A calm precedes every storm. The reprieve remains necessary for the right energy to eventually re-ignite the elements at the
appropriate time for a storm to gather. After announcing a “hiatus” in
2011, Grammy Award-nominated, multiplatinum hard rock titans Disturbed
knew that their imminent return would happen during such a moment. The
members—David Draiman [vocals], Dan Donegan [guitar], Mike Wengren
[drums], and John Moyer [bass]—put a plan into play. In 2010, the
group’s gold-certified fifth offering, Asylum, became their fourth
consecutive #1 on the Billboard Top 200, an accolade shared only with
Metallica and Dave Matthews Band. They had sold out arenas everywhere on
the subsequent tour, and it was time for that calm to commence.
“The idea was to leave when we were at our peak, which we were, and to
come back when we felt reinvigorated,” asserts Draiman. “Everything was
strategic. We wanted to give ourselves a chance to breathe, give the
fans a chance to breathe, and give the culture a chance to evolve. Now
is the time. The environment feels ready. The musical landscape feels
ready. We’re ready.”
“We had basically been going nonstop since
1998,” says Wengren. “We got to do our things. It didn’t take too long
until the itch started coming back.”
“We wanted to return when
we collectively had that fire underneath us,” agrees Donegan. “We
missed it so much that we could tap into this energy and deliver the
right album. We did it on our own terms.”
That album,
Immortalized [Reprise], initially became the best-kept secret of the
group’s career. In 2013, Draiman released a top 15 record with Device’s
self-titled debut, while Donegan and Wengren launched Fight or Flight
with A Life By Design? Following the success of both, Draiman and
Donegan decided to have dinner back in their hometown of Chicago during
January 2014. Without notifying their families, friends, or label,
that’s the moment they stirred the sleeping beast. However, instead of
simply emailing ideas, they actually flew back and forth to each other’s
respective home studios for every writing session. This is the first
time they collectively wrote together since 2001.
“When the
band formed, we all lived in the same city,” recalls Mike. “So, when we
wrote, we would all be in the same room together. We had gotten away
from that because we don’t live in the same states. There’s definitely
something to be said about that chemistry and interaction when we’re
together feeding off each other. We pushed ourselves to rekindle that.”
“We wanted to go back to where it started before the technology existed
where you could create from across the country,” David remarks. “We
were in the same space again, throwing ideas back and forth on the fly
and allowing them to grow immediately. For this album, everything was
written in the same room. It was wonderful experiencing how it used to
be back in the day for us. That became apparent in the material, whether
it was the passion of the performance, the power being harnessed, or
the feelings evoked. We could feel the difference.”
In order to
capture that “difference” on tape, they headed to Hideout Recordings in
Las Vegas to work with producer Kevin Churko [Ozzy Osbourne, Five
Finger Death Punch]. It marked their first collaboration together, and
Churko pushed the musicians to expand their signature style.
“We agreed it was time to start trusting an outside ear and see if
somebody could get something out of us that we hadn’t done ourselves,”
Donegan continues. “The goal was to find a producer we felt creatively
comfortable with, but who could challenge us and spark a new evolution.
Churko did that. We had chemistry together right out of the gate. We
were prepared to change things.”
In June 2015, the group
revealed themselves creatively with a big bang, their first new single
“The Vengeful One.” Disturbed was officially back. “The Vengeful One”
served as the perfect clarion call for this next chapter. Beginning with
a bombastic drum beat and jarring riff, it bares its teeth with an
unabashedly metal refrain that’s instantly unshakable.
“Basically, ‘The Vengeful One’ is the personification of The Destroyer,
the Angel of Death, Gabriel, or the Hand of God looking over humanity,”
explains Draiman. “In the song, it’s the End of Days. Things are getting
worse, and we’re becoming more destructive. The media is playing
everyone against one another and baiting the entire world. It’s judgment
day. This is that entity’s voice speaking and passing judgment.”
“I wanted to lay down a big spacious beat to give the guys room to
play,” Wengren goes on. “It’s something slightly different for us, but
it’s got that signature syncopation we love.”
“Musically, it’s got that old school metal sound,” smiles Donegan. “It’s definitely Disturbed!”
The instrumental opener “The Eye of the Storm” bleeds into the
infectious and incendiary title track bolstered by deft rhythms and
scorching leads. In the middle of this roller coaster, “The Light”
tempers a haunting keyboard and robust guitars with a towering vocal.
“The message for ‘The Light’ is one of positivity,” admits Draiman.
“Most people are quite apprehensive about the “dark” periods, and
experiences of their lives. However, sometimes those dark periods of
time are a necessary path we must take in order to finally see, “the
light” so to speak.”
Following a tradition of outside-the-box
covers, Disturbed tackled Simon & Garfunkel’s classic “The Sound of
Silence” for Immortalized. Rather than amplifying it, they went the
other direction, tapping into Draiman’s classical training and Donegan’s
knack for arrangement. With an orchestral expanse, acoustic leads, and
chilling delivery, it’s unlike anything in the group’s catalog.
“We didn’t want to cover up David’s vocal with loud, aggressive, and
distorted guitars,” says Donegan. “We wanted to showcase his
vulnerability and take a leftfield approach. The strings and violins
really deepen it. It’s something that might shock people because we went
down a new path altogether. We did what felt right and saw the vision
through.”
Disturbed have made good on every promise since their
genesis. Their quadruple-platinum 2000 debut, The Sickness, formally
announced their arrival as hard rock leaders. Throughout their career,
they received a Grammy Award nomination in the category of “Best Hard
Rock Performance” for “Inside the Fire” in 2009 and churned out nine No.
1 singles at Active Rock Radio, while eventually selling over 12
million records globally. However, Immortalized will live up to its
title and fortify their legacy further.
“I think the fans will
feel like it was worth the wait,” concludes Donegan. “We’ve been
planning this for the past year and keeping it a secret so we can’t wait
to hear the response. I hope fans realize we have a lot more left in
us. This album reassured me of that. To be away from it for almost 5
years, get back in a room, write together, and tap into that fire is
awesome. Part of me didn’t want to leave the studio! We still have a lot
more to say. We still have a lot more to do. We’re returning stronger
than ever. I think Immortalized shows that.”
“I can’t wait for
everybody to hear it,” states Wengren. “We’ve had so many fans asking
that I hope the response is, ‘This is exactly what we’ve been waiting
for!’
Draiman leaves off, “I just want people to walk away
feeling powerful. That’s it. That’s what we wrote this record to do.” –
Rick Florino, May 2015
