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".
Stricken
Disturbed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You walk on like a woman in suffering
Won't even bother now, to tell me why
You come alone, letting all of us savor the moment
Leaving me broken, another time
You come on like a blood stained hurricane
Leave me alone, let me be this time
You carry on like a holy man pushing redemption
That I am stricken and can't let you go
When the heart is cold there's no hope
And we know
That I am crippled by all that you've done
Into the abyss will I run
You don't know what your power has done to me
I want to know if I'll heal inside
I can't go on, with a holocaust about to happen
Seeing you laughing, another time
You'll never know how your face has haunted me
My very soul has to bleed this time
Another hole in the wall of my inner defenses
Leaving me breathless, the reason I know
That I am stricken and can't let you go
When the heart is cold there's no hope
And we know
That I am crippled by all that you've done
Into the abyss will I run
Into the abyss will I run
You walk on like a woman in suffering
Won't even bother now, to tell me why
You come alone, letting all of us savor the moment
Leaving me broken, another time
You come on like a blood stained hurricane
Leave me alone, let me be this time
You carry on a holy man pushing redemption
I don't want to mention, the reason I know
That I am stricken and can't let you go
When the heart is cold there's no hope
And we know
That I am crippled by all that you've done
Into the abyss will I run, into the abyss will I run
I can't let you go
Yes I am stricken and can't let you go
The song "Stricken" by Disturbed is about the intense emotional pain that comes after being betrayed by someone. The lyrics describe the singer's torment as they struggle to move on from a relationship that has caused them immense heartache. The opening line "You walk on like a woman in suffering" sets the tone for the song, as the singer compares their lover's behavior to that of a person who is struggling with physical pain. The lyrics go on to describe the singer's feelings of helplessness and desperation, as they try to come to terms with the damage that has been done to their heart. They're "stricken" with the pain and unable to let go, even though they know that they must. The second verse talks about the way in which the pain has affected the singer's life, as they struggle to deal with the fact that someone they trusted has let them down. The song is an intense portrayal of heartbreak and the overwhelming emotions that come with it.
Overall, the lyrics of the song suggest that the singer is struggling to deal with the aftermath of a relationship gone wrong. They feel betrayed and hurt, and are unable to move on from the pain caused by their lover's actions. The song speaks to the deep pain that can be felt when someone we care about betrays us, and the difficulty of letting go of those feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah ah ah ow
A vocal expression of pain and anguish.
You walk on like a woman in suffering
You move about in a manner that suggests you are burdened with pain.
Won't even bother now, to tell me why
You refuse to explain your actions and motives to me.
You come alone, letting all of us savor the moment
You arrive unaccompanied and permit us to appreciate the occasion you bring.
Leaving me broken, another time
You cause me emotional harm, as has happened before.
You come on like a blood stained hurricane
You approach like a destructive force with devastating effects.
Leave me alone, let me be this time
Please spare me any further pain and injury.
You carry on like a holy man pushing redemption
You act like a religious figure promoting salvation and absolution.
I don't want to mention, the reason I know
I prefer not to discuss the cause of my insight.
That I am stricken and can't let you go
I am emotionally paralyzed and unable to separate from you.
When the heart is cold there's no hope
It is hopeless to try to rekindle warmth and love in one's heart.
And we know
This fact is widely understood.
That I am crippled by all that you've done
I am greatly disabled by the damage you have inflicted on me.
Into the abyss will I run
I will escape into a dark and bottomless chasm to avoid further harm.
You don't know what your power has done to me
You are unaware of the tremendous impact you have had on me.
I want to know if I'll heal inside
I am uncertain if I will recover emotionally from your actions.
I can't go on, with a holocaust about to happen
I cannot continue to endure with a looming and catastrophic event on the horizon.
Seeing you laughing, another time
Observing you enjoying yourself again exacerbates my suffering.
You'll never know how your face has haunted me
You will never comprehend how your demeanor has tormented me.
My very soul has to bleed this time
I am wounded to the core of my being on this occasion.
Another hole in the wall of my inner defenses
Another weak spot has been created in my emotional armor.
Leaving me breathless, the reason I know
You rob me of composure, and I am aware of the cause.
I can't let you go
I am unable to find the strength to separate from you.
Yes I am stricken and can't let you go
I am gripped by emotional paralysis and cannot detach from you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAN DONEGAN, DAVID DRAIMAN, MICHAEL WENGREN, MIKE WENGREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Юрий Семецкий
Best live performance of this song!
Moises Saunders
It’s on Spotify!
Max Berg
By far one of their best performances ever!
TheJesterFacade
Awesome song. "You carry on like a holy man pushing redemption, I don't want to mention the reason I know that I am stricken and cant let you go." Wonderful.
Moises Saunders
10/10
Marcello Capone
Inject this right into my brain waves. Insane live version!
Игорь Зиннатуллин
Wow! It really sounds almost like a studio version! For this they need be respected.
Ricky McKenzie
Absolutely perfect!
Mysikrysa
Fu*king great! I would like to see them live!
SS420
Mysikrysa Fucking* lol