Breaking Benjamin
Blow Me Away (Halo 2 O.S.T.)

LA RECENSIONE

"If we've done 30, let's do 31"; this seems to be the motto that pushed the producers of the
Xbox game Halo 2 to go big. So, while the giant Bungie, under the support of Microsoft, was bringing the quintessential game to life, the people responsible for the soundtrack thought wisely to get as much as possible from the music world by signing contracts with Hoobastank, Incubus, but especially with the Americans Breakin' Benjamin.

The group led by Benjamin Burnley agreed to participate in the game's soundtrack with one of their pieces: the exclusive track not present on any LP is called "Blow Me Away".
Obviously, it was necessary to respect the canons of a strategy and war game, so the very
post-grunge style of the band had to be necessarily mixed with the ambiance that characterized the
game, namely tension and sudden sonic explosions.

THE SOUND:
"Blow Me Away" starts with a gothic melody, ready to make way, after just a few seconds, for a very simple and incisive guitar riff, then it will be up to Benjamin Burnley to split between lead and backing vocals. Subsequently, the rock explosion overwhelms all the previous sound, and the chorus, perfectly packaged by guitarist Aaron Fink, does nothing but captivate both the listener and the player intent on killing as many as possible.
It's an exhortation to victory from B. Burnley: "Only the strongest will survive, lead me to heaven, when we die", meaning "only the strongest will survive, lead me to heaven when we die." It is no coincidence that it is precisely Benjamin's track that stands out in the soundtrack compared to other prestigious artists like Hoobastank and Incubus (the latter definitely taking a backseat with unexceptional tracks).
The track ends with the shouts of the leader Benjamin, always ready to explode like a bomb programmed to impress as much as possible.
Just the gritty "Blow Me Away" was enough to convince Bungie to bet on the Benjamins. A big hit for the Pennsylvania band as well, which thanks to the publicity achieved, further expanded their audience base (as if they needed it!).
Now, even those passionate about games who ignore all that is beautiful in the music scene are aware of one of the bands that best interpreted the new grunge in recent years.