We are less than a week from the release of "Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin," street date is Tuesday, August 16th, and the best of could be the last of Breaking Benjamin.

Since the bands formation in 1998 there has been turmoil and inner struggles that have plagued the band as a group and individually. Now it seems their biggest hurtle is before them, and its almost Shakespearean as the drama unfolds.

I remember hanging out with Ben Burnley back in 2005 for Buzzfest in Houston and even back then there was a definite tension among the band and questions about if the band could continue.

I can't tell you how happy I was when "Phobia" came out in 2006 and then in 2009 "Dear Agony" was a fresh hope that maybe all the trouble was the behind them. But that now just two years after the release of their most successful album to date things don't look good for the boys from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

In June of 2010, Burnley's illness causes the cancellation of shows and a premature end to the tour in support of "Dear Agony." After that, he sent messages via the bands website that despite the internet rumors the band was not breaking up: "I am officially letting everyone know that Breaking Benjamin has NOT broken up!"

The band is currently in litigations after band mates Aaron Fink and Mark James after they gave permission for their label Hollywood Records to record a new version of "Blow Me Away" for $100,000. Two days later Burnley fired both Fink and James via email claiming they didn't have permission.

Representatives from Burnley's camp stand firm that he is not retiring and that he hopes to continue under the name "Breaking Benjamin" and the band will continue just not with the prior members. We'll have to sit by and wait, and it you ask me I am so willing to wait. In the mean time check out the video for the song that seems to have caused all this mess.

More From Highway 98.9