“Phobia” was released on August 8th, 2006, as Breaking Benjamin‘s 3rd studio album, with a total of 43:30 mins in length. The album sold 131,000 copies in the first week of release and would go on to receive mixed reviews from many fans and other producers. “Phobia” debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, led by the main hits “The Diary of Jane,” “Breath,” and “Until The End.” The title “Phobia” was inspired by Benjamin Burnley’s actual phobias. It was recorded at The Barbershop Studios in New Jersey with producer David Bendeth, who would produce two Breaking Benjamin albums.
“Intro” is the first song on the album. It is a short 1:13-minute song that leads us directly into “The Diary of Jane.” It has background radio audio that slowly builds, with a guitar riff that resembles the intro to the following song. It really sets the tone for the album.
“The Diary of Jane” is the second song on the album and is their most-streamed song, coming in at 780,780,178 streams since the release. The song is structured perfectly from the beginning to the end, with his voice having a mix of screams and just overall being strong as he changes tempo and utilizes his voice to his fullest potential.
“Something’s getting in the way
Something’s just about to break
I will try to find my place in the diary of Jane
As I burn another page, as I look the other way
I still try to find my place in the diary of Jane
So tell me how it should be
Benjamin Burnley is singing about everlasting obsession and struggles with himself as someone emotionally distances themselves from him. More than likely, an old girlfriend.
“Breath” is the third song on the album. It is their second-most-streamed song, with 281,753,855 streams since the album’s release. It starts out with a clean guitar riff that gets cut off by the rest of the band coming in with a heavy hit and a mini guitar solo that stops when Benjamin starts singing.
“So sacrifice yourself, and let me have what’s left
I know that I can find the fire in your eyes
I’m going all the way, get away, please
You take the breath right out of me
You left a hole where my heart should be
You got to fight just to make it through
‘Cause I will be the death of you”
The song is about being in a relationship where one side changes and grows, while the other person hates who they have become because that’s not who they remember.
“You” is the fourth song on the album. With the lyrics, you can feel the raw emotion of someone who feels lost and broken. Burnley makes it easy for listeners to connect to the lyrics. The song combines hard-hitting rock with a melody that heightens its emotional weight.
“Promise me you’ll try to leave it all behind
‘Cause I’ve elected hell, Lying to myself
Why have I gone blind? Live another life
You…
The only way out is letting your guard down
And never die forgotten (I know)
And forgive me, my love
I stand here all alone, and I can see the bottom”
The song is about addiction and regret, as well as being apologetic to a partner because he dragged them down and took them for granted.
“Evil Angel” is the fifth song on the album. This song is one of my favorites on the album, even though it is not considered a standout track. The heavy-hitting drums and guitar definitely stand out, but the thing that stands out the most is the way Burnley sings on the song. He blends many ways of singing, and he creates a softer tone as the drums and guitar just absolutely shred in the background.
“No, don’t
Leave me to die here, Help me survive here
Alone, don’t surrender
Surrender
Put me to sleep, evil angel
Open your wings, evil angel, oh
Fly over me, evil angel
Why can’t I breathe, evil angel?”
When he says “Evil Angel,” it is a metaphor for inner demons. The lyrics hit hard with people struggling with demons. The hard-hitting guitar tone and thick drums symbolise how harsh the demons are.
“Until The End” is the sixth song on the album. It is an aggressive and explosive song. The way it starts with the guitar riff, then the heavy guitar comes in with aggressive chugs, is an amazing way to start the song.
“It’s over, no longer
I feel it growing stronger
I live to die another day
Until I fade away
Why give up? Why give in? It’s not enough, it never is
So, I will go on until the end
We’ve become desolate,
it’s not enough, it never is
But I will go on until the end”
It is a song about internal battles like depression, having demons, but to push through them and continue with life. The song is regarded as a good message of finding a way to get through it and not giving up.
“Dance With The Devil” is the seventh song on the album. It starts with a little riff that introduces the lyrics, which then blend into a super-heavy riff. That is repeated later in the song during the breakdown. The way Burnley sings about his own struggles with alcoholism is personal and sets a strong tone.
“Say goodbye
As we dance with the Devil tonight
Don’t you dare look at him in the eye
As we dance with the Devil tonight
Trembling
Crawling across my skin
Feeling your cold, dead eyes
Stealing the life of mine”
The Devil in this song symbolises alcohol. Burnley has been pretty open about struggling with his alcohol addiction. He writes a lot about addictions to different types of things, but his own personal struggle is with alcohol.
“Topless” is the eighth song on the album. It is one of the more aggressive tracks on the album. The riff starts strong, and it repeats throughout the song. It has a heavy metal song along with an agrungy sound that mixes very well.
“Fruit on the vine
You’ve got yours
And I’ve got mine
Meat on your bones
They won’t know
They won’t know
I love your face
Just get away”
Burnley is talking about rejecting manipulation and standing up to someone who is fake and hides behind their own lies. “Topless” is a metaphor for taking off the mask someone hides behind.
“Here We Are” is the ninth song on the album. It is the softest song on the album. The acoustic guitar is in standard tuning, so it gives it a lighter tone. During the chorus, the heavy electric guitar kicks in and takes over as Burnley sing a bit harder. Once the verses come back, the acoustic comes back.
“So here we are
Fighting and trying to hide the scars
I’ll be home tonight
Take a breath and softly say goodbye
The lonely road
The one that I should try to walk alone
I’ll be home tonight
Take a breath and softly say goodbye”
The song is about a relationship that’s failing, and knowing that the relationship will not be the same as it was before. The tone is angry but also emotional at the same time.
“Unknown Soldier” is the tenth song on the album. It starts with melodic guitars that bleed into the first verse. It has quiet and emotional parts, but it also has many explosive sections where it breaks away from those emotional sections.
“Show me what it’s like
To dream in black and white
So I can leave this world tonight
Holding on too tight
Breathe the breath of life
So I can leave this world behind
It only hurts just once
They’re only broken bones
Hide the hate inside”
This song is one of the most all-over creative songs on the album. It is about the emotional toll war takes on a person, especially those who sacrifice themselves and just overall suffer.
“Had Enough” is the eleventh song on this album. It starts with the guitar that punches right away, and it gets heavier and heavier through the song. The drums and bass in sync make this song heavy. Burnley’s screams mixed with his softer voice create the emotion of how he feels.
“You had to have it all
Well, have you had enough?
You greedy little bastard
You will get what you deserve
When all is said and done
I will be the one
To leave you in your misery
And hate what you’ve become”
This song is about reaching the point of breaking. He’s saying he’s been manipulated and hurt by someone who’s lying to him. He has had to put up with it for too long, and he’s done now.
“You Fight Me” is the twelfth song on this album. The song starts out with an eerie piano melody, and it is a unique way to start the song because Breaking Benjamin is known for starting the songs with a heavy guitar. I love the way Burnley sings with all of his octaves on this song. I think it makes the song stand out in its own unique way.
“You fight me, flat on my lonely face, I fell
Finding, in the end, I live well
In the light of the life that I have found
It’s coming down, I don’t know what isn’t real
But it’s easy to beat me, Suck it in
Life is sink or swim, Love is blinding, No surviving”
This track is about emotional internal conflict about a person fighting for love when they’re getting pushed away. The song is deeply emotional and dark, with the sense of losing control of yourself because you are losing something you’ve cherished.
“Outro” is the thirteenth song on the album. It is an instrumental track that closes out the album. The guitar is softer and slowly fading out. I think this instrumental track is very important because it wraps up all the chaos that unfolded throughout the album, and it’s kind of like the final breath of the masterpiece of an album.
