ALBUM REVIEW: Breaking Benjamin – Ember
Ever since we heard Breaking Benjamin’s single ‘Red Cold River’ back in January, we were dying to get our hands on a new copy of the long awaited album. Well, the waiting is over, and it has finally arrived.
Breaking Benjamin is back with their 2018 album ‘Ember’, with its release date on Friday The 13th of April, the album already managed to climb its way up to the number one spot on Billboard’s Top Alternative, and Rock Album charts right after its release. The album Ember is by far the bands strongest, heaviest, and was said to be the most technically challenged album to play. After plenty of blood, sweat and tears, their hard work has paid off in spades, because fans are losing their minds over the new songs.
The album opens strong with Lyra, an eerie piano filled introduction that slowly builds, and becomes more menacing right before it bleeds into ‘Feed the Wolf’ effortlessly. Then continues to the smashing hit “Red Cold River” that punches you with the strong chorus within the first 30 seconds into the song. The 12 songs on the album are so well crafted, ‘Ember’ has the perfect mix of heavy hard sound, and slower darker lyrics. Fans are going crazy over the song ‘The Dark of You’ for its deep lyrical content.
‘The Dark of You’ is one of the most popular songs off the album because fans love the meaning behind it, the lyrics talks about the fall of humanity, how we’ve slowly lost our way, and how everyone has that darkness inside them somewhere, whether we choose to accept it, or try to hide from it. Hence the song receiving the name “The Dark of You”. The last set of lyrics are “Save this selfish world” which really hits you when Benjamin Burnley puts the last bit of vocal power into the very last few lines of the song. Fans claim its “One of the deepest and most profound songs on the album.” and how “everyone can find emotion within the song.”
The album goes into deeper lyrics like “I can’t feel anything at all, This life has left me cold and damned, I can’t feel anything at all, This love has led me to the end.” From the amazing hit ‘Red Cold River’, and one of my favourite lyrics “I will fight this war for you and let the dawn of love survive broken, I crawl back to life.” From another fan favourite ‘Torn in Two.’ All of the bands lyrics have some type of mysterious meaning behind them, and I think that is why fans feel so connected to Breaking Benjamin, because the songs make you feel different emotions that most people don’t experience while listening to their regular everyday playlists or albums.
Overall I really enjoyed this album. It had loads heavy guitar and percussion alongside Benjamin Burnley’s strong vocals, lyrical composition, and that perfect, powerful punch of sound that left me wanting to listen to one song after the next, and so much more. I would definitely be on the lookout if you see a copy in stores. Get your hands on it, you won’t regret it.
Review By- Lillian Sebastiano
