Breaking Benjamin Photo’s

Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania founded in 1999 by lead singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel. The original incarnation of the band included, alongside Burnley and Hummel, guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist Mark Klepaski. This lineup released two studio albums, Saturate (2002) and We Are Not Alone (2004), before Hummel was replaced by Chad Szeliga in 2005. The group thereafter released two more studio albums, Phobia (2006) and Dear Agony (2009), before entering an extended hiatus in early 2010 due to Burnley’s recurring illnesses.

The release of a compilation album amid the hiatus, Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin (2011), unauthorized by Burnley, brought about legal trouble within the band resulting in the departure of Fink and Klepaski. When Szeliga announced his departure in 2013, citing creative differences, Burnley became the sole member of the band. However, in late 2014, the band announced a reformed lineup including bassist and backing vocalist Aaron Bruch, guitarist and backing vocalist Keith Wallen, guitarist Jasen Rauch, and drummer Shaun Foist, after which the group released Dark Before Dawn in 2015.

Despite significant lineup changes, the band’s musical style and lyrical content has remained consistent with Burnley serving as the primary composer and lead vocalist since the band’s inception. The group is noted for its formulaic hard rock tendencies, with angst-heavy lyrics, swelling choruses, and “crunching” guitars. The band has collectively sold more than 7 million units in the United States alone and yielded two platinum records, one gold record, one gold single, and one number one record.