Breaking Benjamin’s ‘Aurora’: Reimagining Classic Tracks
Sometimes, an album is so good that it deserves to get reimagined in a totally new way, which is what Breaking Benjamin did with their 2020 compilation album, Aurora. It’s…
Sometimes, an album is so good that it deserves to get reimagined in a totally new way, which is what Breaking Benjamin did with their 2020 compilation album, Aurora. It's kind of counter-intuitive, because if an album is already good, why mess with it? But, sometimes, revisiting a classic album and making those solid songs into something new and bold makes for an even better set of songs.
It all boils down to songwriting. If a song is simply a good song, then it will sound great no matter the format. It could be played acoustically, plugged in, as a rocked-out metal tune, as a classical piece or any other way, and it will sound fantastic. That's how you can tell if a song has really good songwriting: It sounds great no matter the way it's presented.
Reimagining Classic Songs
Breaking Benjamin formed the late 1990s, and the band released its major-label debut, Saturate, in 2002. While that album was a big one for Breaking Benjamin, they really grew with 2004's We Are Not Alone, thanks to the radio success of songs such as "So Cold" and "Sooner or Later." Pretty soon, the band was a staple on playlists next to other post-grunge and nu-metal bands, such as Shinedown, Three Days Grace and Cold.
One way to reimagine classic songs is to add new voices to that music, and that's what Breaking Benjamin did with Aurora. The album, which marked their final with Hollywood Records, featured guest appearances from artists like Lacey Sturm, formerly of Flyleaf;, Michael Barnes of Red; and Adam Gontier of Saint Asonia and Three Days Grace. The album also featured a new song in "Far Away," featuring Scooter Ward from Cold.
Another way that Breaking Benjamin reimagined their hits on Aurora was by making some of the songs acoustic and adding symphonic rock elements. Songs such as "So Cold," "Failure," "Tourniquet" and "Torn in Two" still sound like hard rock but have added symphonic elements, which really bring them to life.
So with Aurora, Breaking Benjamin really brought their hits to life, and that's a beautiful thing.
