We Are Not Alone by Breaking
Benjamin
Art In Sound
All sharp hooks and hefty beats, We Are Not Alone star ts off with the
Middle Eastern melody of the roaring lead single So Cold, a riff -heavy track
that showcases the fretwork of guitarist Aaron Fink, an expressive guitarist
with a flair for both color and crunch. Employing a palette of quirky pedal
effects, distorted textures and throttled power chords, he amplifies the
emotion in each song, be it the confrontational rage in Believe or the
sweeping emotional plea of Break My Fall. Aaron really stepped up on this
record, says vocalist/guitarist Ben Burnely. Hes not so much a riff guy as
someone who creates atmosphere. His talents really shine through here.
The perfectly paced album is anchored by the propelling rhythms of drums
and bass as well as being driven by Burnley, who brings each melody to
life with a voice thats both graceful (Rain) and Godzillian (Away). He soars
over the mile-high chorus of Follow, delivering the insistent hook with
unbridled passion and grit. Touring helped develop my singing ability and
allowed me to try new things on this record, he says. It gave me a sense of
confidence that was really liberating.
The band credit producer David Bendeth for the albums adventurous spirit,
saying that he encouraged them to reach higher by diggi ng deeper. David
has a great ear and helped pull better performances out of us, says Fink.
He also added a lot of flavor to the record. Unlike the first album, which
was all bass, drums and guitar, this record is filled with all sorts of tasty ear
candy. Its definitely headphones-worthy.
If youre new to Breaking Benjamin, welcome. This album is what
BenHeads have come to expect--a composition that seems effortless and
smooth. Like everything else in this world, its the endless hours of work
behind the album that make it seamless. Theres an inherent balance to
their music of even parts grit and grace, and the powerful lyrics and skilled
musicians together craft one of the better sounds of this decade. Tracks
like Simple Design and Breakdown are supported by a mean bass line and
gritty riffs and still manage to be a song with which you can sing along.
Breakdown is a personal favorite, the intensity of the music capturing the
emotional rawness its lyrics describe. Forget It and Rain both show the
quieter, more reflective side to the band and their sound. As with most well
done art, some of the most essential contributions to the success of the
album as a whole are found in the subtle things missed on your first
exposure--the way the vocals echo and fade into the background like the
memories of Forget It, the way the guitar, the bass, and drums intertwine
and escalate until the song erupts from the background noise of So Cold,
and the barely restrained passion behind Sooner or Later. All in all, We Are
Not Alone is a solid success that manages to fully escape the banalities of
serial rock music and provides an album that although Ive heard it dozens
of time, Ive yet to grow weary of it.
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