Tasty riffs, impeccable vocals, and crisp production set up "Phobia" for a lot of success. While I may not favor it as much as some of Breaking Benjamin's butt rock contemporaries, it was worth the while to sit down and see what they have to offer. I thought the second of half of this record was really strong and I've started to find the reasons why BB has stood the test of time, perhaps unlike their aforementioned butt rock counterparts. Let me know what you think!
I personally like their lyrics more than any other band. Diary of jane for example is about a girl who committed suicide and he reads through her diary to figure out exactly what they meant to eachother hoping to move on he "burns another page" but he keeps looking back. And obviously topless is hating his lust and struggling with it, honestly I love all their songs and meanings and stuff but I won't go into them all. Thank you for this reaction
Oh and a comment on the intro and outro, I think it's a mini story on Ben's phobia. At the start of the intro you hear him get out of his car, then the music plays as he walks into the airport. You hear the airport tannoy and planes taking off. Cut to the outro and the music is getting more and more hectic and the airport sounds get increasingly overbearing to the point that the mix is really muddy and difficult to pick out. That's Ben's phobia and anxiety going absolutely haywire as he is getting close to boarding the plane. Then it all gets too much for him. The music drops out, the airport noises get quieter as he leaves. You hear him get back into his car as he gives up and drives home.
The name of the album "Phobia" is representative of the albums general theme of fear. Intro/Outro representing Ben fear of flying, Diary of Jane representing a fear of being alone, other songs showing elements of other fears, such as fear of being forgotten and fear of death. Granted it's not a 1:1 thing as most of the songs are pretty generic with it's lyrics, but that is effectively the idea.
@JerryBees As the guy who recommended you to react to BB (yes, I still believe that! 😂), you really need to react to at least one more album, Dear Agony. It's my fave too.
I've always really liked Breaking Benjamin. They were my gateway into my much heavier music taste. They have a style and they stick to it, but the excellent theatrical vocals combined with simple riffs and soaring choruses really does it for me. They also tend to get heavier with each release, which is unusual with butt rock. Having a song almost edging on metalcore on their Ember record.
Massive breaking Benjamin fan here. The first album, saturate, is the most different. Some big punk influences and experimentation. We are not alone has a very dark tone to it. It's also a lot heavier in some places, and includes a full blown acoustic song. Definitely a lot of range. The album after this is like this one, but grander. Much bigger sound and much bigger stakes. You see, Ben got sober between Phobia and Dear Agony. Dear Agony is his catharsis over his addiction. In my opinion, Dear Agony was their last really good album. When they came back, after the lawsuit and everything, Ben kinda disappeared up his own ass.
Bro, I saw your LP reactions, and they're awesome! You should totally check out the making-of videos for each album as well. Starting from Meteora, every album has its own, and they're all on TH-cam. By the way, Collision Course with Jay-Z is also an amazing piece-it includes behind-the-scenes and the concert itself.
I love to see a bit of Breaking Benjamin love! Also, like the rest of the people in this comment section, I highly recommend "Dear Agony", easily my personal favorite of their albums.
One of my favorite bands growing up. My gateway into heavier music for sure, and there's something about the "ambience" of their music, especially with Dear Agony and after, that I just find so unique and beautiful. Also, Ben's voice is just great. While I do think lyricism like theirs can feel silly, I do also like that the generalized nature of it makes it versatile in its meaning, making it easier for people to relate to its potential meaning. There's a sense of melancholic hopefulness to a lot of tracks that I just adore. I would also say try Dear Agony. To me, that album is a 10/10. Absolutely wonderful. Ember is really sick too, and demonstrates how Ben often switches from heftier vocals to softer, more somber vocals, which I personally love so much.
I always loved this album, I grew up when these songs would play alongside a dragon ball z mashup of clips etc. Definitely grew my taste for the rock and got me into metal music. I think you'd appreciate Saturate if you think Topless was the longest he could hold those heavy notes! It's honestly quite different.
Shoutouts to that aquabats shirt! I saw them last month for their 30th anniversary shows and the bat commander hugged me as he sang pool party in the crowd! Best moment ever. Phobia is an amazing album. It’s been in my top 3 since 2006. Overall so so sooo good.
@ I’ve seen them 4 times now and each time has been incredible. I drove 12 hours for that anniversary show because it is that good. HIGHLY recommend if you ever get a chance. On another note, I’m watching through this video now. Breaking Benjamin has covered Tool a bit in their live shows. They have a really solid live acoustic cover of Prison Sex if you’re interested.
This may seem like a strange recommendation, but I'd love to hear your reaction to "Foiled" by Blue October. It really fits in with this era of mainstream rock with phobia and minutes to midnight. For Phobia, it shares a lot of the melancholic minor tone. For MTM, it really succeeds in incorporating a lot of different genres in a cohesive way
While most people will tell you which specific album to react to next, I couldn't care less! Because they are all bangers! While they "might" fall under the AC/DC trap of most songs sounding similar, each album is different enough to represent the band at that time and space.
I think that their first LP, Saturate, is worth a listen-through. It is SUCH a blast from the past (was released in 1999, and it shows, lmao) But also I think has some of their greatest heavy stuff (Water, Home, Wish I May, etc.) Also, I love the intro and outro of Phobia so much, because of the clunks at the beginning and end make me think of an NTSB investigator playing the tape of a Black Box trying to understand a plane crash (and others have talked about the framing of Benjamin's phobia of flying, so I feel it's gotta be intentional) and it really ties the whole vibe of the album together.
I would strongly recommend Crossfade’s Self Titled album from 2004, one of my all time favorite rock albums ever personally. I hope you get to react to that, they are also reuniting this year for the first time in 12 or 13 years
Cool! Finished the video. Great reaction! I've been enjoying your LP ones too. Let me give a little bit of info if you don't mind: -Ben, especially as time goes on, needs a thesaurus. His lyrics are pretty much recycled every album. I dropped off a bit because I need evolution in my music, but I understand why people like that though, it's safe but solid each time. Still a favorite band of mine but not my go-to as they used to be. It's why even after no album since 2018 that they've been able to consistently tour and even climb up the boards with their first single (not counting duets) in a handful of years too. However, even after line-up changes, this shows Ben's confidence to keep doing what he does. -I may be shaky on this, but Had Enough is largely seen as the singer calling out his former drummer as they had a falling out and the drummer was new on this. Which by the way, Chad Szeliga is amazing. Isolate the drums and they are incredible. He's on both this and Dear Agony (as well as a re-released version of a song on the previous album). I miss him a ton. -If you want something DRASTICALLY different, as others mentioned, Saturate is what you want. It's punky. I used to be eh on it as a teen but I adore it now. It's a really fun listen all the way through. Phobia is where BB found their strength and really haven't differed from it since. Sonically they've gotten heavier as time goes on, but lyrically, as said, all the same talk of waking up, angels, falling, etc. Ironically, Topless is a song from that era that they played live and fans liked it so much they recorded it for this. It's definitely tuned to be like a Phobia song, but the lyrics are straight Saturate. -The intro/outro are only about Ben's IMMENSE fear of flying. They've never flown to tour, they've only had a handful of EU shows ever that they did because they took a boat lol. The whole album is just about varying fears.
Also, based on the rate you’re making your way in chronological order through 12-14 year old me’s favorite bands, I’m guessing in a month or two you’ll be getting to avenged sevenfold
Since you brought up Creed.. I'm curious.. are you making your opinion of Creed based on actually listening to their discography or only by a few radio songs?.. if you have never listened too an entire album maybe you should.. and just go ahead and start with the first one.. My Own Prison
I'm like 3 or 4 songs in and wdym tge lyrics, the lyrics are amazing and you find plenty of deep meanings from these ones and large majority of their songs. That's like the last thing I thought I'd hear you say about them. No just surprised is all😅
Honestly Dance With The Devil is my favorite song ever (well top 2 at least). And You is hard to listen to without crying for me. Idk why. Also BB is butt rock? Idk who would ever call them that. Or even TDG. You described butt rock but then name bands that have nothing to do with that definition.
@JerryBees I guess if you have some nebulous definition that includes just basically any and all rock then sure haha. But Butt rock is supposed to be bands that sing 5/10 songs about sex, drugs, partying, 4/10 about military and how bad ass they are, with 1 being left open for some soft ballad. Bands like Nickelback, Buck Cherry, etc. And also include bands like more recent Five Finger Death Punch and Parkway Drive. That's what I understood it to be. With Nickelback being the top of the list of examples. BB, Three Days Grace, and similar bands would just be basic hard rock. The thing that separates them is the lyrical topics, with the musical aspect being mostly basic riffs and drum patterns to back it. Maybe I sound "elitist" or even silly, but being as I've listened to BB basically since they've come out, even when I was just 7 years old, I might have a bias. Despite that I think any rational person could listen to their music with a little bit of attention could pick up on intricacies that make them unique. Sure, I agree that all BB songs sound like BB songs, meaning they have their own pocket and they stick in it. But that's not a bad thing to some, even most people. Idk, I think if you're not a fan, that's fine, but I feel like labeling them butt rock is offensive lol. They are MUCH more than butt rock. Like I said, could be my own bias, they're one of my favorite bands probably for life. Considering they have been for 2 decades now haha.
@JerryBees sorry for the paragraph. They TLDR is: If that's your opinion, okay. I find the term derogatory, in the sense that it boils bands down to being simple. Not that I wouldn't consider some bands to be that. Like Nickelback. Maybe I'm biased since BB is one of my favorite bands.
Tasty riffs, impeccable vocals, and crisp production set up "Phobia" for a lot of success. While I may not favor it as much as some of Breaking Benjamin's butt rock contemporaries, it was worth the while to sit down and see what they have to offer. I thought the second of half of this record was really strong and I've started to find the reasons why BB has stood the test of time, perhaps unlike their aforementioned butt rock counterparts.
Let me know what you think!
Another great video man! Highly recommend checking out their previous album "we are not alone", I think you might enjoy it more than this one.
I personally like their lyrics more than any other band. Diary of jane for example is about a girl who committed suicide and he reads through her diary to figure out exactly what they meant to eachother hoping to move on he "burns another page" but he keeps looking back. And obviously topless is hating his lust and struggling with it, honestly I love all their songs and meanings and stuff but I won't go into them all. Thank you for this reaction
Oh and a comment on the intro and outro, I think it's a mini story on Ben's phobia.
At the start of the intro you hear him get out of his car, then the music plays as he walks into the airport. You hear the airport tannoy and planes taking off. Cut to the outro and the music is getting more and more hectic and the airport sounds get increasingly overbearing to the point that the mix is really muddy and difficult to pick out. That's Ben's phobia and anxiety going absolutely haywire as he is getting close to boarding the plane. Then it all gets too much for him. The music drops out, the airport noises get quieter as he leaves. You hear him get back into his car as he gives up and drives home.
I can tell you would definitely like their next album, Dear Agony, and probably the one before that, We Are Not Alone.
Dear agony is the best!
We Are Not Alone has my favourite BB song, Firefly.
The name of the album "Phobia" is representative of the albums general theme of fear. Intro/Outro representing Ben fear of flying, Diary of Jane representing a fear of being alone, other songs showing elements of other fears, such as fear of being forgotten and fear of death. Granted it's not a 1:1 thing as most of the songs are pretty generic with it's lyrics, but that is effectively the idea.
If you're doing Breaking Benjamin, allow me to recommend "Dear Agony", their best work ever.
I agree 100%
@JerryBees As the guy who recommended you to react to BB (yes, I still believe that! 😂), you really need to react to at least one more album, Dear Agony. It's my fave too.
Butt Rock means radio rock. It comes from people saying, "I don't listen to rock, BUT I heard some on the radio and liked it"
We 'bout to throw some montage clips in Halo 2 with this one!!! 🗣🔥🗣🔥
BB ain't Butt Rock 😭
I've always really liked Breaking Benjamin. They were my gateway into my much heavier music taste. They have a style and they stick to it, but the excellent theatrical vocals combined with simple riffs and soaring choruses really does it for me.
They also tend to get heavier with each release, which is unusual with butt rock. Having a song almost edging on metalcore on their Ember record.
Dance with the Devil was made even better in 2020 with Adam Gontier of Three Days Grace as a guest vocalist
It’s not better, the mixing is terrible and Benjamin didn’t even re-record so it has varying recording quality through the song.
you're uploads are my only will to live recently
I do my best my friend 🙏🏼
Fell to my knees in a KMart as soon as I saw the notification.
Massive breaking Benjamin fan here. The first album, saturate, is the most different. Some big punk influences and experimentation. We are not alone has a very dark tone to it. It's also a lot heavier in some places, and includes a full blown acoustic song. Definitely a lot of range. The album after this is like this one, but grander. Much bigger sound and much bigger stakes. You see, Ben got sober between Phobia and Dear Agony. Dear Agony is his catharsis over his addiction. In my opinion, Dear Agony was their last really good album. When they came back, after the lawsuit and everything, Ben kinda disappeared up his own ass.
Bro, I saw your LP reactions, and they're awesome! You should totally check out the making-of videos for each album as well. Starting from Meteora, every album has its own, and they're all on TH-cam. By the way, Collision Course with Jay-Z is also an amazing piece-it includes behind-the-scenes and the concert itself.
I'd be so here for some BMTH reactions! Either Sempiternal, Post Human Survival Horror or Amo. They're all so different and great in their own way.
I love to see a bit of Breaking Benjamin love! Also, like the rest of the people in this comment section, I highly recommend "Dear Agony", easily my personal favorite of their albums.
One of my favorite bands growing up. My gateway into heavier music for sure, and there's something about the "ambience" of their music, especially with Dear Agony and after, that I just find so unique and beautiful. Also, Ben's voice is just great.
While I do think lyricism like theirs can feel silly, I do also like that the generalized nature of it makes it versatile in its meaning, making it easier for people to relate to its potential meaning. There's a sense of melancholic hopefulness to a lot of tracks that I just adore.
I would also say try Dear Agony. To me, that album is a 10/10. Absolutely wonderful. Ember is really sick too, and demonstrates how Ben often switches from heftier vocals to softer, more somber vocals, which I personally love so much.
I always loved this album, I grew up when these songs would play alongside a dragon ball z mashup of clips etc. Definitely grew my taste for the rock and got me into metal music. I think you'd appreciate Saturate if you think Topless was the longest he could hold those heavy notes! It's honestly quite different.
Shoutouts to that aquabats shirt! I saw them last month for their 30th anniversary shows and the bat commander hugged me as he sang pool party in the crowd! Best moment ever.
Phobia is an amazing album. It’s been in my top 3 since 2006. Overall so so sooo good.
I've never seen them live and is one of my biggest regrets 😭
@ I’ve seen them 4 times now and each time has been incredible. I drove 12 hours for that anniversary show because it is that good. HIGHLY recommend if you ever get a chance.
On another note, I’m watching through this video now. Breaking Benjamin has covered Tool a bit in their live shows. They have a really solid live acoustic cover of Prison Sex if you’re interested.
This may seem like a strange recommendation, but I'd love to hear your reaction to "Foiled" by Blue October. It really fits in with this era of mainstream rock with phobia and minutes to midnight. For Phobia, it shares a lot of the melancholic minor tone. For MTM, it really succeeds in incorporating a lot of different genres in a cohesive way
THANK YOU HOLY SHIT I love this album
While most people will tell you which specific album to react to next, I couldn't care less! Because they are all bangers! While they "might" fall under the AC/DC trap of most songs sounding similar, each album is different enough to represent the band at that time and space.
Had Enough is rumored/sorta confirmed by Ben to be about the bands former drummer Jeremey Hummel, but again its up to interpretation.
My favorite album by Breaking Benjamin. Nice!
I think that their first LP, Saturate, is worth a listen-through. It is SUCH a blast from the past (was released in 1999, and it shows, lmao) But also I think has some of their greatest heavy stuff (Water, Home, Wish I May, etc.) Also, I love the intro and outro of Phobia so much, because of the clunks at the beginning and end make me think of an NTSB investigator playing the tape of a Black Box trying to understand a plane crash (and others have talked about the framing of Benjamin's phobia of flying, so I feel it's gotta be intentional) and it really ties the whole vibe of the album together.
To be fair, it also sounds a LOT whinier than a lot of their other stuff, so do be aware, lmao
would love your reaction to rest of the albums especially dear agony
I would strongly recommend Crossfade’s Self Titled album from 2004, one of my all time favorite rock albums ever personally. I hope you get to react to that, they are also reuniting this year for the first time in 12 or 13 years
Cool! Finished the video. Great reaction! I've been enjoying your LP ones too. Let me give a little bit of info if you don't mind:
-Ben, especially as time goes on, needs a thesaurus. His lyrics are pretty much recycled every album. I dropped off a bit because I need evolution in my music, but I understand why people like that though, it's safe but solid each time. Still a favorite band of mine but not my go-to as they used to be. It's why even after no album since 2018 that they've been able to consistently tour and even climb up the boards with their first single (not counting duets) in a handful of years too. However, even after line-up changes, this shows Ben's confidence to keep doing what he does.
-I may be shaky on this, but Had Enough is largely seen as the singer calling out his former drummer as they had a falling out and the drummer was new on this. Which by the way, Chad Szeliga is amazing. Isolate the drums and they are incredible. He's on both this and Dear Agony (as well as a re-released version of a song on the previous album). I miss him a ton.
-If you want something DRASTICALLY different, as others mentioned, Saturate is what you want. It's punky. I used to be eh on it as a teen but I adore it now. It's a really fun listen all the way through. Phobia is where BB found their strength and really haven't differed from it since. Sonically they've gotten heavier as time goes on, but lyrically, as said, all the same talk of waking up, angels, falling, etc. Ironically, Topless is a song from that era that they played live and fans liked it so much they recorded it for this. It's definitely tuned to be like a Phobia song, but the lyrics are straight Saturate.
-The intro/outro are only about Ben's IMMENSE fear of flying. They've never flown to tour, they've only had a handful of EU shows ever that they did because they took a boat lol. The whole album is just about varying fears.
Yes to bring me the horizon!!! Please react to Sempiternal 😍
I think you will like the ember album the most
I really recommend their 2018 album Ember! Probably their heaviest album
Lp live in texas when?
Sometime after a thousand suns!
@JerryBees A thousand suns is amazing too!
I recommend "Queen of Time" from Amorphis 😊. It's so melodic, but otherwise hard too. 😎 Have a nice day bro. 🍀
I love until the end BB performed at st judges children hospital it was btw but it was so beautiful
I would also recommend dear agony which I think is their best work yet
The ultimate buttrock band is Shinedown
Amazing record. Can’t wait for the next Linkin Park reaction too
Other than Dear Agony from Breaking Benjamin I can definitely recommend Avenged Sevenfold and Alter Bridge (successor band of Creed but much better)
Three days grace - One-x is deffinately the other one to check out!
If you’re interested in going heavier you should listen to L.D. 50 by Mudvayne. The bass on that album is impeccable.
Loved this album as a kid, as I got older it still sounds great but I realized how much the lyrics are saying absolutely nothing
Also, based on the rate you’re making your way in chronological order through 12-14 year old me’s favorite bands, I’m guessing in a month or two you’ll be getting to avenged sevenfold
I already know quite a bit of avenged sevenfold (life is but a dream is insane)
Since you brought up Creed.. I'm curious.. are you making your opinion of Creed based on actually listening to their discography or only by a few radio songs?.. if you have never listened too an entire album maybe you should.. and just go ahead and start with the first one.. My Own Prison
I'm like 3 or 4 songs in and wdym tge lyrics, the lyrics are amazing and you find plenty of deep meanings from these ones and large majority of their songs. That's like the last thing I thought I'd hear you say about them. No just surprised is all😅
I know there basically just Pearl jam - Light but Creed kinda goes hard also the singer to breaking Benjamin sounds like he has Negative rizz
Negative rizz is just cringe, no?
@ breaking Benjamins back all night
@@JerryBees fr tho in terms of the best butt rock band it might be the goo goo dolls iris is a really well written song
Yessss
Had enough is not about bush pretty sure it has to do with Ben getting sober cause he was a heavy drinker
Buttrock hooks for days
Honestly Dance With The Devil is my favorite song ever (well top 2 at least). And You is hard to listen to without crying for me. Idk why.
Also BB is butt rock? Idk who would ever call them that. Or even TDG. You described butt rock but then name bands that have nothing to do with that definition.
Fair. Googles AI definitions usually suck but I've always heard BB thrown in as butt rock.
@JerryBees I guess if you have some nebulous definition that includes just basically any and all rock then sure haha. But Butt rock is supposed to be bands that sing 5/10 songs about sex, drugs, partying, 4/10 about military and how bad ass they are, with 1 being left open for some soft ballad. Bands like Nickelback, Buck Cherry, etc. And also include bands like more recent Five Finger Death Punch and Parkway Drive. That's what I understood it to be. With Nickelback being the top of the list of examples. BB, Three Days Grace, and similar bands would just be basic hard rock. The thing that separates them is the lyrical topics, with the musical aspect being mostly basic riffs and drum patterns to back it. Maybe I sound "elitist" or even silly, but being as I've listened to BB basically since they've come out, even when I was just 7 years old, I might have a bias. Despite that I think any rational person could listen to their music with a little bit of attention could pick up on intricacies that make them unique. Sure, I agree that all BB songs sound like BB songs, meaning they have their own pocket and they stick in it. But that's not a bad thing to some, even most people. Idk, I think if you're not a fan, that's fine, but I feel like labeling them butt rock is offensive lol. They are MUCH more than butt rock. Like I said, could be my own bias, they're one of my favorite bands probably for life. Considering they have been for 2 decades now haha.
@JerryBees sorry for the paragraph. They TLDR is: If that's your opinion, okay. I find the term derogatory, in the sense that it boils bands down to being simple. Not that I wouldn't consider some bands to be that. Like Nickelback. Maybe I'm biased since BB is one of my favorite bands.
you should react to gracie abram’s the secret of us or good riddance!
Outside of their first album and a couple of songs there's nothing butt rock about them imo
Alternative like Deftones
Should get into System of a down
I'd love to make a reaction but I'm already aware of them thankfully? Toxicity is a masterpiece
Gotta do DEAR AGONY!