Pennsylvania hard rock outfit
Breaking Benjamin debuted with a brand of metal-tinged alternative that came to define the sound of mainstream rock in the early 2000s. Over the years, multiple lineup changes would impact the sound of the band, which developed into a more arena-friendly act by the late 2000s. Originally indebted to the minor-chord dirges of grunge rockers like
Alice in Chains and the menacing darkness of nu-metal acts like
Godsmack and
Chevelle,
Breaking Benjamin became one of the most popular rock groups in the United States, scoring a number one with the single "Breath" in 2007 and topping the Billboard 200 in 2015 with
Dark Before Dawn. In addition, three of their albums -- 2004's
We Are Not Alone, 2006's
Phobia, and 2009's
Dear Agony -- have been certified platinum in the U.S.
In late 2000, after parting ways with the band
Lifer, founding guitarist
Aaron Fink and bassist
Mark Klepaski joined forces with singer
Benjamin Burnley and drummer
Jeremy Hummel to form
Breaking Benjamin. When the quartet started playing around their hometown of Wilkes-Barre, they favored a radio-friendly post-grunge approach that was informed by influences like
Live,
Bush,
Pearl Jam,
Stone Temple Pilots, and
Nirvana. Later, they would adopt the downtuned guitar sound of groups such as
Korn and
Tool.
In 2001,
Breaking Benjamin's Wilkes-Barre gigs caught the attention of a local radio DJ named Freddie Fabbri, who was an on-air personality at alt-rock station WBSX-FM. Fabbri put their song "Polyamorous" in rotation, later financing the recording of their self-titled debut EP. That year, they signed with Hollywood Records, which connected the band with
Ulrich Wild (
Static-X,
Pantera,
Slipknot), who served as both producer and engineer on their debut full-length, 2002's
Saturate. The
David Bendeth-produced
We Are Not Alone followed two years later, complete with a few collaborations with
Billy Corgan. The group landed a spot on tour with
Evanescence in support of the effort, as three of the album's singles made their way onto the Billboard charts ("So Cold" and "Sooner or Later" both peaked at number two on the Mainstream Rock Songs list).
Breaking Benjamin issued their third album,
Phobia, in August 2006 before heading out on a nationwide headlining trek. The album featured new drummer
Chad Szeliga and was spearheaded by the single "The Diary of Jane," which gained radio airplay and helped the album debut at number two on the Billboard charts.
Phobia was reissued that fall with additional bonus tracks, while the band continued touring alongside
Godsmack. After the tour,
Breaking Benjamin dove back into the studio to begin work on their fourth full-length. The resulting
Dear Agony, fueled by first single "I Will Not Bow," arrived in the summer of 2009. More touring followed, including legs with
Three Days Grace and
Nickelback, before
Burnley announced a hiatus due to persistent health issues. Ensuing legal disputes within the group led to
Fink and
Klepaski being fired just before a collection,
Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin, was released in 2011.
Szeliga exited the band in 2013.
The following year,
Burnley confirmed that
Breaking Benjamin would continue as a quintet, and in June of 2015 they returned with their first album of new material in six years,
Dark Before Dawn. The comeback effort featured the lineup of
Burnley (who also produced), guitarists
Jasen Rauch and
Keith Wallen, bassist
Aaron Bruch, and drummer
Shaun Foist. The lead single, "Failure," cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and hit number one on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart, and the album became their first American chart-topper. While still touring behind
Dark Before Dawn,
Breaking Benjamin recorded their sixth effort,
Ember, which arrived in 2018. Debuting on the charts at number three, the LP included the hit singles "Red Cold River," "Feed the Wolf," and "Blood." Two years later,
Breaking Benjamin returned with
Aurora, a collection of reimagined versions of some of their best-known songs featuring a guest list that included
Cold frontman
Scooter Ward,
Saint Asonia vocalist
Adam Gontier, and
Underøath's
Spencer Chamberlain. ~ Neil Z. Yeung & Alex Henderson