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".
Numb
Disturbed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Crying, I'm
Falling, I'm
Bleeding now, now
Bleeding, I'm
Crying, I'm
Falling, I'm
Bleeding now, I'm
Crying out, I'm
Falling down and I'm
Feeling nothing, like
Laughing now, I'm
Stopping now, I'm
Ooh, reaching out and I'm
Feeling nothing
Yeah
You created a rift within me
Now, there have been several complications and I'm
Left me feeling nothing
I might say
You were wrong to take it from me
Left me feeling nothing
Crawling now, I'm
Beaten down, I'm
Tortured now and I'm
Feeling nothing, like
Hunting now, I'm
Stalking now, I'm
Reaching out and I'm
Killing nothing
Yeah
You created a rift within me
Now, there have been several complications and I'm
Left me feeling nothing
I might say
You were wrong to take it from me
Left me feeling nothing
Ooh, I can feel you ripping and tearing and feeding and growing inside of me
Ripping and tearing and feeding and growing inside of me
I want this
More than you know
I need this
Give it back to me
You created a rift within me
You are the cause of these horrid complications that are
Ripping and tearing and feeding and growing inside of me, yeah
You've created a rift within me
Now, there have been several complications that are
Ripping, tearing
Feeding, growing
Ripping, tearing
Ripping and tearing and feeding and growing inside of me
I want this
More than you know
I need this
Give it back to me
The lyrics to Disturbed's song Numb explore the theme of emotional pain and the desire for revenge or closure. The repetition of bleeding, crying, and falling create a sense of desperation and despair. The singer is in a state of emotional turmoil, feeling as though they are bleeding and falling apart. They express a need for closure and resolution, but at the same time, they are feeling numb and disconnected from their emotions.
The singer addresses someone who has wronged them, creating a rift within them that has left them feeling nothing. They express anger and frustration at having something taken from them, likely referencing a relationship or a personal possession. The repetition of "ripping and tearing and feeding and growing" suggests that this emotional wound is not healing and that the pain is only getting worse.
Overall, the lyrics to Numb convey a sense of emotional pain and desperation, with the singer desperately seeking closure and resolution to their inner turmoil.
Line by Line Meaning
Bleeding I'm
I am hurting and in pain
Crying I'm
I am weeping due to my pain
Falling I'm
I am descending into darkness
Bleeding now
My pain is current and ongoing
Bleeding now I'm
My pain is overwhelming me
Crying out I'm
I am pleading with you to hear my pain
Falling down and I'm
I am losing control and spiraling downward
Feeling nothing like
I am numb to the world and my surroundings
Laughing now I'm
I am trying to mask my pain with humor
Stopping now I'm
I am frozen in place and unable to move
Reaching out and I'm
I am desperately seeking help and support
Feeling nothing
I am completely apathetic
Yeah, you have created a rift within me
You have caused a divide within myself
Now there have been several complications
The situation has become increasingly difficult and problematic
I might say, you were wrong to take it from me
You may have made a mistake in stealing from me
Crawling now I'm
I am moving forward with difficulty and pain
Beaten down I'm
I am exhausted and defeated
Tortured now and I'm
I am enduring immense suffering
Hunting now I'm
I am searching for a way to cope
Stalking now I'm
I am relentlessly pursuing a solution
And killing nothing
Despite my efforts, I am unable to find a resolution
That are ripping and tearing and feeding and growing inside of me
The internal turmoil is causing me immense pain and difficulty
I want this
I desire a resolution to my pain
More than you know
It is difficult to express just how much I need help
I need this
I require a solution to my suffering
Give it back to me
Return what you have taken from me to alleviate my pain
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mike Wengren, Dan Donegan, David Draiman, Steve Kmak
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Frejborg
Yeah, I've always liked this song a lot. Now I'm getting a little older I realise how much it says about me that I enjoyed, and felt peace with songs and lyrics like this.
Mother... what did you do to me?
Been struggling in all relationships all my life, but it really comes out with the woman I've been seeing throughout this scamdemic.
Sometimes when I upset her, and when she reacts appropriately, and puts distance between us, I just lose it, it's like a demon starts coming out of me. Screaming, yelling at the top of.of my lungs, growling, crawling around. So much anger...
Heal us God.
And the anger comes out in passive aggressiveness, and negativity, avoidance, moodiness, overreactions, defensiveness, argumentativeness, brooding, lashing out subtly, and flip-flopping on my thoughts, feelings, and choices.
I just want to heal and move forward.
@LJ-hk4tv
Bleeding I'm
Crying I'm
Falling I'm
Bleeding now
Bleeding I'm
Crying I'm
Falling I'm
Bleeding now
Bleeding now I'm
Crying out I'm
Falling down and I'm
Feeling nothing like
Laughing now I'm
Stopping now I'm
Reaching out and I'm
Feeling nothing
Yeah, you created a rift within me
Now there have been several complications
That have left me feeling nothing
I might say, you were wrong to take it from me
Left me feeling nothing
Crawling now I'm
Beaten down I'm
Tortured now and I'm
Feeling nothing like
Hunting now I'm
Stalking now I'm
Reaching out and I'm
And killing nothing
You created a rift within me
Now there have been several complications
That have left me feeling nothing
I might say, you were wrong to take it from me
Left me feeling nothing
That are ripping and tearing and feeding and growing inside of me
Ripping and tearing and feeding and growing inside of me
I want this
More than you know
I need this
Give it back to me
You've created a rift within me
Now there have been several complications
That are ripping, tearing and feeding and growing inside of me
You've created a rift within me
Now there have been several complications
That are ripping, tearing
Feeding,
Growing
Ripping
Tearing
Ripping and tearing and feeding and growing inside of me
I want this
More than you know
I need this
Give it back to me
@dmihelic1ify
I love Disturbed, but this is my fave of all their songs, SO underrated. Most ppl don't even know about it.
@zachflorian5471
Dc Mihelic so do I man
@aholegunner
Soo true! Its always been my fav disturbed song. I even wrote a parody on it describing a personal experience that I had with a stolen key. Was funny shit. I love disturbed!
@tugarza4221
Dc Mihelic you are so righy havent heard this in awhile...your awesome
@williamsmith8041
Dc Mihelic I didnt
@ThingWillEvery
Same
@damienaspin2679
I discovered this album when I was 14, im now 31 and I still love this album in its entirety. These guys have been strong for so long. DISTURBED FOR LIFE!!!
@estuardoquinonez700
Somebody gave me a "The sickness" copy when I was 14 as well, now I'm 34 and still loving this song more than others like stupify...
@manassahyoung8218
Yup I remember jammin this in the bus on the way to middle school
@Flapswitch13
David's singing in this song is quite incredible. The first time I heard him belt out the chorus I knew he was the real deal.