1st Studio Album (2002) - 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'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 following single "Skin" was also released from Saturate, although it fared worse than "Polyamorous" and received even less airplay. "Skin" was also performed live on the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. "Medicate" was also released as a single, to little commercial success and airplay. Saturate has gone on to sell over 300,000 copies.
2nd Studio Album (2004) - 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 band had two music videos made for the song, one of which was a promotional video made for the movie Hellboy. The commercial success of "So Cold" led to We Are Not Alone achieving platinum status in late 2005. 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. While the former again got the band as high as number two on the Mainstream Rock chart and featured a music video, the latter garnered little radio play and had no video created for it. Another song off "We Are Not Alone", "Sooner or Later", had a video created for it and got a fair amount of radio play. 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.
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 bands official website stating that the band and Hummel had come to agreement on the lawsuit.
3rd Studio Album (2006) - Phobia
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, released on August 8 that year. Several of the shows had been canceled, 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.
On March 4, 2007, HDNet premiered 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.
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.
4th Studio Album (2009) - Dear Agony
On the 29th of September, 2009, Breaking Benjamin released their 4th studio album, entitled "Dear Agony". Some of the tracks on the album, were co-written by Jasen Rauch, from the Christian-metal band Red.
On September 23, 2009, Breaking Benjamin released a flash video game parody of Altered Beast, aptly titled "Altered Benjamin". The game contains three levels and plays the same as the original, except the player controls vocalist Ben Burnley and the three bosses are each other member of the band respectively. Altered Benjamin is still available through the band's website, and their MySpace page.
Certain copies of Dear Agony purchased at Best Buy also come with a bonus DVD that includes the band's six music videos including a previously-unreleased version of the video for "I Will Not Bow". The version on the DVD is of the band only and does not contain any footage from the movie Surrogates, unlike the version released on the Internet.
On August 31st, 2009, prior to the release of Dear Agony, Breaking Benjamin released their first single from DA, "I Will Not Bow". It was featured in the 2009 Sci-Fi film [Starring Bruce Willis], "Surrogates". The song was not written specifically for the film, but according to drummer Chad Szeliga, “Ben sent a few songs to our record label, Hollywood Records,” which is owned by Disney, who then decided they “wanted a Breaking Benjamin song for this movie.”
The music video for I Will Not Bow was released to the band's Myspace on August 21, 2009. The video was shot at the World Trade Center building 7, but has no connection or significant meaning having to do with the 9/11 events as stated by Aaron Fink in his Point interview on August 13, 2009. The video was directed by Rich Lee who has also directed for Evanescence. Lee chose the location, feeling it was an eerie place to film.
A second version of the music video without the Surrogates footage was released with the Best Buy Exclusive version of Dear Agony. It includes various bridged footage of the band performing.
On January 5, 2010, Give Me a Sign was the second single released from Breaking Benjamin's fourth studio album, Dear Agony.
2 extra tracks were featured on the Japanese version of "Dear Agony". An acoustic version of 'Without You', and an acoustic version 'Give Me A Sign'.
Hiatus, greatest hits album and legal issues (2010-2014)
In the summer of 2010, Breaking Benjamin announced an indefinite hiatus, due to Burnley's recurring illnesses. Guitarist Fink and bassist Klepaski rejoined their old band, Lifer, and Szeliga toured with his other band, OurAfter.
On June 7, 2011, a remixed version of "Blow Me Away", featuring Valora, was released.[17] An animated music video for the remix was released on August 24.[18] On June 30, 2011, Rock Access posted the tracklist for the band's greatest hits album, Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin, and for its "deluxe edition".[19] It was released on August 16, as a one-disc "standard edition" and a two-disc "deluxe edition" (featuring b-sides and rarities). Burnley publicly opposed the album's release, saying content had been altered and released without his consent, and that it did not meet his standards.
In May 2011, Burnley fired bandmates Fink and Klepaski. Shortly after, a dispute over the new version of "Blow Me Away" went public. Burnley gave his side of the dispute in a June court filing, saying Fink and Klepaski made unilateral and unauthorized decisions on behalf of the band, such as giving permission in May for the remixing of "Blow Me Away". Burnley seeks at least $250,000 and the exclusive right to the "Breaking Benjamin" name. Burnley has stated he plans to revive the band when the lawsuit is settled.
Little was heard from the band throughout 2012, the only exception being a February 2012 interview with Szeliga, where he assured fans that the band was still together, and that he looked forward to working on another record in the future. On April 19, 2013, Burnley announced that the legal issues had finally ended, with Burnley winning the rights to the name of the band. However, Szeliga posted an announcement on his Facebook page on April 22 that he was leaving the band, due to creative differences. In October-November 2013, Burnley played a number of acoustic performances around the Wilkes-Barre area, playing Breaking Benjamin songs.
Reformation (2014)
On August 19, 2014, the band announced that they had reformed via their official Facebook page. The band re-emerged as a quintet, consisting Burnley as the lead vocalist and four new members. New members include guitarist Jasen Rauch, previously of the band Red, who had previously collaborated with the band off of four tracks on Dear Agony, guitarist Keith Wallen, previously of Adelitas Way, bassist Aaron Bruch, who played a couple of acoustic shows previously with Burnley, and drummer Shaun Foist, previously of the band Picture Me Broken.
5th Studio Album (2015) - Dark Before Dawn
Burnley explained that writing for Dark Before Dawn was intermittent and fragmentary, taking place throughout the hiatus, though it was toward the end of the hiatus in 2013 when it became cohesive. After growing frustrated with the lack of answers regarding his health condition, Burnley decided to abandon searching for a diagnosis and focus on the album. Recorded and produced at a personal studio of Burnley's, Dark Before Dawn is the first album with the front man credited as the producer. The singer stated that "I would say that I did the same amount of producing on this album as I've done on other albums, just never had my name [on it]", adding, "You know, I'm not doing anything different here than I have done in the past. Why shouldn't I be known to be doing it?"
Within an hour of pre-order availability, Dark Before Dawn reached No. 1 on the rock albums chart on iTunes and No. 3 on the overall album chart. It sold 135,000 pure album units and 141,000 equivalent album units in its first week, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making the album the group's heretofore most successful sales effort.
In July 2015, the band announced their first overseas performance, in which they headlined a four-day cruise venue in February 2016 along with Yngwie Malmsteen, Zakk Wylde, Flyleaf, et al. The band also performed on a joint U.S. tour with Shinedown in October and November along with Sevendust, and proceeded to play further outside of the United States in June 2016 at venues such as the Download Festival in the United Kingdom, Rock am Ring in Germany, and Nova Rock in Austria.
6th Studio Album (2018-present) - Ember
The group's sixth studio album was first revealed to be completed in August 2017. In December 2017, Ember and its lead single "Red Cold River" were announced for release in the second quarter of 2018 and January 5, 2018, respectively. On January 26, "Feed the Wolf" was released as a pre-order bonus, along with a release date for the album of April 13, 2018. Three subsequent songs—"Blood", "Psycho", and "Save Yourself"—were released ahead of the album as promotional releases.
Writing for the album began in 2016, with recording primarily happening in 2017. While Burnley remained the primary composer for the album, he stated that around half of it was written by the rest of the band. Burnley returned to producing for the album, along with the rest of the band, a first for the group. Rauch commented that the album pushes the boundaries with heavier material than the band's done in the past. He said "playing-wise, it's the most difficult album", and that they took advantage of the three-guitar player dynamic, but that the album nonetheless does not depart from Breaking Benjamin's established sound. Burnley explained that there was demand for heavier material from fans, and that the group was happy to reflect that. He later explained that he believed fans gravitated to the heavier side of the band, but that "we also make sure to explore our melodic and softer side too", saying that the album seeks to give both sides to the furthest degree. Burnley stated that he chose Ember as the album title as something that could be the end of something or the start of it, but emphasized an intentional ambiguity to leave it open to interpretation.
It sold 88,000 units in its first week of sales, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. "Red Cold River" peaked at No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart,[90] and No. 5 on the Hot Rock Songs chart.
Singles Chronology
2002 - Polyamorous
2003 - Skin
2003 - Medicate
2004 - So Cold [EP]*
2004 - Sooner or Later
2005 - Rain (Drums re-recorded by Chad Szeliga)
2006 - The Diary Of Jane
2006 - Breath
2006 - Until The End
2009 - I Will Not Bow
2010 - Give Me A Sign
2015 - Failure
2015 - Angels Fall
2016 - Never Again
2018 - Red Cold River
2018 - Torn In Two
2018 - Tourniquet
*So Cold [EP] featured 5 songs, 'So Cold (Acoustic)', 'Blow Me Away', 'Lady Bug', 'Away (Live)' and 'Breakdown (Live)'.
Name Origin
The name "Breaking Benjamin" comes from Benjamin Burnley's early solo experience. Burnley was covering a Nirvana song during an open-mic night at a club when he finished 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.' 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.
Their official site - www.breakingbenjamin.com
Into The Nothing
Breaking Benjamin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am frail and withered
Cover up the wounds
That I can't hide
Walls that lie between us
The saint within the sinner
I have lost the nerve
But it's all right
All will be forgiven
None will rise
Bury the fallen and lead the blind
I will fight the loss
Dead inside
Into the nothing
Faded and weary
I won't leave and let you fall behind
Live for the dying
Heaven hear me
I know we can make it out alive
Leave me at the bottom
I am lost forever
Letters from the dead
Say goodbye
Sorrow falls upon us
This will be the last time
Days begin to end
But I'll get by
Follow the hopeless
And shut your eyes
All will be abandoned
None will shine
Gather the broken and leave this life
Lying in the earth
Side by side
Into the nothing
Faded and weary
I won't leave and let him fall behind
Live for the dying
Heaven hear me
I know we can make it out alive
I'll keep you inside
Where I lead you cannot follow
Straight into the light
As my breath grows still and shallow
Into the nothing
Faded and weary
I won't leave and let you fall behind
Live for the dying
Heaven hear me
I know we can make it out alive
Stay with me
You're all I have left
I know we can make it out alive
Stay with me
You're all I have left
I know we can make it out alive
The song "Into The Nothing" by Breaking Benjamin talks about a person who is struggling internally and trying to hide their wounds from the world. The first stanza describes the singer as “frail and withered”, indicating a sense of vulnerability and weakness. The walls that lie between us could indicate a sense of isolation and the struggle to connect with others despite being surrounded by them. The persona seems to have lost their nerve, but assures themselves that everything is fine.
The chorus “Into the nothing / Faded and weary / I won't leave and let you fall behind / Live for the dying / Heaven hear me / I know we can make it out alive” could be interpreted as the persona addressing someone close to them, possibly someone who is ill or dying, and promising to stand by them and not let them down.
The second stanza ends with the lines “Follow the hopeless / And shut your eyes / All will be abandoned / None will shine,” which suggests that the persona is aware of their own mortality and the inevitability of death, but still chooses to stand by their loved one and face whatever challenges come their way.
Overall, the song seems to be a plea for strength and perseverance, in the face of difficult circumstances, and a message of hope and determination to make it through together.
Line by Line Meaning
Screaming on the inside
I'm hurting so much inside that it feels like I'm screaming even though I'm not making any noise
I am frail and withered
I feel weak and worn out, like I can't handle the difficulties I'm facing
Cover up the wounds
I try to hide the emotional pain I'm feeling from others
That I can't hide
But sometimes it's impossible to conceal the hurt that's inside me
Walls that lie between us
There are barriers that are keeping us from connecting and understanding each other
The saint within the sinner
Even though I've made mistakes and have flaws, I still have a good heart and intentions
I have lost the nerve
I'm too scared or anxious to take action or face my problems head-on
But it's all right
Despite my fears and doubts, I still believe that things will be okay
Carry the wounded and shut your eyes
I must continue to support and care for others, even if it's difficult or painful, and try to ignore my own troubles
All will be forgiven
Even the mistakes or wrongdoings of the past can be let go and forgiven
None will rise
Nobody will come out on top or win in the end
Bury the fallen and lead the blind
We must honor those who have passed, and guide and support those who are still struggling
I will fight the loss
I will try my best to resist or overcome the pain and sadness that comes with losing someone or something important
Dead inside
Despite my efforts, I still feel emotionally numb or empty inside
Into the nothing
Going towards a place or state of emptiness or nothingness
Faded and weary
Feeling worn out and drained, like I've lost all my energy and color
I won't leave and let you fall behind
I won't abandon or give up on you even if things get tough
Live for the dying
We should cherish and appreciate what little time we have left with those who are dying or terminally ill
Heaven hear me
I'm calling out to a higher power or being for help or guidance
I know we can make it out alive
I still have hope that we can survive and overcome our difficulties and challenges
Leave me at the bottom
I feel like I'm at my lowest point and that nobody can help me
I am lost forever
I don't know how to find my way back or recover from what I'm going through
Letters from the dead
I'm receiving messages or reminders from those who have passed away
Say goodbye
I must come to terms with the fact that I will never see or speak to someone again
Sorrow falls upon us
We're all affected by grief and sadness, not just one person
This will be the last time
I'm realizing that something is coming to an end and that I won't have another chance
Days begin to end
Time is running out and things are coming to a close
But I'll get by
Even though it's tough, I'll find a way to cope and move on
Follow the hopeless
I must try to give support and hope to those who feel like they have none
All will be abandoned
Everything will eventually be left behind or forgotten
None will shine
Nothing or nobody will stand out or succeed in the end
Gather the broken and leave this life
Our time in this life is limited, so we must try to heal and come together before it's too late
Lying in the earth
The dead are buried in the ground
Side by side
We will all eventually end up together, unified in death
I'll keep you inside
I will hold onto you and your memory, even after you're gone
Where I lead you cannot follow
I am on a different path or journey than you, and you cannot come with me
Straight into the light
I am moving towards something bright and hopeful, possibly symbolic of heaven or a better place
As my breath grows still and shallow
I am dying or close to death, and my breathing is becoming weaker and slower
Stay with me
I need your presence and support to get through this
You're all I have left
You're the only thing or person I have left in my life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BENJAMIN BURNLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind