“The greatest hardship was probably emerging as a prominent band in a city that was not a breeding ground for hard rock bands,” vocalist David Draiman said.
“Chicago has always been known to be an indie rock town. Bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and Local H are the ones that really dominated the scene. When we came out we were an anomaly. It was very difficult for us to get gigs at inner city clubs. However, it worked to our benefit. By being forced to play in the outskirts, we built up a tremendous following that has been very loyal to this day.”

David Draiman

With the release of a new album, most bands harbor goals. These goals, often personal and professional, are typically made in order to achieve them. However, that’s not necessarily the case for Draiman.

“A goal is never achieved. A goal is being able to expand beyond what you’ve already done and to be able to reach more people than you’ve ever been able to reach. So, it’s a limitless goal,” Draiman said.

Ten Thousand Fists, released September 20, 2005 is the third full album by Disturbed. Known for their catchy lyrical content and impressive music, Disturbed’s Ten Thousand Fists has shown fans this band is not ready to back down.

“[Our lyrical inspiration] comes from life and world events, the way that the growth of our career has impacted upon our individual lives and relationships, and how political events around the world and otherwise make us feel,” Draiman said.

Disturbed had 20 songs when they first went into the studio to record Ten Thousand Fists. After going through a difficult process of deduction, they ultimately settled on the most appealing and satisfying tracks.

“Each of [the songs] has a certain level of love in our hearts and it was difficult to choose. You choose based on what the record should feel like and what the balance should be between up tempo, mid tempo, and slower songs. You just have to create a musical landscape for the record,” said Draiman.

Genesis’ “ Land Of Confusion,” covered by Disturbed, was one of the lucky songs to make it onto the album.

“There were [reservations about covering ‘Land Of Confusion’],” Draiman said hesitantly. “I was not necessarily and still am not a big Phil Collins fan. Danny (guitarist) saw the video and it kind of struck a cord in his head with how much the song is lyrically contiguous with much of the Fists record.”

Ten Thousand Fists was certified platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for selling in excess of one million copies.

“We’re very pleased that it went platinum as quickly as it did in four months time. We hope that’s not all it has to do though. We’re somewhat surprised considering the environment that we’re in, which isn’t necessarily as conducive for hard rock bands as it used to be. So, we’re very proud of it,” Draiman said.

Spawn creator Todd McFarlane was sought out by Disturbed to create the rather attention-grabbing cover art for Ten Thousand Fists.

“I had been a fan of his work for years. We wanted to have somebody who could bring 3-dimensional life to the 2-dimensional icon of a face from the first record who we call ‘the guy.’ And we figured who’s better at drawing big, toothy, frightening grins,” said Draiman. “So, we sent [McFarlane] some material, he loved it, and jumped on board.”

Throughout Disturbed’s ten year career, they’ve encountered and endured many rough patches. Long time friend and bassist Fuzz parted ways with the band, which in turn led to John Moyer entering the Disturbed family.

Along with an addition to the family, Disturbed also lost a very dear member of their crew, Dimebag Darrell Abbott, the legendary Pantera and Damage Plan guitarist, who was shot on stage December 8, 2004 during a performance with Damage Plan.

“We were very close with Dime. [His death] has affected us traumatically. The Pantera guys in general kind of showed us the way,” Draiman said. “Our after shows were always in the Pantera dressing room. We would always watch with awe and learn as much as we could from their live performances and the way they interacted with others. Dime was such a charismatic guy. We miss him very much as a friend. We hope that wherever he is he’s kickin’ back, drinkin’ a black tooth, looking down and smiling at us.”

Censorship has been a debatable issue for many years. Along with Pantera songs, (and numerous other hard rock bands) many of Disturbed songs have had to be censored for radio play.

Draiman says, “We don’t specifically seek to place profanity within the music; it’s only where it’s appropriate and where it feels right. Sometimes profanity is very powerful when used appropriately. You do have to be sensitive to the fact that there could be younger listeners.”

One of Disturbed’s most powerful songs “Down with the Sickness” off their first album The Sickness has stirred up much debate.

“‘Down with the Sickness’ was never intended to be a single. It was a fluke. I thought that because of its lyrical content and inherent darkness within the song that it would actually never get radio play. So, I understood the necessity for the editing,” Draiman said.

The inspiration for that controversial song was the way that society treats people who are “out of the norm.” Draiman says society depicts individuality as if it’s a kind of illness.

“Down with the Sickness” has had an overwhelming affect upon many individuals. It was also used during a crucial scene in the remake of the film Dawn of the Dead.

“I loved the version that was used. I thought it was very tongue in cheek and very appropriate for the scene. We didn’t think that song would have such an effect as it has,” said Draiman.

With a triumphant new album and a fan base most bands would be jealous of, Disturbed plans to continue their journey down the road of success, individuality and distinctiveness.

“We thank our fans very much for their support. We’re very, very happy that they still believe in us and that we still have a chance to do what we love most,” Draiman said.  

Disturbed is:
David Draiman - Vocals
Dan Donegan - Guitarist
Mike Wengren - Drummer
John Moyer - Bassist

Feature Story by Shannon Swanson © 2006 - Florida Entertainment Scene - All Rights Reserved.