“Disturbed” brings metal back into the spotlight with new CD

Disturbed made its start in 2000, scoring a few hits with “Voices,” “Stupify,” and “Down with the Sickness.”

Some of these songs were used in movie soundtracks, keeping the band’s distinctive sound mainstream during the break between their albums. And the band does have a distinctive sound.

“Down with the Sickness” opens with a driving drum beat performed by drummer Mike Wengren, soon joined by subtle guitar and bass riffs by Dan Donegan and Fuzz. The guitar and bass continue on for a few measures until finally, leaping out of the steady rhythm like a tiger, lead singer David Draiman screams out his guttural signature sound.
This primal scream is what Disturbed became known for, but as we see in the new album, they have a lot more in their arsenal.

“Believe,” the new album, showcases not only Draiman’s phenomenal vocal talent but previously untapped technical skill from the rest of the band.

“Believe” hit number 1 on the Billboard charts during the first week of it’s release, and has not fallen below the top 10 since. They knocked the Dixie Chicks off the top spot.score one for Rock in the war on Pop.

“Believe” delves into some new territory for Disturbed. The previous album focused on some fairly uncomfortable material, madness, violence, conflict, the need to express ones self. The idea of music as a weapon is expressed in one of the later songs, and that weapon is wielded again in their new CD with just as much force. “Believe” deals with issues of faith. Not faith in any particular religion, just plain, honest, simple faith. The cover art for this album is brilliant. The symbols of 4 different religions are interlocked into one amazing, unifying image.

The first single, “Prayer”, is everything a Disturbed fan could ask for. A cutting guitar riff breaks the silence, the driving base and drums carrying it along, and then the same powerful voice we heard in “The Sickness” rushes in. The album does slow down a bit, leading into tracks like “Liberate”, “Believe”, and “Rise” bring out some of the freshly honed
technical skills of all the band members, while “Intoxication” brings back a little of the original sound of the band, with Draiman’s signature growling and screeching. The album let Disturbed grow and improve, while keeping their over all sound. The big surprise is at the end. The final track “Darkness” is a slow, somber, cello accompanied affair. The lead singer’s voice is devoid of all its characteristic harshness and paired with subtle guitar arpeggios, brings this album to a poignant close.

You’ll not see a video for the first single, for some reason, MTV wouldn’t accept the first cut, and Disturbed refused to change it for the Music network. With any luck, the band will continue to ride from single to single without the help of television exposure. Disturbed is a rock band, through and through. They’re bringing metal back into the spotlight, picking up after bands like Metallica who’ve all but dropped out of sight. This musical “weapon” has been sharpened and is ready to carve through any obstacle. Rock on Disturbed!

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 18 2002. Filed under Other. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry