Phobia (Breaking Benjamin album)

Phobia
Studio album by Breaking Benjamin
Released	August 8, 2006 (U.S.) October 13, 2006 (EMI) April 17, 2007 (Collector's Edition) November 21, 2007 (Europe)
Recorded	March–May 2006 at The Barbershop Studios, Hopatcong, New Jersey
Genre	Alternative metal post-grunge hard rock[1]
Length	43:30
Label	Hollywood
Producer	David Bendeth
Breaking Benjamin chronology
We Are Not Alone (2004)We Are Not Alone2004 Phobia (2006) Dear Agony (2009)Dear Agony2009
Singles from Phobia
"The Diary of Jane" Released: June 6, 2006 "Breath" Released: January 21, 2007 "Until the End" Released: October 2, 2007
Alternative cover
EMI import cover

Phobia is the third studio album by American rock band Breaking Benjamin. It was recorded at The Barbershop Studios in Hopatcong, New Jersey and released August 8, 2006 through Hollywood Records and November 21, 2007 in Europe.

Overview

Phobia was released on August 8, 2006 and quickly sold out at major retail chains such as Best Buy and Target. The album sold 131,000 copies in its first week, which made it the fastest selling and highest charting Breaking Benjamin album (until Dark Before Dawn in 2015) hitting #2 on the US Billboard Top 200. This is the first studio album Chad Szeliga recorded with the band. The intro track features the sound effects of an airport, namely a flight attendant announcing standard safety procedures and the sound of an airplane making its ascent, alluding to Benjamin Burnley's fear of flying, hence the inspiration for the album name, Phobia.^[2]

The album reentered the Billboard 200 at number 38 on May 5, 2007 with its reissue. On May 21, 2009, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA.^[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
IGN	[4]
Robert Christgau	[5]

Corey Apar of AllMusic views the album as consistent with their past material, concluding "Phobia will not win over any skeptics still holding out on the band, but for those already happily settled in the Benjamin camp, it makes for another satisfying listen."^[1]

Track listing

All tracks written by Benjamin Burnley.

¹The CD released with the Phobia Collector's Edition DVD also includes this track.

²This track is not listed on the album's back insert. When played, it appears as track 14, making "So Cold" track 15 and "Rain" track 16.

Collector's edition DVD track listing

1. "Polyamorous"
2. "Home"
3. "Shallow Bay"
4. "Breakdown"
5. "Topless"
6. "Away"
7. "Intro"
8. "The Diary of Jane"
9. "Dance with the Devil"
10. "Until the End"
11. "Had Enough"
12. "Sooner or Later"
13. "Break My Fall"
14. "So Cold"
15. "Breath"
16. "Evil Angel"

This DVD was released in April 2007. It includes the band's entire February 2007 concert at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Song information

• "The Diary of Jane" is a hidden track song selection (#124) on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster at Universal Studios Florida.^[6]
• "The Diary of Jane" was the fastest added song ever in Hollywood Records' history, and was featured in the video game NASCAR 07.
• "Unknown Soldier" was about a man struggling through two wars and wanted to end them.
• "You" was played live for the first time during an all acoustic set at Concert for a Cause IV in April 2007, while the band was still in the recording process. In an interview, Burnley revealed that he had mistakenly forgotten the second verse of the song during the set.
• "Topless" is an old fan favorite, written and performed before the band had even released their debut album Saturate, in 1998 when the band first formed and was originally called "Top of the World". It has been heavily changed since then.
• "The Diary of Jane", and "Breath" were covered by a classical cover quartet tribute band called Vitamin String Quartet, and the covers of those songs appear on the albums Strung Out - the String Quartet Tribute and Hard Rock Hits, Vol. 4.
• According to lead singer Benjamin Burnley on the Phobia DVD, the track "Evil Angel" was one of the first songs he wrote for Phobia.
• The single "Until the End" is featured on Guitar Hero 5 as well as their other hit singles, "Sooner or Later" from We Are Not Alone and "Give Me a Sign" from Dear Agony as downloadable content in the game.

Personnel

Chart positions

Release details

Gallery

• 
  Breaking Benjamin platinum record for Phobia.

References