The band has released six studio albums, five of which have consecutively debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Disturbed went into hiatus in October 2011, during which the band's members focused on various side projects, and returned in June 2015, releasing their first album in four years, Immortalized, on August 21, 2015. They also recorded and released one live album, Disturbed: Live at Red Rocks on November 18, 2016, which was recorded on August 18, 2016 at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, located about 10 miles west of Denver, Colorado. Their seventh studio album, Evolution, was released on October 19, 2018.
Before David Draiman joined Disturbed, guitarist Dan Donegan, drummer Mike Wengren, and bassist Steve "Fuzz" Kmak were in a band called Brawl with vocalist Erich Awalt. Before changing their name to "Brawl", however, Donegan mentioned in the band's DVD, Decade of Disturbed, that the name was originally going to be "Crawl"; they switched it to "Brawl", due to the name already being used by another band. Awalt left the band shortly after the recording of a demo tape; the other three members advertised for a singer. They posted an advertisement in the local music publication in Chicago, Illinois, called the "Illinois Entertainer". Draiman answered the advertisement after going to twenty other auditions that month. Guitarist Dan Donegan commented on Draiman: "You know, out of all the singers that we had talked to or auditioned, he [Draiman] was the only singer who was ready to go with originals. And that impressed me, just to attempt that".
With regard to Draiman being the singer for the band, Donegan said, "After a minute or two, he just starts banging out these melodies that were huge...I'm playing my guitar and I'm grinning from ear to ear, trying not to give it away that I like this guy, you know, because I don't want to, you know...[say] 'Yeah, we'll give you a call back. We'll, you know, discuss it.' But I was so psyched. Chill up my spine. I'm like, 'There is something here.'" As drummer Mike Wengren commented, "We clicked right off the bat." Draiman then joined the band in 1996 and the band was renamed Disturbed. When asked in an interview why he suggested to name the band "Disturbed," Draiman said, "It had been a name I have been contemplating for a band for years. It just seems to symbolize everything we were feeling at the time. The level of conformity that people are forced into was disturbing to us and we were just trying to push the envelope and the name just sorta made sense.
Disturbed headlined the 2018 Rock Fest, along with Godsmack and Incubus. The band announced via social media in early January of 2018 that they had entered the studio to begin recording their next studio album. In June 2018 lead guitarist Dan Donegan and bassist John Moyer confirmed with sources that the new album is complete, with 100% of the songs finished it is on to just mixing and mastering. Band members also posted a picture via Instagram together at a dinner party in celebration of completion of the recording process. The band's first album in over 3 years and the band’s first album in over 8 years to have bassist John Moyer being involved in.
The album, Evolution was released on October 19, 2018. On August 16, 2018, the lead single, titled "Are You Ready" was released. On September 21, 2018, the album's second single, titled "A Reason to Fight" was released.
Disturbed's mascot, named "The Guy", was originally just a drawing of a face with a large grin, as seen on the back of the album The Sickness. The original drawing of The Guy was then edited using a digital distorting program. After the original image had been distorted three times The Guy became the official mascot for the band. Later, he would be drawn as a full figure by artist David Finch.
Classified as a heavy metal or hard rock band, Disturbed is also regarded by some critics as nu metal and alternative metal. When asked about die-hard heavy metal fans not finding Disturbed heavy enough, Draiman at one time stated:
"We probably have too much melody going on or we're not quite as turbulent or caustic. While I really love that type of music, it's not what we try to do. If we have to place things in context, we're more hard rock than heavy metal these days. The secret is that we were never really part of any particular trend, although we definitely benefited from the popularity of what was called nu metal at the time ... We never had the stereotypical attributes that those bands had. We don’t rap; there’s no turntable involved; no fusion in that respect. We play, in my opinion, classic metal. Sabbath, Maiden, Priest, Metallica, Pantera: these are the bands that made us want to play."
They have often cited their influences as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Metallica, Pantera, Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Queensryche, Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden.
Guitarist Dan Donegan uses guitar tunings Drop C, Drop C# and Drop B (also occasionally Eb), which are lower tunings than regular E standard. These lower tunings allow for a heavier sound and quicker chord changes in Donegan's riffs. Donegan also uses subtle electronic effects, which the rest of the band refers to as "The Danny Donegan Orchestra".
Divide
Disturbed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to tear a big hole in what is to be,
To end all this infatuation with unity,
I'm seeking my salvation alone again,
I never needed to be one of you anyway
Don't wanna be another player losing in this game
I'm trying to impress upon you
My own individuality is so unique,
I'm one impressive motherfucker
Now, wouldn't you say
[Chorus]
(Break apart and)
Divide, divide, divide, divide
You might say that I'm the last man standing now,
And though you try, you'll never find a way to break me
You might say that I'm sick of being lost in the crowd,
I hear the sirens but they're never gonna take me
I am a little more provocative then you might need,
It's your shock and then your horror on which I feed
So can you tell me what exactly does freedom mean,
If I'm not free to be as twisted as I wanna be
Don't wanna be another player losing in this game
I'm trying to impress upon you
We're not the same
My psychotic mentality is so unique
I'm one aggressive motherfucker
Now, wouldn't you say
[Chorus]
(They won't take me)
Break, break, break, break
(Break apart and divide)
Break, break, break, break
(Break apart and divide)
Break, break, break, break
(Break apart and divide)
Break, break, break, break
(Break apart and divide, divide, divide)
Break apart and...
[Repeat x2]
Divide, divide, divide, divide
Divide, divide, break apart and divide
Divide, divide, divide, divide
Divide, divide, break apart and
Divide, divide, divide, divide (you might say that I'm the last man standing now)
Divide, divide, break apart and divide
Divide, divide, divide, divide (and though you try, you'll never find a way to break me)
Divide, divide
Divide, divide
The lyrics to Disturbed's song "Divide" speak of the desire to break away from conformity and demonstrate one's individuality. The singer wants to "tear a big hole" in the idea of unity and find salvation alone, as he never needed to be a part of the crowd. He doesn't want to be another "player losing in this game" and is trying to differentiate himself from others by emphasizing his uniqueness.
The chorus of the song repeats the word "divide," emphasizing the need to break apart and separate from others. The singer believes that he is the last man standing and that nobody can break him. He is tired of being lost in the crowd and wants to be recognized for his individuality. He feeds on the shock and horror of others and believes that his freedom allows him to be as twisted as he wants to be.
The final section of the song exclaims "fuck it all" and breaks apart repeatedly, emphasizing the need for division and separation. Overall, the lyrics express a desire to differentiate oneself from others and to reject conformity in favor of individuality.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to tear a big hole in what is to be,
I desire to disrupt and destroy conformist ideals of the future.
To end all this infatuation with unity,
I seek to put an end to the obsession with conformity and groupthink.
I'm seeking my salvation alone again,
I am once again searching for personal redemption on my own.
I never needed to be one of you anyway
I have never needed society's acceptance or validation to be true to myself.
Don't wanna be another player losing in this game
I refuse to be just another person following the status quo, going along with what society says is right.
I'm trying to impress upon you
I am attempting to get you to understand
We're not the same
We are vastly different.
My own individuality is so unique,
My individual nature is exceptional and uncommon.
I'm one impressive motherfucker
I am an impressive and formidable person.
Now, wouldn't you say
Wouldn't you agree?
Divide Divide Divide Divide
Separate, break apart, and differentiate.
You might say that I'm the last man standing now,
You could say that I am the only one left who stays true to his beliefs.
Though you'll try, you'll never find a way to break me
While you may attempt to defeat or weaken me, you will not succeed.
You might say that I'm sick of being lost in the crowd,
You may assume that I have grown weary of being just another face in the crowd.
I hear the sirens but they're never gonna take me
I am aware of the inevitable consequences of my actions, but they will not destroy me.
I am a little more provocative then you might be,
I am somewhat more daring and unconventional than you.
It's your shock and then your horror on which I feed
My unconventional attitude excites and feeds off of your shock and horror.
So can you tell me what exactly does freedom mean,
Can you give me a precise definition of what freedom entails?
If I'm not free to be as twisted as I wanna be
If I am unable to be as eccentric or demented as I desire,
My psychotic mentality is so unique
My abnormal thought process is unparalleled in its distinctiveness.
I'm one aggressive motherfucker
I am a vigorous and assertive individual.
(They won't take me)
(I will not be taken).
Well fuck it all!
To hell with everything!
Break Break Break Break
Shatter, destroy, and fracture
(Break apart and divide)
(Rip apart and separate)
Divide Divide Divide Divide
Divide, rip apart and separate.
Divide Divide, break apart and divide
Split up, fracture, and rip apart.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAN DONEGAN, DAVID DRAIMAN, MICHAEL WENGREN, MIKE WENGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@QuiqueVargas25
Lyrics
Go!
I want to tear a big hole in what is to be,
To end all this infatuation with unity,
I'm seeking my salvation alone again,
I never needed to be one of you anyway
Don't wanna be another player losing in this game
I'm trying to impress upon you
We're not the same
My own individuality is so unique,
I'm one impressive motherfucker
Now, wouldn't you say
Divide Divide Divide Divide
You might say that I'm the last man standing now,
Though you'll try, you'll never find a way to break me
You might say that I'm sick of being lost in the crowd,
I hear the sirens but they're never gonna take me
I am a little more provocative then you might be,
It's your shock and then your horror on which I feed
So can you tell me what exactly does freedom mean,
If I'm not free to be as twisted as I wanna be
Don't wanna be another player losing in this game
I'm trying to impress upon you
We're not the same
My psychotic mentality is so unique
I'm one aggressive motherfucker
Now, wouldn't you say
Divide Divide Divide Divide
You might say that I'm the last man standing now,
Though you'll try, you'll never find a way to break me
You might say that I'm sick of being lost in the crowd,
I hear the sirens but they're never gonna take me
Well fuck it all!
Break Break Break Break
(Break apart and divide)
Break Break Break Break
(Break apart and divide)
Break Break Break Break
(Break apart and divide)
Break Break Break Break
(Break apart and...)
Divide Divide Divide Divide
Divide Divide, break apart and divide
Divide Divide Divide Divide
Divide Divide, break apart and
Divide Divide Divide Divide
Divide Divide, break apart and divide
Divide Divide Divide Divide
Divide Divide Divide Divide
@GojiBoiEarth1964
This album is 5 years away from turning 20 yet aged like fine wine.
Disturbed were definitely ahead of their game when it comes to quality.
@Thoran666
Here I was about to go to bed and now I feel like like I could go another 24 hours without sleep. Love the energy.
@ChristianRodriguez-db4fy
I was pumped up for work and feel the thrill today 😈😈😈
@Kurenai_TV
Reminds me of high school lol
@dennis8309
I walked 116 miles home, and was just a bit tired...
@lorddarkseid2712
I knew I wasn't the only one in the universe. 😅
@gregbay8177
Donegan's solo is 🔥
@seanliles5103
Who is here and ROCKING out to THIS MUSIC NOW
@DisturbedKhan
This is my absolute favorite non radio song. I have spent many hours listening to this song alone.
@QuiqueVargas25
Lyrics
Go!
I want to tear a big hole in what is to be,
To end all this infatuation with unity,
I'm seeking my salvation alone again,
I never needed to be one of you anyway
Don't wanna be another player losing in this game
I'm trying to impress upon you
We're not the same
My own individuality is so unique,
I'm one impressive motherfucker
Now, wouldn't you say
Divide Divide Divide Divide
You might say that I'm the last man standing now,
Though you'll try, you'll never find a way to break me
You might say that I'm sick of being lost in the crowd,
I hear the sirens but they're never gonna take me
I am a little more provocative then you might be,
It's your shock and then your horror on which I feed
So can you tell me what exactly does freedom mean,
If I'm not free to be as twisted as I wanna be
Don't wanna be another player losing in this game
I'm trying to impress upon you
We're not the same
My psychotic mentality is so unique
I'm one aggressive motherfucker
Now, wouldn't you say
Divide Divide Divide Divide
You might say that I'm the last man standing now,
Though you'll try, you'll never find a way to break me
You might say that I'm sick of being lost in the crowd,
I hear the sirens but they're never gonna take me
Well fuck it all!
Break Break Break Break
(Break apart and divide)
Break Break Break Break
(Break apart and divide)
Break Break Break Break
(Break apart and divide)
Break Break Break Break
(Break apart and...)
Divide Divide Divide Divide
Divide Divide, break apart and divide
Divide Divide Divide Divide
Divide Divide, break apart and
Divide Divide Divide Divide
Divide Divide, break apart and divide
Divide Divide Divide Divide
Divide Divide Divide Divide