Breaking Benjamin precariously straddles the boundary between anthemic hard rock and bloated, whiny nu metal. So on which side does this group belong? The band's live set likely will tell volumes about its true nature.
The group formed when guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist Mark James quit their previous band, Lifer, to join forces with songwriter/vocalist Ben Burnley; a risky decision, considering Lifer already had a record deal and Burnley's outfit was unproven and had no major-label prospects.
Nevertheless, they appear to have made the right move, because Breaking Benjamin has gone on to release two albums on Hollywood Records (the most recent entering the charts at number 20), toured with bands such as Evanescence and written songs with ex-Smashing Pumpkin Billy Corgan.
The Wilkes-Barre, Pa., band is touring in support of its most recent effort, 2004's "We Are Not Alone," a slab of melodic, riff-laden alt-metal that is no great departure from its 2002 debut "Saturate." The band does seem to have made some modest strides with its sophomore effort; the heavy-riff-verse-plus-melodic-chorus formula is broken on several songs with the addition of varied textures and nonlinear song structures.
So can Breaking Benjamin evade the overwrought angstiness that occasionally creeps into the group's sound? Go see them and find out for yourself.
Jill Scott first emerged as the voice behind the Roots' catchy 1999 hit "You Got Me," and had the misfortune of being replaced at a Grammy performance of the song by Erykah Badu, who was deemed by the awards show's producers as a better option due to her more recognizable name.
Since then, Scott has rebounded to carve her own niche in the music world as a jazzy, soulful singer/songwriter who has collaborations with Eric Benet, Will Smith and Common on her resume, as well as a role performing in a touring production of the musical "Rent."
The Philadelphia native finally got her due from the music industry establishment in 2003, when she was nominated for a Grammy for her song "A Long Walk."
Her show at Indy's Murat Theatre on Sunday is a must-see for anyone into modern soul music.
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