-headlined two separate major tours?   Yesterday: 
 
2009  "WITHOUT YOU"  from DEAR AGONY

Breaking Benjamin continued to grow and continued with their flirtation with a nu-metal sound hinted on Phobia especially on tracks like Crawl.  On a previous blog, I shared "I Will Not Bow" which exploded on Rock Radio and video channels.   The title track and Give Me A Sign showed they could sing a ballad that still rocked hard.   "Without You" is probably my favorite song by the band for adding up all of the elements that I love from Breaking Benjamin into one song.   Great love song lyrics with dramatic nu-metal breakdowns, killer screams, yet a melodic soft overall tone.   Sadly the band is on hiatus, Benjamin's been fitting an illness and fired the other group members, so who knows if future CD's are coming, it's been 3 years already.

Spiderman Meets Slipknot: Breaking Benjamin, Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Autograph

"BOTHER"    COREY TAYLOR of Slipknot

You hear Slipknot and visualize the scary masks, hardcore metal, and chaotic moshpits.   Lead vocalist, Corey Taylor, is a brilliant vocalist and shows his softer side on his side project, Stone Sour.    On the Spiderman soundtrack came this solo track which later was credited to Stone Sour.   It's heartwrenching, desperate, yet somehow beautiful at the same time.   

"UNTIL THE END"     BREAKING BENJAMIN

The lead single from the CD "Phobia" was "The Diary Of Jane", a departure for Breaking Benjamin.   The song was part ballad/part hardcore Nu Metal, it became the most recognized song from the band.   The CD was excellent and even more impressive than the hits were their lesser known but still amazing songs including "You", "Had Enough", and "Until The End".   The fast/slow tempo changes on each of these tracks work so well to build intensity to a crescendo.   Check out the Call Of Duty themed music video:

"TURN UP THE RADIO"   AUTOGRAPH
#93 on the list of the greatest hard rock songs of all-time by VH-1, Autograph was a one-hit wonder who struck gold here.   The song appeared on a Miami Vice episode and features one of most memorable guitar solos of the 80's.   The infectious chorus is 100% ear candy but everyone needs to satisfy their sweet tooth every now and then.

  

I Will Not Bow : Breaking Benjamin, Concrete Blonde, Pendulum

"I WILL NOT BOW"                       BREAKING BENJAMIN

"I'm not giving in, I will not bow, I will not break"..... motivation song with a powerful rhythm section.     Breaking Benjamin added a little scream-o on this "ballad" and other tracks on Dear Agony.   This band out of Pennsylvania has grown with each CD and adding a little more aggression to their sound really works here.   

"JOEY"                                      CONCRETE BLONDE

Johnette Napolitano and her band, Concrete Blonde, hit the Top 20 with "Joey" in the early 90's.    They did an amazing acoustic version of this song which ups the intensity level.   Concrete Blonde retired in 2006 and Johnette left this message to her fans, "Music lives on. Keep listening. Keep believing, keep dreaming. Like a ripple, the music moves and travels and finds you. Drive to the music, Make love to the music, cry to the music. That's why we made it. Long after we're gone the music will still be there."

"THE ISLAND (DAWN MIX)"             PENDULUM

First heard about Pendulum before seeing them open for Linkin Park.    "The Island" is a 9 minute epic song with 2 parts, Dawn and Dusk.    Pendulum is an electronica band out of Australia that relies heavily on drum/bass.    The positive energy on this track is overwhelming, you can't sit still on this one.