Breaking Benjamin Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin performing in 2015. From left to right, Keith Wallen, Shaun Foist, Benjamin Burnley, Aaron Bruch, and Jasen Rauch.
Background information
Also known as	Plan 9
Origin	Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	Hard rock post-grunge alternative metal alternative rock
Years active	1999–2010 2014–present
Labels	Hollywood BMG

Members	Benjamin Burnley Aaron Bruch Shaun Foist Jasen Rauch Keith Wallen

Past members	Jason Davoli Jonathan "Bug" Price Jeremy Hummel Aaron Fink Mark James Klepaski Chad Szeliga

Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band that started in 1999 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. The band was formed by lead singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel.

At first, the band also included guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist Mark James Klepaski. This group released two albums: Saturate in 2002 and We Are Not Alone in 2004. After 2005, Chad Szeliga became the new drummer. The band then released two more albums, Phobia (2006) and Dear Agony (2009).

In early 2010, the band took a break because Benjamin Burnley had some health issues. During this break, a collection of their songs called Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin (2011) was released. Benjamin Burnley didn't approve of this, which led to some disagreements within the band. Because of this, Aaron Fink and Mark Klepaski left. Chad Szeliga also left in 2013, saying he wanted to try different things with music.

Benjamin Burnley was the only member left until late 2014. Then, a new group of members joined: Aaron Bruch (bassist and backing singer), Keith Wallen (guitarist and backing singer), Jasen Rauch (guitarist), and Shaun Foist (drummer). With this new lineup, the band released Dark Before Dawn (2015) and Ember (2018). Both albums were very popular, reaching high spots on the Billboard music charts. In 2020, they released Aurora, which had new versions of their old songs played in an acoustic (unplugged) style, plus one brand new song.

On October 15, 2024, Breaking Benjamin announced they joined a new record company called BMG. The very next day, they released a new song called "Awaken". This song is the first one from their upcoming seventh album.

Even though the band has had different members over the years, their music style and song meanings have stayed pretty much the same. Benjamin Burnley has always been the main songwriter and lead singer. The band is known for its powerful hard rock sound with strong feelings in the lyrics, big choruses, and "crunching" (heavy) guitars. In the United States, Breaking Benjamin has sold over 19 million albums and songs. Many of their albums and singles have been certified as "platinum" or "gold," meaning they sold a lot of copies!

The Band's Music Style
Band Members
Music Albums
Images for kids
See also

The Band's Music Style

How Breaking Benjamin Sounds

Breaking Benjamin's music is mostly known as hard rock and alternative rock. People also call it post-grunge and alternative metal. One thing that stands out about their music is how consistent it is. If you've heard one of their songs, you can usually recognize their sound right away. Even with new members, their music has stayed true to its original style: strong guitar riffs and emotional songs.

Their sound mixes heavy rock with a serious, thoughtful mood. Critics describe their music as having powerful guitars and lyrics that express strong feelings, sometimes calm and sometimes angry. The singing often shows a lot of emotion, moving between quiet thoughts and loud yells.

In 2020, a writer for The Wall Street Journal described their style as "active rock." This type of rock includes bands that sing and yell loudly but can also be soft and emotional, like Coldplay.

Writing the Songs

Benjamin Burnley is the main songwriter for Breaking Benjamin. He is the creative leader and makes most of the band's decisions. Bands like Nirvana, Live, Bush, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and The Beatles have influenced his music. Benjamin said that even though other band members helped, he was always the one who put all the song pieces together.

However, Benjamin considered Jasen Rauch his "writing partner" for the Dear Agony album and looked forward to writing more with him. After Jasen joined the band in 2014, he helped write some parts of the Dark Before Dawn album, including the intro and outro songs, and some guitar riffs. Benjamin shared in 2015 that the whole band would write songs together in the future. The 2018 album Ember was the first time that other band members got full credit for writing songs besides Benjamin.

Breaking Benjamin's song lyrics have become more clear and thoughtful over time. Benjamin Burnley has said that he tries to keep his lyrics a bit vague. This way, listeners can think about the songs and understand them in their own way.

Playing Live

Rhythm guitarist and vocalist Keith Wallen performing in 2016

When Breaking Benjamin plays live, their sound changes depending on who is in the band. In the past, they sometimes used pre-recorded sounds for extra vocals or instruments. But with the new band members who joined in 2014, things changed. Aaron Bruch and Keith Wallen were chosen partly because they are great singers. They now provide all the backing vocals for both new songs and live shows.

Benjamin Burnley said it was important to have two new singers. This allows them to create cool vocal effects like three-part harmonies and layered vocals. Jasen Rauch, as a third guitarist, gives the band more freedom and makes their live sound fuller. Some songs have three guitar parts, or Benjamin can focus only on singing. Shaun Foist uses special electronic drums during live shows. These drums can play specific sounds heard in the studio recordings, like the piano notes in "Breakdown." Jasen Rauch also uses a special guitar device that lets him play sounds like orchestral strings and choir effects. This means they don't need to rely on pre-recorded tracks anymore.

Breaking Benjamin often performs with other musicians from bands they tour with. These include David Draiman (Disturbed), Adam Gontier (Saint Asonia), Shaun Morgan (Seether), Dustin Bates (Starset), Morgan Rose (Sevendust), Chris Motionless (Motionless in White), and Jared Dines. Benjamin Burnley also sometimes joins other bands on stage, like Alice in Chains and Chevelle. The band even invites fans on stage to perform with them sometimes!