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".
Façade
Disturbed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shattered doll, desperate
Oh so innocent and delicate
But too damn obdurate
And obstinate to let go
Broken down, hurt again, it never ends
Frightened and trembling
Her eyes encircled in black again
I can't believe that she's still with him
For how long will you try?
How long until you walk away?
Your facade can't disguise
The fact that you're in misery
Look inside see what has become of her
Hiding within again
Can she pick herself up again?
It's just too difficult and arduous to let go
Homicide flashes through her mind again
No more pain, take control
If he raises his hand again
She'll find her freedom in killing him
The world will see that she's had enough
For how long will you try?
How long until you walk away?
Your facade can't disguise
The fact that you're in misery
For how long will you try?
How long until you walk away?
Your facade can't disguise
The fact that you're in misery
For how long will you deny?
How long until you walk away?
Your facade can't disguise
The fact that you're in misery
For how long will you try?
How long until you walk away?
Your facade can't disguise
The fact that you're in misery
Broken down, hurt again
It never ends
The lyrics to Disturbed's song Façade tell the story of a woman who is in an abusive relationship. The lyrics describe her as a "shattered doll" who is both "innocent and delicate," yet "too damn obdurate and obstinate to let go," revealing the complexity of domestic abuse victims' mental state. The woman is described as having "black eyes" and being "broken down" and "hurt again," suggesting that this is not the first time she has been physically beaten. The lines "for how long will you try? how long until you walk away?" reveal that the woman is grappling with the decision to leave her abuser, despite the misery she is experiencing.
As the song progresses, the lyrics take a darker turn, with the woman considering homicide as the only way to escape the abuse. The lyrics "if he raises his hand again, she'll find her freedom in killing him" show the desperation and fear many domestic abuse victims feel. The song ends with the repeated lines "broken down, hurt again, it never ends," emphasizing the cyclical nature of abuse and the never-ending pain it creates.
Line by Line Meaning
No one knows just what has become of her
The singer questions the whereabouts or state of someone who is shattered, unstable, and wants to desperately-get out of a tough situation.
Shattered doll, desperate
An imagery of someone who is broken, shattered and in dire need of help.
Oh so innocent and delicate
The singer describes someone as pure and fragile, who needs protection and a safe environment.
But too damn obdurate
The individual being described is stubborn and resistant, making it difficult to help or save them.
And obstinate to let go
The person being spoken about cannot let go of something, possibly a person or situation, which is harmful and affecting them negatively.
Broken down, hurt again, it never ends
The person being described is continuously damaged and hurt, and things never seem to improve for them.
Frightened and trembling
The individual spoken of is scared and struggling to cope with their situation.
Did she fall again? An accident?
The artist is unsure whether the person being talked about experienced another episode or if it was an accident.
Her eyes encircled in black again
The individual spoken of has black circles around their eyes which could imply the lack of sleep or some form of physical or mental abuse.
I can't believe that she's still with him
The artist finds it difficult to understand why the person being talked about is still with an abusive person.
For how long will you try?
A question asked about how the person being spoken of will keep trying to fix a situation that is beyond their control.
How long until you walk away?
The artist questions how much longer the individual will take before finally leaving a harmful situation.
Your facade can't disguise
Someone is trying to hide their true inner emotions and feelings behind a mask or facade, but it's becoming increasingly apparent to those around them.
The fact that you're in misery
The individual is experiencing extreme unhappiness and suffering.
Look inside see what has become of her
The singer is asking someone to take a closer look and see the negative impact a situation could be having on someone.
Hiding within again
The person being described is withdrawing and hiding from others, possibly to conceal their misery or for fear of being judged.
Can she pick herself up again?
The artist is questioning whether the person being talked about has the strength to overcome their struggles and challenges.
It's just too difficult and arduous to let go
The individual is holding onto something or someone which is causing them harm and wants to let go, but it's a hard decision.
Homicide flashes through her mind again
The person being talked about is experiencing violent thoughts in their head.
No more pain, take control
This could mean the individual is contemplating taking control of their situation completely and ending whatever is causing the pain and misery.
If he raises his hand again
This line suggests that the person being talked about is possibly in an abusive relationship, and the abuser is physical.
She'll find her freedom in killing him
The artist suggests that the only way for the individual to escape their pain and misery is to take extreme action and resort to violence.
The world will see that she's had enough
The person being talked about has reached their breaking point, and the whole world will see that they have had enough of a certain situation.
For how long will you deny?
The artist is questioning how long the individual will keep denying their true emotions and feelings.
Your facade can't disguise
The individual cannot hide their true emotions and feelings, no matter how much they try.
The fact that you're in misery
The person being described is experiencing extreme unhappiness.
Broken down, hurt again
The person being talked about is continuously damaged and hurt.
It never ends
The negative situation is ongoing and has remained the same, causing the individual years of continuous hurt and pain.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAN DONEGAN, DAVID DRAIMAN, MICHAEL WENGREN, MIKE WENGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jon Keys
on Land of Confusion
It's a cover of a Genesis song!