Disturbed Make Surprisingly Fresh Comeback On ‘Immortalised’

The blunt truth of Chicago metallers Disturbed’s comeback is regardless of any hype that’s encompassed it so far, it’s difficult to get masses excited for new music from a band whose biggest contribution to popular culture was a primate impression in a song which is 15 years old.

“Disturbed are back! How exciting is that!?

“Aren’t they the band with that song with the monkey impression?”

“Well yeah, but they’ve also released several No. 1 albums - one of them went platinum, plus they’ve been nominated for a Grammy too.”

“Doesn’t the lead singer scream like “Ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah!” all over the song?”

“He did… but, now they have this new album coming out now, so, they’re... relevant again, right?”

“Ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah?”

But if you have remained a loyal fan and the group’s 2011 hiatus has felt like a total drag to you, then sixth album 'Immortalized' won’t leave you disappointed. It’s packed with the components that have made Disturbed the hard rock powerhouse they are today, with a sharper production thrown in for good measure.

Maybe it’s this pressure to come back firing on all cylinders that has increased the band’s sense of drive and ambition, as a real sense of grandeur and drama is summoned across ten tracks, and when it hits, it hits hard. Lead single "The Vengeful One" boasts a chorus as epic as the best offerings from 'Ten Thousand Fists' or 'Indestructible', as does the enormously groovy "What Are You Waiting For" and the icy electronic tinges that chill throughout "You’re Mine".

While some stand out more than others, every song on 'Immortalized' boasts catchy choruses surrounded by knuckle dragging grooves by Dan Donegan and a constant “Do you feel lucky punk?” attitude given off by fron-tman David Draiman. If anything, their ability to frequently reanimate the tired radio rock structure they stick to makes them the Doctor Frankensteins of metal at this stage.

Anyone who's ever read Draiman’s caps lock friendly tweets will know that while most of what he says is genuine, it’s hard to take seriously. This reflects on many lyrics which have been heard so often it’s hard to believe people could still say them straight faced. “Sometimes darkness will show you the light” (The Light) could have come from any angsty teenager, while much of 'Fire It Up', essentially Disturbed’s 'Sweet Leaf', has the same cringe inducing power as everything Hollywood Undead has ever written.

However, if you leave any desire to take the music seriously at the door, Immortalized is a fun album to jam and mindlessly head bang to, even though Disturbed were clearly looking for it to have more depth than that. It’s definitely enjoyable though, and will satisfy any fan of the band enough, especially if you want to prove they have a lot more staying power than “Ooh-wah-ah-ah-ah!”

To find out more about Disturbed click here.

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Words by Andy Davidson

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