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Rock group's latest album, 'Indestructible,' is 'signature Disturbed on steroids'
Chicago band, confident fans relate to tracks, will play Brookings on Tuesday
BryAnn Becker
November 20, 2008


With pounding drums, hard-core beats and aggressive guitar riffs, Chicago-based hard rock group Disturbed has an in-your-face style that is empowering to fans both at the gym and on the battlefield.

"We've had soldiers say that they listen to our music before they go out on the battlefield," drummer Mike Wengren says in a recent phone interview from Milwaukee, Wis.

"Everybody in between, anytime you've needed something, people have used our music," he says.

Lead vocalist David Draiman wrote the title track to their self-produced album "Indestructible" as a tribute to their fans.

The song talks about overcoming every obstacle and being prepared to fight: "Indestructible / Determination that is incorruptible / From the other side / A terror to behold."

Draiman is joined by Wengren, Dan Donegan (guitars and electronics) and John Moyer (bass). Since forming in 1996, the band has sold 10 million albums worldwide.

"Indestructible," Disturbed's third consecutive No. 1 album on Billboard's Top 200 album chart, follows "Believe" (2002) and "Ten Thousand Fists" (2005).

The result is their darkest album yet - an album that draws from what Wengren calls their "tool box of tricks."

In a way, it's their best-of album that draws from the elements of previous albums, including stand-out guitar solos by Donegan, aggressive rhythms and hard-hitting lyrics.

"I like to say it's signature Disturbed on steroids," Wengren says.

Their solo-production also gave them a chance to show the band was up to the challenge after producing the past three albums with legendary Johnny K.

"Indestructible" seems to be holding up to par. Besides debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's 200 album chart, the lead single "Inside the Fire" broke the record for the longest running No. 1 track on Mediabase's Active Rock chart.

Wengren hesitates to classify the band within metal or hard rock genres.

Disturbed pulls fans from both the old classic and metal classic days, in part because of the personal lyrics written by Draiman, Wengren says.

Songs from "Indestructible" cover lyrical territory ranging from depression to anger to loss.

"We can really make the connection (to fans)," he says.

Disturbed recently finished a five-week tour in Europe. The band plans to tour for "Indestructible" for nine to 10 months.