Review Summary: Breaking Benjamin turn up the heaviness a bit while sticking to the familiar sound. The result is probably the best hard rock/alternative metal album you'll hear all year.
Whatever one may think of the alternative metal genre, it's difficult to deny that Breaking Benjamin is one of the very best of that lot. They've consistently put out solid albums, combining Burnley's vocals with tight rhythms that stand out a lot compared to many of their peers. If there's been one common criticism of them in more recent years, it's the fact that their sound has changed very little since their peak album Phobia. They've been content to spit out albums similar to that one. To most listeners, their newest album Ember would indeed be considered "more of the same." But really, were any of us expecting anything different?
"Feed the Wolf" sets the stage heavily for much of what's to come. It gives us a riff that does not sound unlike something off Dark Before Dawn. However, as the song gets going, it manages to be a quite catchy and fun song despite the lack of originality. And all of that can be said for other songs on this album as well; particularly "Close Your Eyes" and "Blood." Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. The latter is actually one of the very best songs on the album, due to Burnley's vocal performance and a relentless heavy rhythm that's very difficult to not enjoy.
Now, there actually is a subtle difference of sorts between this album and previous ones: it's heavier. And of course we've heard that kind of BB before, but the difference here is the whole album is that way. Gone are the days of equally balancing out heavy and mid-tempo songs with slower ones like "Give Me a Sign" or "Dear Agony." Here, almost every single song sticks to the heavier tempo ("The Dark of You" being the lone exception), with Burnley utilizing more growls and screams than normal. The lead single "Red Cold River" showcased this, and it can be heard throughout the album. Considering how often hard rock bands get softer over time, hearing BB actually rock harder is quite a joy.
"Tourniquet" is the biggest standout on here; it's also probably the most unique of all the rock songs on here (at least for BB, anyway). It has somewhat slower-paced verses, but Burnley's growls reach new heights on the chorus making the overall product one of the heaviest songs they have ever crafted. While that may be the biggest standout of the bunch, other songs like "Blood" and "Torn in Two" also cannot be discounted (the latter features probably the best guitar work on here).
Despite the fact that much of this album may seem a bit familiar, there is actually still little to complain about here. The lyrics are probably the biggest issue; phrases such as "Lead me to the light" and "I leave this world tonight" seem pretty familiar. At this point it doesn't seem like Burnley is trying that hard to put much variety into his lyrics. With that said, listening to this genre for the lyrics is kind of a fool's errand. And when the music and vocals are as great as they are, it can be easier to look past the cliches of what is being sung.
Yes, much of what you hear on Ember may sound familiar. And yes, that may be a bigger turn-off to more casual/picky listeners. But for fans of the genre and particularly fans of BB, there's very little to not like here. Ember consistently delivers tight hooks and riffs throughout, much like its predecessors; the only real difference this time is those hooks and riffs are a bit heavier. And that is a good thing. The album probably would have been enjoyable either way, but as stated previously it's still great to see a band of their type go against the standard and rock a bit harder. This isn't Breaking Benjamin's greatest album, but it's still probably the greatest one you'll hear out of the genre this year.
Song Highlights: "Tourniquet," "Blood," "Torn in Two," "Psycho," "Red Cold River"
