Haven't done one of these in a while.
I pulled down a copy of the newest Disturbed album, "10000 Fists". I wasn't a big fan of their first album, but I liked their second album well enough. They have always had a similarity in all of their music that only a band like AC/DC can pull off. I was hoping that they would recognize this pattern and change up the music a bit on this their junior album. The first song, 10000 Fists, begins with their usual sadistic rape of the drums and bloody beating of a guitar, and into the shrill and redundant vocals of David Draiman. Believe it or not, Draiman is actually a talented vocalist (see "Forsaken" on the soundtrack to the movie "Queen of the Damned" - produced by Jonathan Davis - be sure to note the lack of David's "signature" grunts) when he's not playing with Disturbed. Maybe it's the name of the band that turns him so sour and makes him grunt like an ape in heat?
Anyway, the energy of this song motions up quickly and I was really kind of digging this first track. It's peppy enough to keep my mind busy as I'm listening to it. However, moving into the second song on the album, the aptly named "Just Stop", begins a downward slide through the redundancy and "ho hum" of the rest of this album. There are a couple higher points; "Guarded" and "Overburdened" are decent songs with a little more vocal energy than that of a dead fish. I found myself getting very bored with each song after the first 20 seconds.
Unfortunately, it wasn't until poor David and the rest of Disturbed broke into "Land of Confusion" - a cover of a Genesis song - that I realized the putrescence of this band. Genesis? Okay, okay, some bands can probably pull this off. Not Disturbed. You cannot have a platinum selling "heavy metal" rock band covering a song from a mellow, even-flowing band like Genesis and put no more energy in it than the original artists. News flash guys, just because you bang on the drums harder and use a little more guitar does not make the song any more interesting to listen to. Certainly, David's redundant baboon-with-a-dick-in-his-ass-like grunts do not help to increase the validity of this track.
The album ends with the flaccid and uninspiring "Avarice" - a less than three minute tribute to how a potentially really good band could use a swift kick in the ass. Hey guys, hang the record company "yes men" - you need those ten-thousand fists shoved right up your asses.
