Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band founded in 1998 by Benjamin Burnley in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Burnley is the sole constant of the band, withstanding multiple line-up changes, and is the primary songwriter and lead vocalist.
-Wikipedia
Also Known As: Plan 9
Members:
Benjamin Burnley - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
(1998-present)
Keith Wallen - guitar, backing vocals
(2014-present)
Jasen Rauch - lead guitar
(2014-present)
Aaron Bruch - bass, backing vocals
(2014-present)
Shaun Foist - drums, percussion
(2014-present)
Name Origin:
The band's name originates from an incident during an open-mic night at a club, when Burnley dropped the microphone he was using to cover a
Nirvana
song.
The owner of the microphone remarked afterward,
"I'd like to thank Benjamin for breaking my f*cking microphone".
In 1999, the group briefly changed their name to "Plan 9", but soon after changed
it back.
From: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, United States
Genre(s):
Alternative metal,
post-grunge
Active From: 1998-2010, 2014-present
Associated Acts:
Lifer,
Forever Oeuvre,
OurAfter
Quotes:
Ben and I started playing together in 1999 and 2000. We got together and started playing. The whole band first played on New Years Eve on the turnover of 2002.
-Jeremy Hummel
It's really cool. I would say the best part is that the fans of the band aren't just the type of fans that are into just one song. Either fans are hardcore or they haven't heard much from us yet. The people that get into the band are in love with the whole album. It's not like they heard the single and that is all, they seem to get into the album as a whole. They become hardcore fans.
-Jeremy Hummel
Um, well, you know, you're immersed in a world that's not real. You can be whoever you want. You wanna fly a jet, and save the world that way? Or run through running and gunning, you can do it that way. I like the immersion of it. Ever since I was a kid, I've always enjoyed video games.
-Ben Burnley
You know, I really don't know, because kids are obviously very easily influenced. I, myself, personally, have been playing violent video games since I was a kid, and I never wanted to blow anybody, you know, no pun intended, but I never wanted to blow anybody away. I don't think it made a difference for me whatsoever. The only thing that would make me be violent, is if somebody were violent towards me.
-Ben Burnley
Billy really encouraged me to think outside of the box, and not to be so cookie-cutter about my writing my music. And, just exploring different things. We wrote a tune called Forget It, that a lot of people really seem to dig. It's unconventional. It's like nothing else I've written, so...
-Ben Burnley (about Billy Corgan)