Breaking Benjamin - Phobia Review [2]
Posted by Matt Shoemaker on 08.19.2006
One of the best alt-rock albums this year.
The Band
Vocals: Ben Burnley
Guitar: Aaron Fink
Bass: Mark James Klepaski
Drums: Chad Szeliga
The History
In late 2000, bassist Mark James Klepaski and guitarist Aaron Fink left the band Lifer to join up with Jeremy Hummel and vocalist Ben Burnley to form Breaking Benjamin. According to a press release from the band, Klepaski and Fink left a signed band for an unsigned one because they had so much faith in Burnley’s songwriting talents, that they were willing to take a chance with the band. Unlike Lifer, Breaking Benjamin focused on a more grungy and forceful tone, while keeping a melodic aspect to the music as well. The band has been known to incorporate a lot of down tuned guitars and choppy riffs, much like one of their musical inspirations, Korn.
In 2001, the band caught the attention of a local Pennsylvania radio DJ, who financed the recording of their self titled debut album. The band also signed to Hollywood Records that same year, where they met with the producer of their first full length album, Ulrich Wild. Wild produced Saturate, which came out in 2002. In 2004, the band released We Are Not Alone, and embarked on tours with Evanescence, Evans Blue, and Dropping Daylight.
The Album
Phobia is the band’s third major release from the band, released in August 2006. On a quick side note, this album earned the BCSA Stamp of Approval in this week’s All You Cannot Live Without.
The album shows the band in true form to their old music. Very melodic hard rock abounds here, with the occasional light intro or breakdown. New drummer Chad Szeliga seems to have picked up on the Breaking Benjamin style quite nicely, providing some really excellent drumming to back the solid foundation laid by the vocals and guitar.
The album opens with a almost eerie intro, light guitar plucking and even lighter drums over background noise, before breaking into the album’s first single, The Diaries of Jane, which, again, features a low, haunting guitar melody for the intro, overlaid with very catchy drums. This tends to be the pattern for a lot of songs on this album. Guitar intros start off for a few measures before the drums fall in, and the song drops into a more mellow tone.
The guitars are a huge standout on this album. I will admit that when it comes to guitars, I have no idea what I’m talking about, technique wise, or terminologically speaking, but I do know good guitar when I hear it. And this album features a lot of great guitar. Fink displays amazing work, giving the illusion on almost every song that there are two guitarists. He also displays a great skill in being able to cut his guitar at almost any point in a song, and be able to jump back in perfect timing with the rest of the song.
The vocals on Phobia are also great. Burnley’s vocal skills haven’t really changed a whole lot over the two years it’s been since the last album, but they are definitely still up to par with the band’s old work. Burnley uses a lot of low, brooding lyrics for the verses, matching the more melodic guitar riffs. The choruses seem to explode out of the verses, loud, effective, and most definitely bring out the best of the melodic side of the band.
The heavier side of this band shows through a few times on this album, as well. On Evil Angel, Burnley lets out a few aggressive screams, which lead into a heavy, metal sounding breakdown. Until The End opens the song with a fast, crunchy riff, as well as a great solo in the middle of the song. Songs like Dance With The Devil, Topless, and Had Enough all bring out the metal side of Breaking Benjamin really well. The drums accentuate this nicely, using pounding bass, along with some very intricate fills to add to the more melodic side of the heavier songs. Szeliga knows his way around the drum set very well. What I noticed on a lot of songs is that he uses a lot of cymbal fills, which not a lot of drummers do. For example, he uses a four note fill that alternates between splash cymbals, as well as a hi-hat roll that culminates in a ride cymbal bell stroke.
The 411: Overall, this album is, more likely than not, Breaking Benjamin’s best work. Everything just flows really well together on this album. The guitars bring out the best in both the vocals and drums, although all three compliment each very, very well. The acoustic version of Diary of Jane at the end of the CD is a nice addition to the album as well.
