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".
Sacred Lie
Disturbed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I fight to uncover your
Sacred Lie
And the fear isn't going away
As the soldiers still die
Let the followers know
That their lives have been sold
For the good of your
For the truth to be told
And the pain to unfold
We must start asking why
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Liberation, a moral charade
For the cause is a part of your
Sacred Lie
Damnation a moment away in all the world's eyes
It's the doom of us all
We give in to control for the sake of your
Sacred Lie
Complications abound
You'll get used to the sound
Of alarms in your life
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace right now
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
The lyrics to Disturbed's song "Sacred Lie" tackle the subject of war and the lies and manipulations used to justify it. The singer expresses their conviction to uncover the truth and expose the "sacred lie" that has sold the lives of followers for the supposed greater good. The fear and pain caused by war is highlighted in the line "as the soldiers still die" and the question is posed - "we must start asking why".
The second verse continues to criticize the motives behind war and the idea of "liberation" being a "moral charade" that is actually causing damnation for all. The idea of control is also mentioned, indicating that those in power use war to maintain it. The chorus repeats the idea that the war is far from over and that the lives lost defending no one are a stumbling block humanity has fallen over. The song ends with a plea for a moment of peace in our lifetime, emphasizing the devastating impact war has on individuals and society as a whole.
Line by Line Meaning
My conviction is stronger today
I have a firmer belief now
As I fight to uncover your Sacred Lie
As I struggle to reveal the falsehood you're hiding
And the fear isn't going away
I still have fear
As the soldiers still die
While soldiers continue to perish
Let the followers know That their lives have been sold For the good of your Sacred Lie
Inform your followers that they've been deceived, and their lives have been traded for your deceit
For the truth to be told And the pain to unfold We must start asking why
We need to begin questioning to unravel the reality and the suffering that comes with it
Don't you know the war is far from over now
Are you not aware that the war is still raging?
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
This obstacle we're experiencing now was avoidable
As our brothers die defending no one
Our siblings give their lives without protecting anyone
Liberation, a moral charade For the cause is a part of your Sacred Lie
Freedom is a facade you use to mask the fact that your aim promotes deceit
Damnation a moment away in all the world's eyes It's the doom of us all
The entire world sees oblivion looming, and it's likely to consume us
We give in to control for the sake of your Sacred Lie
We surrender to manipulation for the good of your deception
Complications abound You'll get used to the sound Of alarms in your life
Problems exist, and you'll eventually become accustomed to the disturbances they cause
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Provide us with a period of serenity during our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace right now
Immediately provide us with a moment of calmness
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAN DONEGAN, DAVID DRAIMAN, MICHAEL WENGREN, MIKE WENGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
seba9509
My conviction is stronger today
As I fight to uncover your
Sacred Lie
And the fear isn't going away
As the soldiers still die
Let the followers know
That their lives have been sold
For the good of your
Sacred Lie
For the truth to be told
And the pain to unfold
We must start asking why
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Liberation, a moral charade
For the cause is a part of your
Sacred Lie
Damnation a moment away in all the world's eyes
It's the doom of us all
We give in to control for the sake of your
Sacred Lie
Complications abound
You'll get used to the sound
Of alarms in your life
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace right now
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Tate Hammontree
My conviction is stronger today
As I fight to uncover your
Sacred Lie
And the fear isn't going away
As the soldiers still die
Let the followers know
That their lives have been sold
For the good of your
Sacred Lie
For the truth to be told
And the pain to unfold
We must start asking why
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Liberation, a moral charade
For the cause is a part of your
Sacred Lie
Damnation a moment away in all the world's eyes
It's the doom of us all
We give in to control for the sake of your
Sacred Lie
Complications abound
You'll get used to the sound
Of alarms in your life
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace right now
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Ataberk Bayındır
My conviction is stronger today
As I fight to uncover your
Sacred Lie
And the fear isn't going away
As the soldiers still die
Let the followers know
That their lives have been sold
For the good of your
Sacred Lie
For the truth to be told
And the pain to unfold
We must start asking why
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Liberation, a moral charade
For the cause is a part of your
Sacred Lie
Damnation a moment away in all the world's eyes
It's the doom of us all
We give in to control for the sake of your
Sacred Lie
Complications abound
You'll get used to the sound
Of alarms in your life
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace right now
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Metalhorror90sguy
THIS DAY SEPTEMBER 20 2005! THIS EPIC MASTERPIECE WAS UNLEASHED ON THE WORLD! WHO ELSE IS HERE? 🤘
Jacky Parmesan
Hell yeah, love this album.
Nathaniel Hamer
My birthday this song was born, awesome only 2 years late
Island Gamer
I got it for my birthday and shit it changed my life,long live disturbed
Troy Randall
still hits as hard today as it did the first time I came across it ,, Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity ,,
Lone Ranja
I was working out of town in Panama City Beach and was at the doors on release day! I swear this album didn't leave my cd player for 3 months after!
seba9509
My conviction is stronger today
As I fight to uncover your
Sacred Lie
And the fear isn't going away
As the soldiers still die
Let the followers know
That their lives have been sold
For the good of your
Sacred Lie
For the truth to be told
And the pain to unfold
We must start asking why
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Liberation, a moral charade
For the cause is a part of your
Sacred Lie
Damnation a moment away in all the world's eyes
It's the doom of us all
We give in to control for the sake of your
Sacred Lie
Complications abound
You'll get used to the sound
Of alarms in your life
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace in our lifetime
Give us a moment of peace right now
Don't you know the war is far from over now
What a stumbling block we've fallen over now
As our brothers die defending no one
The war is far from over now
trispy cream
This album has a lot of tracks that are still (unfortunately) very timely today, this being one of them. Such a badass sounding track.
Laitan
Thank you for your love and support all through the years. We obviously wouldn’t have made it this far with you. Send us a mail contactusdisturbed@gmail.com
lala Corn
@Ex Saffa If you think down with the sickness is about an actual virus...are you even a fan?