| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING Hey You Bad Man Divisive Unstoppable Love To Hate Feeding The Fire Don't Tell Me (feat. Ann Wilson) Take Back Your Life Part Of Me Won't Back Down Release Date: November 18, 2022 Label: Reprise Records Website: www.disturbed1.com www.facebook.com/Disturbed |  |
DISTURBED IS:
David Draiman - Vocals / Dan Donegan - Guitars / John Moyer - Bass / Mike Wengren - Drums
David Draiman - Vocals / Dan Donegan - Guitars / John Moyer - Bass / Mike Wengren - Drums
For me personally, I wasn't too much of a fan of Disturbed's last two albums: Immortalized and Evolution. While they both had a handful of great tunes, what turned me off was the highly computerized production quality of Kevin Churko, who has also worked with Five Finger Death Punch and Skillet. I personally wasn't put off by the fact that Evolution had a few more ballads than expected, because they were all great songs. However, the old-school Disturbed fans can rejoice, because the newest album Divisive is a return to their heavier roots from The Sickness, Believe and Ten Thousand Fists. Going back to the production, I like that the new album has a more in-your-face punch to it, but it's still not the same one experienced on any of the first five albums. There may be some slight trappings of the computerized sound that we got from the Kevin Churko albums, but it's not as severe.
Getting into the album, right from the get-go with the one-two punch of "Hey You" and "Bad Man", Disturbed's classic sound comes punching through with David Draiman's signature staccato vocal style, giving old-school fans a wave of nostalgia. The man is clearly a master of creating some of the most memorable vocal hooks of all time, and being able to go from mesmerizing cleans to the aggressive gritty snarl. Dan Donegan also never fails to deliver on the riffs that get heads bobbing in bodies moving in some form. It goes without saying that one of the album's brightest spots is "Don't Tell Me", the album's power ballad, which also features guest vocals from the one and only Ann Wilson of Heart. Hearing two of rock's greatest voices harmonizing always turns on the shiver machine, and it runs into overdrive.
Now, the only issue is that it can get a little difficult to tell some songs apart, particularly from the intros. There's nothing wrong with the songs themselves, but once the intros start, it can be a little difficult to distinguish them from other tracks until the vocals kick in. Examples include "Unstoppable", "Love To Hate" and "Part Of Me". All great songs, but the intros in these songs sound similar to each other. Disturbed are obviously not out on a quest to convert any detractors, but 25 years later, the sickness is still rolling strong. I'll always be a fan, and the first five records will always hold a special place for me. While their post-hiatus output seems to have a slippery grip on me, Divisive is the one that seems to have one that's slightly tighter, though not as tight as Believe, Ten Thousand Fists, Indestructible and Asylum do. That being said, Divisive is a welcome return to their traditional roots, even if it doesn't quite hit the bulls-eye, but Disturbed still have plenty of fuel in the tank.
Getting into the album, right from the get-go with the one-two punch of "Hey You" and "Bad Man", Disturbed's classic sound comes punching through with David Draiman's signature staccato vocal style, giving old-school fans a wave of nostalgia. The man is clearly a master of creating some of the most memorable vocal hooks of all time, and being able to go from mesmerizing cleans to the aggressive gritty snarl. Dan Donegan also never fails to deliver on the riffs that get heads bobbing in bodies moving in some form. It goes without saying that one of the album's brightest spots is "Don't Tell Me", the album's power ballad, which also features guest vocals from the one and only Ann Wilson of Heart. Hearing two of rock's greatest voices harmonizing always turns on the shiver machine, and it runs into overdrive.
Now, the only issue is that it can get a little difficult to tell some songs apart, particularly from the intros. There's nothing wrong with the songs themselves, but once the intros start, it can be a little difficult to distinguish them from other tracks until the vocals kick in. Examples include "Unstoppable", "Love To Hate" and "Part Of Me". All great songs, but the intros in these songs sound similar to each other. Disturbed are obviously not out on a quest to convert any detractors, but 25 years later, the sickness is still rolling strong. I'll always be a fan, and the first five records will always hold a special place for me. While their post-hiatus output seems to have a slippery grip on me, Divisive is the one that seems to have one that's slightly tighter, though not as tight as Believe, Ten Thousand Fists, Indestructible and Asylum do. That being said, Divisive is a welcome return to their traditional roots, even if it doesn't quite hit the bulls-eye, but Disturbed still have plenty of fuel in the tank.
FINAL RATING
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