about-personil

Chad Szeliga

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:34:58 +0100

4. Chad Szeliga

Chad Szeliga is an American professional drummer born in Elyria, Ohio and now residing in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He is best known for being the drummer for the bands Breaking Benjamin, OurAfter, and Black Label Society.

Switched

Chad Szeliga started out with Switched, a hard rock band from Cleveland, Ohio. He was released from the band sometime during 2001. After his release from Switched, Chad played drums for another Cleveland band called Another Path. Chad now plays in Black Label Society, alongside Zakk Wylde, Nick Catanese, and John Deservio.

Breaking Benjamin

While with Another Path, Chad recorded an audition video for Breaking Benjamin playing drums for the song "So Cold".^[1] The video submitted happened to be the only VHS tape submitted. Ben Burnley was forced to borrow a VCR from his neighbor to view the tape. After Ben reviewed the tape, the band decided he was the right guy for the job.^[2] His first official recording with the band was for the full-band version of the song "Rain" from We Are Not Alone in mid 2005, which was sent to modern radio, and later appeared on the band's cover of Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever". He recorded with Breaking Benjamin on their 2006 album Phobia, which was released August 8, 2006. He also joined the band on their tour supporting that album.^[3]

He is still with Breaking Benjamin at this point, and was the full-time drummer on their fourth album entitled Dear Agony, which released on September 29, 2009. Due to multiple personnel changes and other issues however, Breaking Benjamin is currently inactive.

OurAfter

December 2009, Chad started filling in for drums with Scranton based band OurAfter due to their drummer Eli Hludzik's departure. Chad filled in with several shows while opening for rock band Red. This caused a lot of speculation that Chad was quitting Breaking Benjamin or the band was breaking up. Chad said on his MySpace that he had no intention of leaving the band and that OurAfter was a side project.

OurAfter is currently writing new material for their next album and plan on recording a new album May 2011.

Hourcast

In Spring 2011, after a lineup change, Chad was asked by lead singer Patrick McBride to join Los Angeles rockers Hourcast as their fill-in drummer on the Inked Magazine Tour for the summer. The band was on the tour supporting headliners The Damned Things. Chad joined the group for the stint, though the tour was cut short by the promoters after the August 26th New York City date, for fears of problems in the northeastern US from incoming Hurricane Irene.

Chad was asked by Drummer and founding member of Hourcast Jerry Clews to fill in for him on Inked Magazine Tour.

Black Label Society

On September 14, 2011, in a hand-written letter, Zakk Wylde introduced Chad as Black Label Society's new drummer, replacing Mike Froedge.

Avenged Sevenfold rumors

In the summer of 2010 there were rumors circulating on the internet regarding Chad joining Avenged Sevenfold. Chad denied these rumors on his official Facebook stating:

“

...The thought of drumming for them has occurred to me and I have briefly discussed it with the members of A7X this past summer. But I believe they may stick with Mike Portnoy who's a great fit for the band."^[4]

”

Later that day Mike Portnoy announced that he is no longer working for Avenged Sevenfold. When asked again about joining, Chad had no comment.

Instructional DVD

Chad posted in the summer of 2010 that he was planning on recording a drum DVD. In Late March 2011 Chad recorded the drum DVD in California with DW Drums.

Chad was endorsed by Yamaha Drums for many years. All of the "Sw1tched" albums were recorded using various models of Yamaha drums, as well as Breaking Benjamin's "Rain" (full band version), the entire "Phobia" album, as well as "Dear Agony", in its entirety. Chad switched to DW Drums, pedals, and hardware in the middle of the "D.A." Tour. The DW kit is in a "regal to royal fade" lacquer finish.

Mark Klepaski

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:33:17 +0100

3. Mark James

Markus James Klepaski (born September 11, 1975) is an American bass guitarist, best known as the former bass player for the American rock band, Breaking Benjamin

Biography

“

I started playing bass in the 80s when it was all like hair metal bands and stuff out. I originally started playing drums and one of my best friends at the time, who was younger than me, he started playing drums as well. And he was just like a virtuoso…He just was amazing and he basically just blew right past me. He started this band and he was just like "well we have this but we don't have a bass player". No one was like going crazy… Ya know no one was running out to music stores to buy basses back then. Everyone either wanted to be a guitar player or a drummer. So I was just like hmmm well I guess I'll try it. I really didn't know much about the instrument so I was just like alright let's see what this is all about. I started taking Led Zeppelin records and listening to the bass on them and I was just like oh my god this instrument is amazing. I think bass is kinda like the glue that sticks everything together. It was obviously the instrument for me.

”

^[2]

Before Breaking Benjamin, Mark was the bass guitar player for Lifer (Strangers With Candy). He and guitarist Aaron Fink eventually made the decision to leave Lifer for Breaking Benjamin, headed by good friend Ben Burnley, because of their faith in his songwriting abilities. Mark is also the founder of the clothing line Ke'Kuhn.

Aaron Fink

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:31:42 +0100

2. Aaron FInk(Lead Guitar)

Aaron Fincke (born April 22, 1978) (known professionally as "Aaron Fink") is an American guitarist, best known as the former lead guitarist for the alternative metal band Breaking Benjam

Biography

Before Breaking Benjamin, Aaron Fink and bandmate Mark James Klepaski (bass), were members of the band Lifer (Strangers With Candy). They broke away from Lifer in late 2001, in a surprising blind leap of faith to join their old high school friend Ben Burnley (vocals/guitar) and Jeremy Hummel (former drummer) in creating Breaking Benjamin. Fink has helped Burnley write many of the bands lyrics and was a strong backbone of the band. He is known as an expressive guitarist with a flair for both color and crunch. Ben has stated the following about Aaron's work on the band's second album, We Are Not Alone, "He's not so much a riff guy as someone who creates atmosphere. His talents really shine through here."

In live performances, Fink currently plays MusicMan/Ernie Ball Axis Super Sport Guitars. He used to play his Washburn Idol guitar for live performances, and aFender Telecaster in earlier years, but has started to play MusicMan instead. He also pulls out his PRS for a few songs in the live set.

Beyond Breaking Benjamin, Fink has played on The Badlees 2009 album, Love Is Rain as well as performed live with the band for several shows during 2009 and 2010^[1]

Fink is living in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, United States and had a son born in 2001 named Gavin.

Ben Burnley

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:32:18 +0100

1. Benjamin Burnley (lead vocal+rhythm guitar)

Benjamin Jackson Burnley IV (born March 10, 1978) is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and primary songwriter for the band Breaking Benjamin.

Early days as a musician

Benjamin Burnley was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey and grew up there and in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. At 18, he dropped out of high school and moved toWilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he became a roommate of former Breaking Benjamin bass player Jonathan Price. He taught himself to play guitar by listening toNirvana's Nevermind (he cites Nirvana as his biggest influence). Before Breaking Benjamin was formed, Burnley earned money playing cover songs in various coffee houses as a solo artist. It was during this era that his band got its name. After performing a Nirvana cover, Ben knocked over a microphone (in imitation of his lifelong idol Kurt Cobain) and cracked it. The mic's owner walked onstage and said, "I'd like to thank Benjamin for breaking my fucking microphone."^{[citation needed]}

Starting Breaking Benjamin

In 1998, Burnley and former lead guitarist Aaron Fink, got together (along with Nick Hoover and Chris Lightcap) and started the band “Breaking Benjamin.” Eventually Ben wanted to try something different and went out to California to try some new material. The other 3 members went on to form the band “Strangers With Candy.” They recruited old friend Mark Klepaski to play bass and he joined in, and shortly after, Nick Hoover was then asked to leave the band.

In 1999, Ben Burnley moved back to Pennsylvania, and started a band called “Plan 9” with drummer Jeremy Hummel. Originally the band was a 3-piece. The lineup consisted of Ben on vocals and guitar, Jeremy behind the kit, and Jason Davoli on bass. Plan 9 would occasionally open for Lifer at home shows. During one show, Ben said “Thank you, we’re Breaking Benjamin,” and thus reclaiming the name from 1998. Later on, Mark left Lifer and found himself playing bass for Breaking Benjamin. Lifer continued going through struggles, and months later, Aaron sat in for a set with Benjamin. Finally, Aaron left Lifer, and was offered a spot in Ben Burnley's band, and they became a 4-piece.^[2]

Personal life

Burnley suffers from several phobias, a fact that inspired the title of their 2006 album Phobia. Phobia's cover, which depicts a winged man hovering above the ground, represents Burnley's fear of flying, which has prevented Breaking Benjamin from touring outside the United States and Canada.^[3] Burnley also suffers fromhypochondria and fear of the dark. He says that he doesn’t believe in a person’s time to die and he wants to put off dying for as long as he possibly can, which is why he doesn’t fly or even ride in a car unless it’s necessary. He incorporates his phobias into his music on the album We Are Not Alone in the song “Break My Fall,” in which a pilot is heard over the music saying, “Mayday, mayday. Request permission to land. I cannot control the plane. We are in danger of crashing.”

Burnley is an avid video gamer, and conceived of the idea for Breaking Benjamin to write and record the song "Blow Me Away" for the soundtrack to Halo 2. The song "Polyamorous" is also featured on the games Run Like Hell, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw and WWE Day of Reckoning (along with their song "Firefly"). "Diary of Jane" appears on NASCAR 07.^[4]

Burnley is a recovering alcoholic, admitting in an interview with listenin.org that he wanted to "drink himself to death."^[5] He says that he regrets ever drinking a drop of alcohol and is victim to Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome due to his past excessive drinking.^[6] Dear Agony was reported to be the first ever Breaking Benjamin record to be written by Burnley without the aid of alcohol.^[7]

He is the fourth Benjamin Jackson Burnley in his bloodline. Before him are his uncle, his grandfather, and his great-grandfather. Burnley's family has owned B.J. Burnley Company since 1967 in Middleburg, Pennsylvania. His uncle, Benjamin Jackson Burnley III, died on June 29, 2010, at the age of 54.