By Jillian Brooks
Staff Writer
After a five-year hiatus, the band released their newest album, Dark Before Dawn in 2015. For me, it was a bit of a letdown. Although I was ecstatic to have my favorite band back in the picture, the music that I was hearing from them was simply too mellow and sometimes shallow.
In the previous album, Dear Agony, Benjamin wrote about his sobriety. Dear Agony was the first album he decided to write completely sober, and it happens to be the most heart-wrenching tale of his journey so far.
Dark Before Dawn felt more like they threw some good-sounding things together and made it an album, just to get themselves back out there. Don’t get me wrong, I still love the album dearly, but it is definitely not my favorite.
On January 5th, Breaking Benjamin released a very anticipated single from their upcoming album, Ember. Red Cold River has now become a large part of the hype for this band. The song begins slow, Benjamin’s voice floating through the speakers, until suddenly the drums enter, and the vocals turn harsh.
The song takes a complete turn from light and melodic to heavy and bumping. Breaking Benjamin’s music usually has a sprinkle of screams and harsh vocals, but in this song, it is the main vocal in the chorus.
The love for this new single has been insane, and Breaking Benjamin realized that following this single with a second one would make the hype even better.
On January 26th, another hit single, Feed the Wolf was released. The style is similar to the previous song with growling vocals and heavy drums. Throughout the chorus, Ben is screaming that he is letting go of his old self and allowing himself to heal and grow stronger because of his hardships.
This album feels as though it could have the most angst out of all, which is definitely saying something, considering that Breaking Benjamin is full of angst and pent-up emotions.
Formed in 1999, Breaking Benjamin derives as an American hard rock band from Pennsylvania. The band have released five albums to this day, not including a compilation album of their most popular songs.
Their music is dark, melodic, and melancholy in the best way possible. Benjamin’s vocals, complete with distorted guitars and rhythmic drums, come together to create a symphony of downhearted tunes.
This band’s lyrics have always been centered around things that have happened in their lives, from love and happiness, to heartbreak and illness. This is what makes the band truly raw and talented; everything they write about comes from their hearts and souls.
Their newest album, Ember, is set to hit the shelves and media outlets April 13th 2018, and if it meets the hype and sounds like its singles, it will be very successful.