Breaking Benjamin is an alternative metal band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Wilkes-Barre (pronounced wilkes-berry or wilkes-bear, and most often by non-natives as wilkes-bar) is a city located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative metal is an eclectic form of music that gained popularity in the early 1990s alongside grunge. ... Post-grunge is a very diverse subgenre of alternative rock music that emerged in the mid-1990s immediately following the downfall of grunge music as an offshoot. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ... Switched is a TV series that has two American teenagers switch lives for four days. ... Lifer was a five-piece nu metal music group from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in the United States, (originally named Strangers with Candy). ... Three Days Grace (also known as 3DG or TDG) is a Christian rock band formed in 1997. ... For other uses, see Seether (disambiguation). ... Benjamin Jackson Burnley (born March 10, 1978 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) is the vocalist and guitarist for the band Breaking Benjamin. ... Aaron Fink is the guitarist for the rock band Breaking Benjamin. ... Markcus James Klepaski (born September 11, 1975) is the bass player for Breaking Benjamin, and the former bass player for Lifer and Strangers With Candy. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Jeremy Hummel is the former drummer and a co-founder of the rock band Breaking Benjamin. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Alternative metal is an eclectic form of music that gained popularity in the early 1990s alongside grunge. ... Wilkes-Barre (IPA: , , or [1]) is the central city of the Wyoming Valley and county seat of Luzerne County in northeastern Pennsylvania. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ...

History

Formation

Formed in 1998 by vocalist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel, Breaking Benjamin quickly garnered a strong local following in their home state of Pennsylvania. The band derived their name after Burnley explained during an interview he 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 on stage and said, 'Thanks to Benjamin for breaking my fucking mic'.^[2] 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. According to the band, the Breaking Benjamin logo, a variation of the Celtic knot, was found in a tattoo book by a fan. The logo is also tattooed on Burnley's left wrist. The band is currently signed to Hollywood records on a five record deal, having released three so far. They achieved their first number 1 single in 2007 with the track "Breath" off their third album "Phobia." During live shows, the band has been known to frequently cover Godsmack, Depeche Mode, Nirvana, Tool, and on more recent tours Deftones, and Nine Inch Nails songs. Benjamin Jackson Burnley (born March 10, 1978 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) is the vocalist and guitarist for the band Breaking Benjamin. ... Jeremy Hummel is the former drummer and a co-founder of the rock band Breaking Benjamin. ... Aaron Fink is the guitarist for the rock band Breaking Benjamin. ... Markcus James Klepaski (born September 11, 1975) is the bass player for Breaking Benjamin, and the former bass player for Lifer and Strangers With Candy. ... Lifer was a five-piece nu metal music group from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in the United States, (originally named Strangers with Candy). ... This article is about the original U.S. music television channel. ... Universal Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. ... For the Alice in Chains song, see God Smack (song). ... Depeche Mode (pronounced ) are an electronic music band formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex, England. ... This article is about the American grunge band. ... Tool is a Grammy-award winning American rock band, formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. ... Deftones are a Grammy award-winning experimental alternative rock band from Sacramento, California. ... Nine Inch Nails (abbreviated as NIN) is an American industrial rock band, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. ...

Saturate

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 peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers Chart and at 136 on the Billboard Top 200. Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ... The Breaking Benjamin EP is Breaking Benjamins first and only release before being signed to the Hollywood Records Label. ... Saturate is the first album by Breaking Benjamin. ... is the 239th day of the year (240th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ...

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. The song was also used for the video games WWE Day of Reckoning, WWE Smackdown vs. Raw, and WWE Wrestlemania 21. In addition the song was played during an episode of the TV show "8 Simple Rules." 8 Simple Rules (originally known as 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter) is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from 2002 to 2005. ...

The second single "Skin" was also released from Saturate, although it fared worse than "Polyamorous" and received even less airplay."Skin" was also performed live on several talk shows including "Last Call: With Carson Daly," "The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live." In an interesting note, singer Burnley has been known to state his disdain for the song during live performances and has the crowd sing the words as the band plays.

"Medicate" was also released as the third and final single, to little commercial success and airplay.

"Wish I May" the first track off of the album was played during the end credits of the horror film Wrong Turn. Wrong Turn is a 2003 horror film, directed by Rob Schmidt and written by Alan B. McElroy. ...

At live performances, Breaking Benjamin often plays a brief sound clip of the Wicked Witch of the West prior to playing the track "Home", which has its lyrics largely influenced by The Wizard of Oz (1939 film). The Wizard of Oz (film) redirects here. ...

The band was planning on releasing a studio version of their cover of "Enjoy the Silence" along with "Ladybug" on the European version of Saturate. However, the European version was never released. "Ladybug" was eventually released on the "So Cold" EP. Music sample: Depeche Mode Enjoy the Silence (1990) 26 second sample from Depeche Modes Enjoy the Silence. Problems listening to the file? See media help. ... Saturate is the first album by Breaking Benjamin. ... So Cold is an EP released by Breaking Benjamin. ...

Saturate has gone on to sell over 300,000 copies making it a moderate success.

We Are Not Alone

Breaking Benjamin released their second album, We Are Not Alone, on June 29, 2004. The album featured the lead off single "So Cold", which reached number two on the United States Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. The promotional wheel was put behind the track as the band performed live on various talk shows such as "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Last Call with Carson Daly," and "Jimmy Kimmel Live." The song has a lengthy history as the band 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. The live versions can be found on the internet. The band had two music videos made for "So Cold." one of which was a promotional video made for the movie Hellboy. "So Cold" spent 37 weeks in the top 20 of the Billboard charts (as of February 3, 2005). The commercial success of "So Cold" led to We Are Not Alone debuting at number 20 on the Billboard 200 selling 48,000 copies and achieving platinum status in late 2005. We Are Not Alone is the second studio album released by post-grunge/hard rock quartet Breaking Benjamin. ... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock stations, which are counted in the Modern Rock Tracks chart. ... Hellboy is a fictional Dark Horse Comics character created by Mike Mignola. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. "Sooner or Later", had a video created for it and got a fair amount of radio play reaching number two on the Mainstream Rock Charts. The track was also featured during an episode of the tv show "Summerland" and performed live on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

The tracks "Rain," "Forget It" and "Follow" were all co-written by the guitarist and vocalist of The Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Corgan. Breaking Benjamin and Corgan's collaboration took place for six days in December. Burnley admitted he was at first nervous to work with Corgan, but later felt comfortable and called the experience one of the highlights of his career.^[3] The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago in 1988. ... William Patrick Corgan, Jr. ...

During a tour in support of "We Are Not Alone" Aaron Fink's father joined the band on tour, whose music collection is what originally sparked Aaron's 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 track "Breakdown" was featured in a commercial for the ABC Family movie The Hollow." Aaron Fink is the guitarist for the rock band Breaking Benjamin. ... Gary Fincke has a Ph D in English and teaches at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. ... Susquehanna University is a national liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, 50 miles north of the state capital, Harrisburg. ...

The track "Forget It" was featured on an episode of the tv show "Smallville," during a scene in the movie "American Pie Presents: Band Camp," and during the end credits of "National Treasure." Smallville is an American television series created by writer/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and was initially broadcast by The WB. After its fifth season, the WB and UPN merged to form The CW, which is the current broadcaster for the show in the United States. ... The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of Romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. ...

The track "Firefly" is featured on the video game "WWE Wrestlemania 21", released in 2004. This article is about the Xbox video game. ...

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). This is referenced in the song "Break My Fall."

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 band's official website stating that the band and Hummel would not receive any payments originally stated or from the making of We Are Not Alone in which he co-authored.^[4] Jeremy Hummel is the former drummer and a co-founder of the rock band Breaking Benjamin. ... is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

So Cold EP

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 video game Halo 2, and "Lady Bug", an early fan favorite of the band's. So Cold is an EP released by Breaking Benjamin. ... We Are Not Alone is the second studio album released by post-grunge/hard rock quartet Breaking Benjamin. ... Blow Me Away is a song by the post-grunge band Breaking Benjamin. ... Bungie is an American video game developer founded in May 1991 under the name Bungie Software Products Corporation (more popularly shortened to Bungie Software) by two undergraduate students at the University of Chicago, Alex Seropian and Jason Jones. ... Halo 2 is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie Studios. ...

The band contributed a cover of Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever" to Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen. // In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1971 in London by guitarist Brian May, lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... Who Wants to Live Forever is a song by the English rock band Queen. ...

Phobia Tour

Late 2006-Early 2007

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 cancelled, 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. For the Alice in Chains song, see God Smack (song). ... Three Days Grace (also known as 3DG or TDG) is a Christian rock band formed in 1997. ... This article is about the Canadian rock band. ...

On March 4, 2007, HDNet premièred 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]. HDNet is a general interest television channel in the United States, broadcasting exclusively in high-definition format, and available via cable and satellite television. ... Location in Lehigh and Northampton Counties, Pennsylvania Location within Pennsylvania Coordinates: , Country United States State Counties Lehigh and Northampton Founded 1741 Government  - Mayor John B. Callahan Area  - Total 19. ... Stabler Arena is a 5,600-seat multi-purpose arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, located in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. ...

On April 17, 2007, Breaking Benjamin re-released the album Phobia. The album featured a DVD with about an hour of their Stabler Arena concert footage. For the Kinks album, see Phobia (The Kinks album). ...

The band recently obtained their first number 1 billboard single with "Breath".

They completed a co-headlining tour in the United States with Three Days Grace and had Red and Puddle of Mudd as openers. Three Days Grace (also known as 3DG or TDG) is a Christian rock band formed in 1997. ... Red is a Grammy-nominated Christian Alternative Metal band that originated in Nashville, TN. The bands debut album End of Silence was released in June 2006, and nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. ... Puddle of Mudd is an American post-grunge band from Kansas City, Missouri, United States. ...

The album re-entered the Billboard 100 at number 38 on May 5, 2007 with its reissue.

On June 29, 2007, the band appeared on Jay Leno and they performed "Breath". On July 6, 2007, the band performed "Breath" again on Craig Ferguson. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Late 2007

The band did not perform as scheduled on July 9, 2007 at the Tabernacle in Atlanta due to an illness that Ben had. Two other concerts wrapping up their tour (in Myrtle Beach, SC on July 10 and Greensboro, NC on July 11) were cancelled as well. On their website, they announced that Burnley was ill and unable to perform in Atlanta and at the two remaining shows. Rumours that the band was breaking up turned out to be false, as the band announced a 36-date fall 2007 tour with Three Days Grace, Seether, Skillet (first half) and Red (second half). This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ... Three Days Grace (also known as 3DG or TDG) is a Christian rock band formed in 1997. ... For other uses, see Seether (disambiguation). ... Skillet is a Grammy-nominated[1] Christian hard rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee in the 1996. ... Red is a Grammy-nominated Christian Alternative Metal band that originated in Nashville, TN. The bands debut album End of Silence was released in June 2006, and nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. ...

On July 11, 2007 Ben made this announcement on the band's website:

Members

Current Members

• Benjamin Burnley - Vocals, Rhythm Guitar (1998-present)
• Aaron Fink - Lead Guitar (1999-present)
• Mark James Klepaski - Bass (1999-present)
• Chad Szeliga - Drums (2005-present)

Past Members Benjamin Jackson Burnley (born March 10, 1978 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) is the vocalist and guitarist for the band Breaking Benjamin. ... Aaron Fink is the guitarist for the rock band Breaking Benjamin. ... Marcus James Klepaski (born September 11, 1975) is the bass player for Breaking Benjamin, and the former bass player for Lifer (Strangers With Candy). ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

• Jeremy Hummel - Drums (1998-2004)
• Jonathan "Bug" Price - Bass
• BC Vaught - Drums
• Kevin Soffera - Drums

Jeremy Hummel is the former drummer and a co-founder of the rock band Breaking Benjamin. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Discography

Albums

• Saturate (2002)
• We Are Not Alone (2004) (Platinum)
• Phobia (2006) (Gold)
• TBA (2008/2009)

Saturate is the first album by Breaking Benjamin. ... We Are Not Alone is the second studio album released by post-grunge/hard rock quartet Breaking Benjamin. ... For the Kinks album, see Phobia (The Kinks album). ...

EPs

• Breaking Benjamin EP (2001)
• Live EP (2004)
• So Cold EP (2004)

The Breaking Benjamin EP is Breaking Benjamins first and only release before being signed to the Hollywood Records Label. ... The Live EP was released by Alternitive Metal band Breaking Benjamin. ... So Cold is an EP released by Breaking Benjamin. ...

Singles

“Hot 100” redirects here. ... The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music but are not modern rock (that is, alternative) stations, which are counted in the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. ... Hot Modern Rock Tracks is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. ... Saturate is the first album by Breaking Benjamin. ... So Cold is an EP released by Breaking Benjamin. ... We Are Not Alone is the second studio album released by post-grunge/hard rock quartet Breaking Benjamin. ... The Diary of Jane is the first single from the Breaking Benjamin album Phobia. ... For the Kinks album, see Phobia (The Kinks album). ... Breath is the second single and the third track off of post-grunge band Breaking Benjamins third album, Phobia. ... Until the End is the third single by Breaking Benjamin from their album, Phobia. ...

References

1. ^ Rhapsody - Breaking Benjamin. Rhapsody. Retrieved on 2007-12-01.
2. ^ Bio. Last.fm. Retrieved on 2007-12-01.
3. ^ Breaking Benjamin Poised To Break Big. MTV. Retrieved on 2007-12-13.
4. ^ Hummel Sues Breaking Benjamin. Ultimate Guitar.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
5. ^ Shallow Bay Underground. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
6. ^ Billboard Hot 100. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
7. ^ Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
8. ^ Hot Modern Rock Tracks. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
9. ^ Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.
10. ^ Hot Modern Rock Tracks. Retrieved on 2007-12-20.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 336th day of the year (337th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 354th day of the year (355th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• The Shallow Bay - Official Site
• Breaking Benjamin at PureVolume
• Breaking Benjamin at MySpace
• Breaking Benjamin at Last.fm
• Breaking Benjamin at Allmusic