A jet black spawn of the alt-metal cesspool in the late Nineties, Breaking Benjamin is one band still slithering nearly two decades later shedding skin after skin repelling the pop-rap plague.

Not only are they surviving, nay, they are excelling. As of July 1, Breaking Benjamin’s perseverance paid off as they were officially pinned with their first No. 1 Album of the Billboard 200 Chart. With the success of past singles from Phobia and We Are Not Alone, it seems odd that this would be the album to do it especially in the current musical environment but Dark Before Dawn did it. Akin to the smash singles from previous albums DBD has its own emotional anvil of a single, but more on that later.

Regardless of the rock tide being at drought level and the mighty forges of metal dwindling to wet flatulence, Breaking Benjamin maintains the power to garner strong and acute emotive attachment through their music. Their auditory signatures include sharp, anthemic riffing, bass drum blasts and of course, Mr. Benjamin Burley’s devious, cathartic and soaring voice.

True to form, this pseudo-concept album preserves the sleek, sordid soul of the Breaking Benjamin devoted fans have come to love but also adds sonic subtleties to keep new and old listeners intrigued. Now, a little track by track break down…

1. “Dark” – A haunting intro in which melody duels with drudge. Cavernous, mellow strings share the space with foul fuzz.

2. “Failure” – The first single from the album. Smooth, hard-hitting and anthemic injected with a beautifully undulating bass line and tight drum rolls. Solid.

3. “Angel’s Fall” – Nothing striking. Musically and lyrically mediocre.

4. “Breaking the Silence” – Half searing-screamer, half lurching gut-puncher. Bass drum earthquakes drive the message home with some scattered feedback in the fray.

5. “Hollow” – 0-60 in one second. Back and forth from lonesome lullaby to droning, bass blitzkrieg. Break up song vibe.

6. “Close to Heaven” – Too manufactured. Lacking in emotional intensity. Percussion variations entertain but otherwise an average track.

7. “Bury Me Alive” – A great mosher. Hollow, crunchy guitars balanced by rich and rhythmic highs. Chorus framed with feral, fuzzed-out wails.

8. “Never Again” – Thin percussion and vocals. A little too waif and clean.

9. “The Great Divide” – Blows out of the gate with weaving, crunchy rage. Stronger lyrics and vocals layered with a tinny acoustic strum.

10. “Ashes of Eden” – A surprisingly poignant ballad. A contrasted bright and sorrowful strum with heavy reverb. Dramatic but calming. Vocals are stretched a bit but the lyrics paint a vivid picture of longing. Major and minor strings propel the listener on an emotional rollercoaster. All carried by rolling drums.

11. “Defeated” – Erratic, irregular beat. Refreshing bended notes but the lyrics are typical and too vague.

12. “Dawn” – A slinky, smooth riff. A cardiac beat with voluminous vocals fill the dome of the mind with peace then fade away.

All in all DBD seems like a tease to a new phase in the band’s sound. It is solid offering, but next time, make the variations more bold Benjamin!

3 Stars

 

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