American rock group Breaking Benjamin was founded in 1999 by drummer Jeremy Hummel and lead singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Mark Klepaski on bass and Aaron Fink on guitar were also members of the band’s original lineup. Saturate (2002) and We Are Not Alone (2004) were the two albums that this line-up put out before Hummel was replaced by Chad Szeliga in 2005. Phobia (2006) and Dear Agony (2009) were the band’s final two studio albums before they took a lengthy pause in early 2010 as a result of Burnley’s ongoing ailments.
Burnley has been the band’s principal composer and lead vocalist from the group’s beginning, and despite substantial lineup changes, the musical style and lyrical content have stayed constant. The group is frequently cited for its formulaic hard rock characteristics, which include lyrics that are emotionally intense, swollen choruses, and “crunching” guitars. The band has sold more than 19 million units in the US alone and produced multiple certified singles, including three multi-platinum, three platinum, and six gold singles. They have also earned three platinum records, two gold records, and various other certifications from the RIAA. Additionally, the group has had one song chart at number one on the Billboard 200.
