More reviews and such and such...

Thought I'd bung another interview up whilst I get this Shinedown interview up onto Quark, might end up having to be a 3 page spread considering the interview banged on for about 30 minutes more than what I told their tour manager it was going to be. Mind you I think the guy was too stoned to actually care just as long as they made it on stage. Anyway thought I'd give my insight into Breaking Benjamin's new album, its a belter! Seriously more bands like these need to be coming over to the UK to rid us of these crappy deathcore and emo movements. Shinedown did it recently after remaining alienated from the UK since their inception 8 years ago and I'm still holding out for Godsmack to get their arses over here. I've said it before and I'll say it again a bell tower will be climbed with a rifle strapped to my back if they continue to snub our little island for another album cycle...

Breaking Benjamin – Dear Agony

U.S Alternative metallers Breaking Benjamin are relatively unknown here in the UK but are a smash hit in their homeland. Platinum and Gold selling releases Saturate, We Are Not Alone and Phobia show that they are a band that grows from strength to strength with each record, adding more depth and e motion along the way.

Their 4^th album Dear Agony thankfully continues this trend. Building on the success Phobia brought the band, frontman Ben Burnley adds further maturity into his lyrical delivery, exploring territories anybody will find relatable in their own way. Opener Fade Away deals with the breakdown of some sort of relationship. Although it is a subject done infinite times before it’s the journey not the direction Ben’s lyrics take that make it stand out among other subjective songs. Darker themes are explored in angst ridden Hopeless, a song about the fear of dying and the haunting Anthem of the Angels (written about Ben’s Grandfather who died before the album was recorded). The hard edged lead single I Will Not Bow, which was used in Bruce Willis’ ‘Surrogates’ takes a swipe at several subjects such as alcoholism and selfishness. Driven by a passionate guitar riff and a chorus that will stick in your head for a period of time it is no surprise it topped the charts in the US. A step in the right direction for Breaking Benjamin and taking a darker turn it’s hard to fault, now if only Ben can overcome his fear of flying and bring the band to the UK…

Top tracks: I Will Not Bow, Dear Agony, Into The Nothing, Crawl