![STbnwtop-17](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/STbnwtop-17.jpg)
Benjamin A. Weinman (born August 8, 1975) is an American musician, film composer, and music manager, most notable for being the lead guitarist and primary songwriter of the
metalcore
Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...
band
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time sign ...
. He was the founder and sole constant member through the band's career (1997–2017), and is currently playing rhythm guitar with the
crossover thrash
Crossover thrash (often abbreviated to crossover) is a fusion genre of thrash metal and hardcore punk. The genre lies on a continuum between heavy metal and hardcore punk. Other genres on the same continuum, such as metalcore and grindcore, ma ...
band
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice in Los Angeles, California by vocalist Mike Muir. Muir is the only remaining original member of the band. Along with D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, and Stormtr ...
and the
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
supergroup
Giraffe Tongue Orchestra
Giraffe Tongue Orchestra is an American rock supergroup. It consists of Alice in Chains vocalist William DuVall, guitarist Brent Hinds of Mastodon, lead guitarist Ben Weinman of the Dillinger Escape Plan, drummer Thomas Pridgen of the Mars Volt ...
.
Weinman was named one of
SPIN Magazine
''Spin'' (stylized in all caps) is an American music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione, Jr. Now owned by Next Management Partners, the magazine is an online publication since it stopped issuing a print edition in 2012.
Histor ...
's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time and one of the 20 Most Influential Metal Guitarists Of The Modern Era by
VH1
VH1 (originally an initialism of Video Hits One) is an American basic cable television network based in New York City and owned by Paramount Global. It was created by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Commun ...
.
Weinman was named one of ''
Guitar World
''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...
'' Magazine's 50 fastest guitar players of all time alongside guitar players such as
Eddie Van Halen
Edward Lodewijk Van Halen ( , ; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, keyboardist, backing vocalist, and primary songwriter of the rock band Van Halen, which he co-founded along ...
and
Les Paul
Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar, and his prototype ...
. He was named one of Guitar World's Top 25 Cult Guitarists in 2009, and one of the top modern Metal Guitar players by
MetalSucks
MetalSucks is a heavy metal music-themed news website. The site features reviews, interviews, information on latest metal releases and blog-like posts from the writers, most notably Vince Neilstein and Axl Rosenberg.
History
The site was foun ...
. Weinman has also been listed on
About.com
Dotdash Meredith (formerly About.com) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, home, food, finance, tech, beauty, l ...
as an example of today's most important musicians under their definition of "guitarist" and was named one of ''Alternative Press'' Magazine's "10 Favorite Guitar Slingers".
Early life
Weinman grew up in
Morris Plains, New Jersey
Morris Plains is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 5,532,[Austrian-Jewish
The history of the Jews in Austria probably begins with the exodus of Jews from Judea under Roman occupation. Over the course of many centuries, the political status of the community rose and fell many times: during certain periods, the Jewis ...]
and
Polish-Jewish
The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the lon ...
/Austrian descent through his grandparents who fled to the United States before
The Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...
. Weinman's family was not actively observant but he grew up "with a real appreciation of the culture of
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
".
He was diagnosed with
attention deficit disorder
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise Development ...
(ADD) as a child. He later stated that "music saved his life" because it helped him to discover new ways of learning, make friends and it gave him a sense of purpose.
Weinman attended
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university with its main campuses in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University currently offers more than 100 degree programs to its students. In addition to its tw ...
in
Madison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 16,937.
Located along the Morris & Essex Lines, it is noted for Madison's historic railroad station becoming one ...
where he first received a degree in
psychology
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
in 2000 and then in corporate communications, a field in which he worked for some time afterwards at a web company.
Career
The Dillinger Escape Plan
![PuciatoWeinman1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d2/PuciatoWeinman1.jpg)
Weinman played in some bands from New Jersey and in 1996 he founded the
hardcore punk
Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...
band Arcane along with
Chris Pennie
Chris Pennie (born May 31, 1977) is an American musician who is the former drummer for the progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria and former drummer and co-founder of mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan.
Background
Pennie began playing d ...
on drums,
Dimitri Minakakis
Dimitri Minakakis ( gr, Δημήτρης Μηνακάκης; born June 16, 1977 in Morristown, New Jersey) is an American musician and graphic designer best known as the original singer of the band The Dillinger Escape Plan from 1997 to 2001. Mina ...
on vocals, Bruce Fulton on bass and Brad McMann on second vocals. He describes the group as a "lost cause" due to their lack of innovation. After a few months, they turned around its style, with
Adam Doll
The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time sign ...
replacing McMann and Derek Brantley taking the place of Fulton. Eventually, Arcane evolved into
the Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time sign ...
in 1997.
Weinman gradually shifted his focus on being a full-time musician and eventually quit his corporate job.
Weinman has been involved in all the band's releases since their self-titled debut EP, as well as various other musical works. Weinman has self-managed or has been involved with the management of The Dillinger Escape Plan since the band's inception. Known for his outspoken views on the music industry, he has contributed to various publications and spoken at universities and conferences on the subjects of music production and the music business. Weinman's business techniques and philosophies have been discussed, and featured, in publications such as ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also re ...
'',
the ''
Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'', and ''
Bloomberg Businessweek
''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'', is an American weekly business magazine published fifty times a year. Since 2009, the magazine is owned by New York City-based Bloomberg L.P. The magazine debuted in New York City ...
''.
On February 6, 2012, Weinman appeared on the VH1 series ''
Metal Evolution
''Metal Evolution'' is a 2011 documentary series directed by anthropologist and filmmaker Sam Dunn and director, producer and music supervisor Scot McFadyen about heavy metal subgenres, with new episodes airing every Friday at 10 pm EST on Muc ...
'' in the final episode on progressive metal where The Dillinger Escape Plan was quoted as being "the world's most dangerous band".
The band's second full-length album, ''
Miss Machine
''Miss Machine'' is the second studio album by American mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan released in July 2004 through Relapse Records. It is the first release by the band to feature vocalist Greg Puciato and bassist Liam Wilson. ''Miss Ma ...
'', was the first album released by record label
Relapse Records
Relapse Records is an American independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990. The label features many grindcore, death metal, metalcore and sludge metal artists.
History
The label was ...
to make the
Billboard chart
The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...
s. Weinman's first full-length studio album with The Dillinger Escape Plan, entitled ''
Calculating Infinity
''Calculating Infinity'' is the debut studio album by American metalcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan. Recorded at Trax East Recording Studio in South River, New Jersey, it was produced by engineer Steve Evetts with the band's guitarist Ben Wein ...
'', was listed in the book ''The Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time'' by Martin Popoff. ''Calculating Infinity'' was also named one of "100 best rock albums of all time" by ''
Kerrang
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-off ...
'' magazine, who presented Weinman with a spirit of independence award.
Other projects
He is currently the manager for two times Grammy award-winning singer
Kimbra
Kimbra Lee Johnson (born 27 March 1990), known mononymously as Kimbra, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter. Known for mixing pop with R&B, jazz and rock musical elements, her accolades include four ARIA Music Awards, two Grammy Awards and se ...
who he also collaborated with on her second studio album entitled ''
The Golden Echo
''The Golden Echo'' is the second studio album by New Zealand recording artist Kimbra, released by Warner Bros. Records in the United States on 19 August 2014.
Background
Kimbra was inspired by Greek mythology for the album and spent time in a s ...
''.
In 2012, Weinman founded the group
Giraffe Tongue Orchestra
Giraffe Tongue Orchestra is an American rock supergroup. It consists of Alice in Chains vocalist William DuVall, guitarist Brent Hinds of Mastodon, lead guitarist Ben Weinman of the Dillinger Escape Plan, drummer Thomas Pridgen of the Mars Volt ...
. In 2016, he released the debut album ''Broken Lines'' with it.
Weinman collaborated with rapper
Wyclef Jean
Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...
, contributing drums to a song which has not been released yet. Weinman also composed the scores for the films
Alien Abduction
Alien abduction (also called abduction phenomenon, alien abduction syndrome, or UFO abduction) refers to the phenomenon of people reporting their experience of being kidnapped by extraterrestrial beings and subjected to physical and psychological ...
,
Red 48, The Survivalist, and the upcoming film Banshee.
Weinman has performed with acts such as
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails, commonly abbreviated as NIN and stylized as NIИ, is an American industrial rock band formed in Cleveland in 1988. Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Trent Reznor was the only permanent member of the band ...
and
System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, voc ...
and in 2017, Weinman performed as a live guitarist/bassist for the electronic ensemble
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...
. He also joined
Suicidal Tendencies
Suicidal Tendencies is an American crossover thrash band formed in 1980 in Venice in Los Angeles, California by vocalist Mike Muir. Muir is the only remaining original member of the band. Along with D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, and Stormtr ...
as a fill-in guitarist on their summer 2018 tour; Weinman was later confirmed as a full-time member of Suicidal Tendencies, and he is currently working on new material with them.
Influences and guitar technique
Ben Weinman cited
John McLaughlin John or Jon McLaughlin may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* John McLaughlin (musician) (born 1942), English jazz fusion guitarist, member of Mahavishnu Orchestra
* Jon McLaughlin (musician) (born 1982), American singer-songwriter
* John McLaugh ...
,
Robert Fripp
Robert Fripp (born 16 May 1946) is a British musician, songwriter, record producer, and author, best known as the guitarist, founder and longest-lasting member of the progressive rock band King Crimson. He has worked extensively as a session ...
,
Greg Ginn
Gregory Regis Ginn (born June 8, 1954) is an American guitarist, bassist, singer and songwriter, best known for being the leader, primary songwriter, and the only continuous member of the hardcore punk band Black Flag, which he founded and led ...
and
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray Vaughan (October 3, 1954 – August 27, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the guitarist and frontman of the blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. Although his mainstream career spanned only seven years, ...
as his biggest influences. He also mentioned
Marty Friedman
Marty Friedman (born December 8, 1962) is an American guitarist, best known for his tenure as the lead guitarist for thrash metal band Megadeth from 1990 to 2000. He is also known for playing alongside Jason Becker in Cacophony from 1986 until ...
of
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along wit ...
as one of the first musicians that led him into investigating more eclectic types of guitar work. Weinman acknowledges ''
Apocalypse
Apocalypse () is a literary genre in which a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a human intermediary. The means of mediation include dreams, visions and heavenly journeys, and they typically feature symbolic imager ...
'' by McLaughlin's
Mahavishnu Orchestra
The Mahavishnu Orchestra were a jazz fusion band formed in New York City in 1971, led by English guitarist John McLaughlin. The group underwent several line-up changes throughout its history across its two periods of activity, from 1971 to 1976 a ...
as the album that changed his life, stating that "It was a huge part of what led me to make Dillinger".
The guitarist cited
experimental
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
band
Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California in 1985. Having gone through many incarnations throughout their career, the band is best known for music created during their most experimental era. During this time, ...
as his biggest influence in terms of eclecticism and the irony of his music, as well as in managing tours. Weinman also named its frontman
Mike Patton
Michael Allan Patton (born January 27, 1968) is an American singer, producer, film composer and voice actor, best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band Faith No More. Noted for his vocal proficiency, diverse singing techni ...
his favorite singer of all time.
Equipment
At NAMM 2014
ESP
ESP most commonly refers to:
* Extrasensory perception, a paranormal ability
ESP may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment Music
* ESP Guitars, a manufacturer of electric guitars
* E.S. Posthumus, an independent music group formed in 2000, ...
announced the release of Weinman's first signature guitar, the BW-1, which is based on the company's PS-1 "Xtone" model. He is also known for frequently playing the ESP H and MH series. Weinman has been seen using a variety of amps in the studio, ranging from a
Bogner Uberschall, a
Laney GH50L and a
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
* Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Islands
* Marshall Islands, an i ...
JCM, but he mainly uses
Mesa/Boogie
Mesa/Boogie (also known as Mesa Engineering) is an American company in Petaluma, California, that manufactures amplifiers and other accessories for guitars and basses. It has been in operation since 1969.
Mesa was started by Randall Smith as a sm ...
Triple Rectifiers and a Mark V for live performances. In addition to playing guitar, Weinman occasionally plays a
Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass (often shortened to "P-Bass") is a model of electric bass guitar manufactured by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. In its standard, post-1957 configuration, the Precision Bass is a solid body, four-stringed instrum ...
in live performances with
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...
.
Personal life
Ben Weinman is currently not married, but has an adopted son and a daughter. Following the disbandment of The Dillinger Escape Plan, he established an
animal sanctuary
An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. Pattrice Jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary defines an animal sanctuary as "a safe-enough place or relationship within the cont ...
on his home in New Jersey.
Weinman has supported the You Rock Foundation which seeks to spread awareness about
depression and appeared in one of its video campaigns. He has been vocal about his choice not to
drink
A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothies a ...
, smoke or use other
recreational drug
Recreational drug use indicates the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime by modifying the perceptions and emotions of the user. When a ...
s
Weinman follows a
pescetarian
Pescetarianism (; sometimes spelled pescatarianism) is the practice of incorporating seafood into an otherwise vegetarian diet. Pescetarians may or may not consume other animal products such as eggs and dairy products. Approximately 3% of adult ...
lifestyle.
Discography
With The Dillinger Escape Plan
*''
Calculating Infinity
''Calculating Infinity'' is the debut studio album by American metalcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan. Recorded at Trax East Recording Studio in South River, New Jersey, it was produced by engineer Steve Evetts with the band's guitarist Ben Wein ...
'' (1999)
* ''
Miss Machine
''Miss Machine'' is the second studio album by American mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan released in July 2004 through Relapse Records. It is the first release by the band to feature vocalist Greg Puciato and bassist Liam Wilson. ''Miss Ma ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Ire Works
''Ire Works'' is the third studio album by American band the Dillinger Escape Plan. The album was released in the UK on November 5, 2007, in the US on November 13 through Relapse Records, and in Japan on November 28. The album was their last album ...
'' (2007)
* ''
Option Paralysis
''Option Paralysis'' is the fourth studio album by American mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan, released on March 23, 2010. After having fulfilled their contract with Relapse Records, the band released the album through Party Smasher Inc., t ...
'' (2010)
* ''
One of Us Is the Killer
''One of Us Is the Killer'' is the fifth studio album by American mathcore band The Dillinger Escape Plan, released on May 14, 2013. ''One of Us Is the Killer'' is the band's second release under their Party Smasher, Inc. imprint. The CD was relea ...
'' (2013)
* ''
Dissociation
Dissociation, in the wide sense of the word, is an act of disuniting or separating a complex object into parts. Dissociation may also refer to:
* Dissociation (chemistry), general process in which molecules or ionic compounds (complexes, or salts) ...
'' (2016)
With Giraffe Tongue Orchestra
* ''Broken Lines'' (2016)
Collaborations
Remixes
References
Sources
*
External links
Party Smasher Inc. independent record label founded by Weinman.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weinman, Ben
1975 births
Living people
Jewish American musicians
American people of Austrian-Jewish descent
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American heavy metal guitarists
Fairleigh Dickinson University alumni
Lead guitarists
The Dillinger Escape Plan members
Progressive metal guitarists
American experimental guitarists
American male guitarists
Avant-garde guitarists
Jewish heavy metal musicians
People from Morris Plains, New Jersey
21st-century American guitarists
21st-century American male musicians
21st-century American Jews
pt:The Dillinger Escape Plan#Integrantes