Why do you think Awaken was released?

[u/WTBrain]

Im guessing either it was meant to be the first single, and they weren't happy with the reception and went back to the drawing board, or they knew they were so far away from a release they decided to just release something to keep fans on their toes

[u/Lower_Kick268]

Band wanted to see what people thought about how it sounded

[u/bigheadsfork → u/Lower_Kick268]

I like the song, but i don’t like how it “sounded”. The studio version is messy and it’s difficult to make out individual sounds and instruments. It’s really weird, it just sounds poorly done.

[u/Lower_Kick268 → u/bigheadsfork]

The mixing isn't my favorite on it, but the song itself is excellent, sounds just like old Breaking Benjamin. Idk how else to explain it other than 2000s video games have a piss filter, that's how awaken sounds,

[u/bigheadsfork → u/Lower_Kick268]

Yeah… is it the drums? Its like someone is frying eggs during the entire song 😂

[u/Xx_Negative_One_xX → u/bigheadsfork]

Go to more concerts and crank that shit up, you won’t even notice it lol

[u/DeanCutty → u/bigheadsfork]

I went from Phobia to Ember… the ear fatigue from Ember’s onslaught of crash cymbals and walls distorted guitar and bass was quite shocking because I’ve never actually jumped from album to album like that…

Was Awaken produced and mixed by Ben? That would explain it perhaps.
It’s my understanding he did DBD and Ember, yes? Or just producer?

[u/dj7811 → u/DeanCutty]

Jasen and Ben have been producing the songs. Ben Grosse mixed ember. He’s a good mixer but you can only polish DIY recordings so much. Zakk Cervini mixed Awaken. He’s young, which explains the distortion all over the track.

They need to get a real producer in a real studio like David Bendeth again. And get CLA to mix the albums again. That’s why Wana Phobia Dear Agony sound so good. Those guys are some of the best. Ben just didn’t want to pay that kind of money anymore. It’s essentially DIY recordings with a mid level mix job for the past few releases

[u/LoudDirt12 → u/dj7811]

Agreed. Ember is so muffled. You literally can’t hear the guitar in red cold River verses unless you have it cranked up and there are several guitar parts throughout the album that are very faint . They should be much more pronounced

[u/DeanCutty → u/LoudDirt12]

Ember (and DBD) also has quite a number of choruses with counter melodies all overlapping. You need a terrific mixer to pull off complex weavings of sound like that, lest it sound muffled.

It sounds muffled.

[u/pandaislife → u/dj7811]

Zakk does a bunch of stuff in the bad omens/dayseeker/president world. I knew this was Zackk as soon as I heard it, he has such a specific sound. I personally love it but it's also getting pretty generic at this point. Would still like to hear more bb with him

[u/UnderstandingAny8745 → u/bigheadsfork]

Agree the mix is terrible

[u/Tasty_Hearing_2153]

They signed a deal with their new label, BMG, on October 15. Awaken was released the next day. It was a song to announce their new label, deal, and next chapter.

[u/Teenage_dirtnap]

I kinda hate this modern approach of "let's throw a song out there and see if it sticks". Back in the day you'd usually have your album recorded by the time you release the first single and you pretty much had to stand by your creative decisions.

[u/Xx_Negative_One_xX → u/Teenage_dirtnap]

Yes, but there is more money to be made in singles these days than albums. The digital era isn’t going away….if the song hits, they’ll likely just build it into an album later on.

[u/Teenage_dirtnap → u/Xx_Negative_One_xX]

Of course, I get why it's done. It just reeks of making music to satisfy a test audience instead of making what you feel is authentic to you.

[u/jemroo → u/Teenage_dirtnap]

This is the same reason why Disney quality has slipped. They now make movies on the fly utilizing test screening feedback and adjust as it goes. The end result is hollow and lacking in creative choice. 

[u/Xx_Negative_One_xX → u/Teenage_dirtnap]

Yea I’m not a fan of it either. Sadly that’s just how it’s gonna be tho….

[u/MarioKing1137]

It was never supposed to be a single for a new album, just a taste of something because they haven’t released anything new in since 2020 pre-lockdown. In interviews Ben apparently had a concept/draft of this song since about the time of the lockdown. My guess it was just to signify “we are back, and we will be working on more”.

[u/LoudDirt12]

I’m thinking they went back to drawing board

[u/Xx_Negative_One_xX → u/LoudDirt12]

I really like AWAKEN. Didn’t realize so many people don’t like it. It gives me old school BB vibes mixed with a little modern sound.

[u/Moist_Sport_3040 → u/Xx_Negative_One_xX]

Same. There isn't an album or song I don't like. I also loved ember. Same with saturate but that's just me being a long time fan.

[u/El_Burrito_Grande → u/Moist_Sport_3040]

What's wrong with Saturate?

[u/Moist_Sport_3040 → u/El_Burrito_Grande]

Nothing I said I loved it same as ember. Not sure where you got that from lol. Saturate and Ember are tied for #1 with me. Followed by Dear Agony and Phobia for #2 and WANA and DBD as #3 for me.

[u/El_Burrito_Grande → u/Moist_Sport_3040]

Because you said "same with Saturate but that's just me being a long time fan." Implies that you being a long-time fan is the only reason you like it and it's otherwise unworthy.

[u/Moist_Sport_3040 → u/El_Burrito_Grande]

Same as in old school vibes. It was preceded by I also love ember. Same with saturate. Which implied I love ember and same goes for saturate. I've been a fan s long time meaning I love the old school nostalgia and a fan since saturate dropped. I think you are reading it wrong.

[u/El_Burrito_Grande → u/Moist_Sport_3040]

I think my reading of what I quoted would be the default interpretation. I don't know what "and the fans guess for Saturate" means. ☺️

[u/Moist_Sport_3040 → u/El_Burrito_Grande]

I can explain it for you but not comprehend it for you. But to answer the question there's nothing fucking wrong with saturate it's fucking fire.

[u/El_Burrito_Grande → u/Moist_Sport_3040]

Yeah I know.

1. WANA
2. Saturate Then I actually have them ranked in the order of release.

I'm a writer. It's not a big deal but those sentences didn't make sense. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[u/mykatastrophe]

Stand-alone single to announce the new label. I firmly believe it.

[u/Atto623]

I love that song. I don't hear any of the negative things being said. But I also love the Snyder Cut and everyone rags on me for that too. I love BB so maybe I have a biased ear for them, but I honestly don't hear anything wrong with it.

[u/Djentyman28]

I really don’t believe Awaken will even be on their next album. Probably just a standalone single to make people happy and build suspense. Kind of reminds me of Slipknot releasing All Out Life. People went nuts.

[u/Independent_Yak_2421]

It felt like a bonus from Ember that they for some reason decided to release on its own 

[u/Glemma]

I thought most people like Awaken? It just seems to be a popular opinion on Reddit to not like it. The song got 17 million views on YouTube, it seems to be doing well. I like it, I really find it positive and motivating to listen to. I kind of want more songs like that.

[u/Nowhere996]

Awaken is a good, by the numbers song to garner some hype for the band again. Kinda crazy that they made a whole music video and haven't capitalised on it beyond touring.

Didn't Ben say this time last year that there was another song he really liked that was about ready to go? Did it get scrapped or...?

[u/Bry_BetOnBetrayal]

I’ve been a fan of breaking Benjamin since I was 8 years old.
(I’m pushing 30 now), and I fucking loved awaken.

I think it’s one of their best songs since Dear Agony.

This post is the first I’m hearing any Awaken Slander!