Disturbed - The Asylum Builder
Written by Adam Lovinus
GuitarEdge



The title track from Disturbed’s upcoming release Asylum clocks in at over seven minutes, and hardly sounds like anything the band might have played in the past. It begins with an orchestral array of acoustic strumming and clean-tone texturing until finally giving way to the psychotic thrash of drop-tuned metal that has become the band’s signature sound over 14 years and five albums. Disturbed’s band members playfully refer to themselves as “The Danny Donegan Orchestra” during these types of forays into unexpected sonic realms, a tribute to guitarist Dan Donegan’s knack for pushing the envelope with his arrangements.

Orchestration aside, Donegan insists that Asylum is still very much a Disturbed record, which means there’s no shortage of furious, odd-time riffing, exotic dropped tunings, and machine gun-style snare unisons. It’s still very dark and still very metal, which makes sense for a guitarist like Donegan, who grew up on the Irish south side of Chicago, listening to classic metal groups like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden before getting into the guitar acrobatics of ’80s glam rock. That’s where he picked up tapping techniques, sweep arpeggios, and whammy bar tricks by studying George Lynch of Dokken and Warren DeMartini of Ratt, teaching himself the instrument.

Being a self-taught player, he says, is what pushes him to break convention in his own compositions. His newest creations were written and tracked exclusively with a modded-out Schecter Ultra Classic, which has replaced his Washburn signature model as his primary axe. In the wake of a new endorsement deal with Schecter, Donegan has opted to put away his Gibson Les Pauls, SGs and PRS Tremonti for a while too. From his home studio in Chicago, Donegan talked to us about his new Schecter, his songwriting philosophy, and his never-ending quest for tone during some much-deserved downtime before embarking on a massive 35-show arena tour around North America.

Read the entire article HERE

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Dan Donegan's Gearbox

Guitars Schecter Ultra Classic signature model w/ Seymour Duncan pickups (El Diablo at bridge, ’59 at neck), Washburn Dan Donegan Signature Series, Gibson Les Paul Standard Gibson SG Standard, PRS Mark Tremonti Signature Model

Amps Randall RM-4 Preamp, Randall MTS 1086 Preamp Module Dan Donegan, Bogner Ecstasy
Cabinets: Randall 4x12 w/ Celestion Vintage 30s

Effects: DigiTech XAS-DD The Weapon, DigiTech Whammy, DigiTech GSP1101, Dunlop Crybaby DCR-2SR Rack Wah, Voodoo Lab GCX MIDI Ground Control, Boss NS-2 Noise Supressor, Korg DTR-2000 Digital Tuner, Boss MT-2 Metal Zone

Wireless: Shure UR4D

Strings GHS Boomers .012-.052
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Sept/Oct 2010 issue

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complete digital issue,
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posted by DisturbedDevotee