LIVE REVIEW: Breaking Benjamin, Black Sonic Pearls, Arenele Romane, Bucharest, Romania, 27/06/2026
Photo Credit: Dominique D’Costa
It’s always a monumental occasion when Breaking Benjamin book a European & UK tour, due to frontman Benjamin Burnley’s well-documented phobia of travelling via plane. To have the band actually book a tour, almost a decade after their last headlining stint this side of the ocean *and* with quite a selection of debut shows, too (including one in this writer’s home country!), we had to be there to witness everything. Here’s what happened the night Breaking Benjamin finally performed in Bucharest for the first time.
After getting to speak with guitarists Keith Wallen and Jasen Rauch (read our conversation with them soon), the first to hit the stage on this scorcher of a day were Black Sonic Pearls. Hailing from Czechia and drawing inspiration from early 2000s alt-metal and ‘90s Seattle grunge bands, the band instantly connected with the crowd with both their sound and energy.
Midway through their opening set, though, we were greeted by a surprise. After introducing it as a song by “the greatest artist to have ever lived” and inviting everyone to sing along, frontman Arseniy Borodin launched into a cover of Michael Jackson’s legendary Earth Song. Everyone was pleasantly surprised by how well the singer hit those notes, so this was among the most unexpected things that could happen in the opening of a Breaking Benjamin gig. Well, that, and an overzealous security guard being armed with a water hose, or the “most important person here”, in the frontman’s own jesting words. But hey, that’s a heatwave in the Balkans for you!
A few more songs later and it was time for the band to end their set with 1000 Whispers, which promptly for everyone chanting along and pumping their fists in the air. While we didn’t get Return to Dust or Chevelle as openers here in Bucharest for a double “divorced dad rock” bill, Black Sonic Pearls more than pulled their weight, and we commend them for their constant energy and enthusiasm. Keep at it, guys! 8.5
After a 30-minute break to prepare the stage, it was finally time: Breaking Benjamin were about to start performing in Romania for the first time in their career. The excitement within the venue was so palpable you could probably cut it with a knife, as reused as this adage is. And rightly so, with plenty of people within this country and other neighbouring ones which have been waiting for over twenty years to hear some of their favourite songs performed live. But alas, the wait was finally over. With a short instrumental intro, the band launched straight into Dear Agony classic I Will Not Bow and people instantly start singing along to every word.
What’s different is that this time the guys are joined by frontman Ben Burnley’s own son. Addressing it, he says: “a few days ago, my son joined us on tour. His name’s Ben, just like me, but we call him Cheech. Let’s hear it for Cheech on 3!”. This made everything so special, as it was so heart-warming to see his son playing the guitar and singing some higher harmonies, with the others going over to him throughout the night to make sure he’s comfortable. He’s still very shy about the performing aspect — as you might expect of a teenager — but in time he will definitely grow more confident on stage. It’s just a matter of when, not if.
The night (we say, as if it didn’t turn dark only toward the very end of the show) continued with a one-two salvo of Until the End and Evil Angel, before heading back to the Dear Agony era for Crawl, and then unleashing the Ember-era monster Red Cold River. It’s at this time we should mention that bassist Aaron Bruch crushes those screams every single time, and guitarists Keith Wallen and Jasen Rauch hold the line with their backing vocals all throughout the night.
Blow Me Away from the Halo 2 soundtrack is up next (with no appearance from Master Chief, sadly), followed by Angels Fall and a surprising Phobia-era cut, You. Then, after So Cold, Polyamorous (another fun romper of a track) and Dear Agony, it’s time for the band to play some new songs. Something Wicked, the latest single, is up first, and we get to see Ben’s son whisper the “Something wicked this way comes” line just before the breakdown. As it turns out, he’ll have some small appearances like these throughout the new album, which is due out soon. They also performed the older Awaken, with classic track Breath sandwiched between the two.
These two tracks have also given new touring drummer Brian Medeiros a chance to shine. He’s been in phenomenal form throughout the night, beating those drums and cymbals like they owe him lunch money. These new songs in particular, as well as the drum intro in Evil Angel at the beginning of the set, just show how good of a fit he is in the band. Who knows, the band may have just found their next full-time drummer!
With the sun fully out of the sky by this point, it was time for the final three songs of the night: Failure, followed up by two more Phobia classics: Dance With The Devil and The Diary of Jane. If the crowd wasn’t loud enough throughout the entire show, this was when everyone sang the loudest, to the point where you almost couldn’t hear the band. That just goes to show how badly everyone in attendance needed this show. Now let’s just hope the next time Breaking Benjamin comes over to the UK and Europe, it won’t take another nine years — judging by last night, that would be downright criminal. 10/10
Written By: Florin Petrut
