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".
Down With the Sickness
Disturbed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ah, shit
Oh, ah, ah, ah, ah
Oh, ah, ah, ah, ah
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Drowning deep in my sea of loathing
Broken your servant I kneel
It seems what's left of my human side
Is slowly changing in me
(Will you give in to me?)
Looking at my own reflection
When suddenly it changes
Violently it changes (oh no)
There is no turning back now
You've woken up the demon in me
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Open up your hate, and let it flow into me
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
You mother get up come on get down with the sickness
You fucker get up come on get down with the sickness
Madness is the gift, that has been given to me
I can see inside you, the sickness is rising
Don't try to deny what you feel
(Will you give in to me?)
It seems that all that was good has died
And is decaying in me
(Will you give in to me?)
It seems you're having some trouble
In dealing with these changes
Living with these changes (oh no)
The world is a scary place
Now that you've woken up the demon in me
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Open up your hate, and let it flow into me
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
You mother get up come on get down with the sickness
You fucker get up come on get down with the sickness
Madness is the gift, that has been given to me
(And when I dream)
(And when I dream)
(And when I dream), (and when I dream)
No mommy, don't do it again
Don't do it again
I'll be a good boy
I'll be a good boy, I promise
No mommy don't hit me
Why did you have to hit me like that, mommy?
Don't do it, you're hurting me
Why did you have to be such a bitch
Why don't you
Why don't you just fuck off and die
Why can't you just fuck off and die
Why can't you just leave here and die
Never stick your hand in my face again bitch
Fuck you
I don't need this shit
You stupid sadistic abusive fucking whore
How would you like to see how it feels mommy
Here it comes, get ready to die
Oh, ah, ah, ah, ah
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Open up your hate, and let it flow into me
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
You mother get up come on get down with the sickness
You fucker get up come on get down with the sickness
Madness has now come over me
"Down With the Sickness" is a song about giving in to your darkest desires and embracing the madness within. The lyrics begin with the singer asking if the listener can feel something, which is presumably the darkness within themselves. The next lines describe the singer as drowning in their own loathing and broken to the point of kneeling. The question is then posed - will the listener give in to the singer's madness?
The chorus is a call to action for the listener to join the singer in their madness. The repeated phrase "get up, come on get down with the sickness" is an invitation to embrace the darkness and let it flow into them. The second verse again offers the listener a choice - deny the sickness rising within or give in to it. The singer reveals that what was once good within them is dying and decaying. The bridge offers a glimpse into the singer's traumatic past, with a series of disturbing lines spoken to an abusive mother before launching back into the chorus. This time the final line declares that madness has now come over the singer.
Overall, "Down With the Sickness" is a song about confronting the darkest parts of oneself and embracing them. It presents a chaotic and violent image of madness, but the chorus offers the idea that embracing one's madness can be a release from pain and suffering.
Line by Line Meaning
Can you feel that?
Are you aware of the intense emotion and energy that is being projected through this song?
Ah, shit
An expression of frustration with the way things are in society.
Oh, ah, ah, ah, ah
Oh, ah, ah, ah, ah
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
The chorus serves as a call to action, urging listeners to join in on the intense energy of the music and lyrics.
Drowning deep in my sea of loathing
Broken your servant I kneel
(Will you give in to me?)
Feeling overwhelmed with negative thoughts and emotions, the artist is reaching out for help and asking for submission from those around them.
It seems what's left of my human side
Is slowly changing in me
(Will you give in to me?)
The artist is going through a personal transformation where they feel like they are losing their humanity, and they want others to join them on this journey.
Looking at my own reflection
When suddenly it changes
Violently it changes (oh no)
There is no turning back now
You've woken up the demon in me
The singer is seeing themselves transform before their own eyes, and they are powerless to stop it. They blame the person who caused this awakening within them for unleashing their dark side.
It seems you're having some trouble
In dealing with these changes
Living with these changes (oh no)
The world is a scary place
Now that you've woken up the demon in me
The singer is aware that others may struggle to accept their changes and the darkness that comes with it. They want others to know that they understand the fear and uncertainty they may be experiencing.
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
Open up your hate, and let it flow into me
Get up, come on get down with the sickness
You mother get up come on get down with the sickness
You fucker get up come on get down with the sickness
Madness is the gift, that has been given to me
The chorus is a call to action for listeners to embrace their hatred and negative emotions and let them flow freely. The artist believes that their madness is a gift to be shared with others.
I can see inside you, the sickness is rising
Don't try to deny what you feel
(Will you give in to me?)
The artist can sense the darkness in others and is urging them to embrace it. They want others to submit to them and join in their madness.
It seems that all that was good has died
And is decaying in me
(Will you give in to me?)
The artist is fully embracing their dark side and feels that there is no longer any good left within them. They want others to join them in their decay.
No mommy, don't do it again
Don't do it again
I'll be a good boy
I'll be a good boy, I promise
No mommy don't hit me
Why did you have to hit me like that, mommy?
Don't do it, you're hurting me
Why did you have to be such a bitch
The singer is recounting traumatic experiences with their mother, blaming her for causing their emotional pain and acting out in response to it.
Why don't you
Why don't you just fuck off and die
Why can't you just fuck off and die
Why can't you just leave here and die
Never stick your hand in my face again bitch
Fuck you
I don't need this shit
You stupid sadistic abusive fucking whore
How would you like to see how it feels mommy
Here it comes, get ready to die
The artist is expressing rage and a desire for revenge against their mother. They use violent language to describe their hatred and wish for her to experience the pain she caused them.
Madness has now come over me
The song ends with the singer fully embracing their madness and accepting it as a part of who they are.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dan Donegan, David Draiman, Michael Wengren, Mike Wengren, Steve Kmak
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@eyelove_owlcity
That "OH AH AH AH AH" will live on forever
@ControlCSM
Yup 👍
@AverageRomaboo
Hello fellow by metal and South Park fan
@angelabuck2674
💗💗💗
@sandrawarfield914
It will!
@Sunilchettri5781
Yeaaah!!
@MrsHobbittoes
I'm 67 years old and experienced all the great music of the 70's. I never thought I would like this type of music, but I am hooked.
@NazriB
Serie A Leader
@vilmoslente3487
Slipknot XIX
@dorituz62
thats so cool!