September is upon us, and with it comes a myriad of new CDs on which the already broke college student can waste more food money. Among the vast, ever-expanding selection of new releases is nu-metal band Disturbed's sophomore release, "Believe."
To be honest, I came into this review expecting to hate the album. Now, in anticipation of the horrified gasps of Goth hordes who embraced Disturbed's first release, "The Sickness," allow me to explain. While somewhat innovative and certainly distinct from other bands in the genre, Disturbed threatened to be a flash in the pan, a flavor of the week. A sophomore release packed with "Down with the Sickness" clones, endless monkey-like screeching and a definite lack of musical evolution seemed a sure bet. After giving the album a thorough listen, however, I'm pleasantly surprised. Complete with some clever riffs, a few good hooks, crisp production and even some fairly unconventional musical timing, "Believe" is far better than I expected.
The album's first single, "Prayer," is probably the song most closely comparable to the group's maniacally infectious first hit "Stupify." With the driving rhythm and overall energy of the song to accompany him, vocalist David Draiman seems to scream, "I have metal spikes coming out of my chin! Take me seriously!" Facial piercings notwithstanding, Draiman's presence on the catchy "Prayer" is unquestionable. But enough about the song most of us have probably heard 12 times by now (meaning during the process of reading this article); there are 11 other songs on this album, at least three or four of which are worth mentioning.
First, there's the surprisingly well-constructed "Remember." A shocker with musical timing not commonly risked by a fairly mainstream group, the song differ from anything I've heard by the band thus far. Beautifully arranged, well-played and even pleasantly sung by the sometimes tiresome Draiman, "Remember" is probably my favorite song from "Believe." In addition to being one of the few Disturbed songs I wouldn't want a different vocalist singing, "Remember" also exhibits remarkable improvement in both the skill and style of guitarist Dan Donegan.
The next noteworthy song on "Believe" is the double bass drum driven "Rise." Bringing back the band's heavier musical edge, the song illustrates that just because the singer isn't destroying his vocal chords barking an extensive string of obscenities doesn't mean the song isn't heavy. A deliberate and noticeable drum part will get your body swaying, and the accompanying guitar and bass lines will keep it so, especially during the memorable chorus. "Rise" will definitely provide some of the adrenaline-pumping noise nu-metal fanatics seem to require.
Finally, with a guitar part I could swear was right out of System of A Down's Daron Malakian's mind, "Breathe" is very un-Disturbed-like, but still a fun listen. While many hardcore Disturbed and metal fans will no doubt cry commercialization on this track (as will be the case with much of the album, pretty much justly so) the guitar is too great a hook to pass up the rest of the song.
The biggest problem with this album, and what I suspect will be the biggest complaint from fans, is the soft, heartfelt "Darkness." The song is basically the typical clich
d ballad of a metal singer who just wants to show us that underneath his rough, rock-and-roll, I-have-metal-spikes-coming-out-of-my-chin exterior, he's got a deeper, sensitive side; on the inside, Draiman and the rest of Disturbed just want a hug. "Darkness," which even comes at the very end, isn't actually that bad a song. It is reminiscent of Dry Kill Logic's "Goodnight," an unexpected but sort of moving acoustic guitar track. Unfortunately, the tough-singer-gone-soft song has simply been too overdone at this point. Kudos to Disturbed for trying to expand their horizons, but it's just not working.
Overall, fans that adopted Disturbed's first release because of its darker and heavier aspects will find themselves ultimately disappointed. Fans who are just sort of along for the ride and only care about what's played on the radio anyway will probably find "Believe" far more enjoyable than "The Sickness."
Will this album stand the test of time? Probably not. Will I even be listening to it next week, or tomorrow? Most likely, I'll move on with my life. But for a band whose big claim to fame was their vocalist's monkey noises set to metal guitars, Disturbed has come a long way.
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