Born and raised in Chicago Ben Draiman has been a singer-songwriter and pianist since age 13. Music’s in the family as his older brother David’s the voice of hard rock arena filler Disturbed and techno-metal outfit Device. Influenced by a large variety of genres he mixes a unique concoction pairing melodic and hard rock edgy guitars with the gentle soft kiss of the piano and other classical, unplugged instruments. Currently residing in Israel he’ll make his US return early this year promoting his six-song debut EP The Past Is Not Far Behind. He recently paid tribute to Disturbed doing his version of Stricken from Ten Thousand Fists available as a bonus on website orders.
Soon Enough’s tender lyrics about emotional turmoil intertwined and embracing classic piano keys mixes with hard rock guitars with an almost Queensryche feel at the three minute mark, ending with some nice acoustics. Soon enough, I’ll be suited up to find my rhythm again. An Avalanche of emotions, obstacles and challenges that life throws can be found on the EP’s single and YouTube video. Opening with an almost Evanescence piano intro, you’d swear it was an intimate side by side duet. 21 Seconds is a long time to dwell on the fading lost memories of past love. It’s time to move on after soft, somber, more subtle reminiscent thoughts of sorrow are dealt with and healed from. The things we learn and realize in retrospect are markers for the future. Would You Know Love if you saw it, felt it, experienced it, with an acoustic driven intro? Overcome’s piano laden with the violin’s somber song of emotions lost in a relationship of silent shambles with attempts to overcome with guitar triumph two minutes in. Taken For Granted, never mind the darkness, life’s cautionary tale is never too be taken for granted.
Draiman’s music is self-therapeutic and pure with total honesty with no audience or particular market in mind. It’s for whoever wants and enjoys it. He’s garnered considerable worldwide interest, appearing on several blogs and online magazines and the single ‘Soon Enough’ was on regular rotation on 94X in British Columbia, placing number 91 of the top 94 songs of 2011. It’s also been featured several times on Rock 108 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and has been on several local and online stations.
After going viral his version of ‘Stricken’ got 20,000 views in the first two weeks receiving praise from online sites Blabbermouth, Loudwire and Rock Revolt also receiving the most coveted response from Disturbed fans, some preferring it to the original. Describing his sound as a common denominator combination of Evanescence heaviness and the prettiness of Coldplay, his lyrics were so personal when written they stopped him from playing his music in public for years. www.bendraiman.com
