Disturbed

Disturbed exploded onto the heavy-rock scene amid the melee of the “nü-metal” era, but they’ve never really been nü-metal, alt-metal, or anything else with a hyphen in the middle — these Midwestern maniacs are simply straight-up metal monsters, channeling heavy-hitting ‘70s and ‘80s influences into something both contemporary and classic. When David Draiman growls “Your entire world will turn into a battlefield tonight” on “Warrior,” it’s no idle threat, as bone-rattling beats and razor-wire riffs come too hard and fast to dodge. Arriving over syncopated slabs of six-string thrash and snare drum bash, the roaring refrain of “Down With the Sickness” feels like an open invitation to a delirious dance of destruction. Speaking of delirious — don’t think your ears deceive you if you detect Disturbed following in Phil Collins’ footsteps — they’re just unleashing the metallic fury that had long lain dormant in Genesis’ “Land of Confusion.” Disturbed switches things up with hushed ballads and classic covers in Next Steps.

There’s no denying Disturbed’s status as one of the heaviest acts this side of an orchestra with iron tuxedos. “Feel the weight of it grinding down and heavy” is part of the howling chorus on “A Welcome Burden,” but it might just as easily be the instruction manual accompanying any one of the band’s albums. But Disturbed has some surprises up their sleeves too — don’t let the swaying strings, gentle acoustic guitar, and tinkling piano of “Darkness” make you think you’ve wandered into the wrong playlist, it’s just Disturbed daring to delve boldly into ballad territory. And if you’re wondering about the head-scratching title “Ishfwilf,” listen as the band batters at the boundaries of metal by turning a certain spiritual U2 smash into a slamming slice of heavy rock, dishing it up Disturbed-style.

In their first decade, Disturbed wasted little time storming to the top of the metal heap. They’ve piled up one Platinum album after another, and nearly every new musical beast they’ve unleashed has debuted at Number One. But they haven’t done it by jumping on whatever new heavy-rock trends happened to pop up — Disturbed has dominated the metal scene — not to mention rock ’n’ roll as a whole — by staying true to their roots. These aren’t flash-in-the-pan fad-followers, they’re loud, proud lifers who cut their teeth on Metallica and Judas Priest, and now they’re giving new generations of rockers the same kind of inspiration, proving that melody and metal meld together quite well in the right hands. But don’t take our word for it — we’ve got 45 aural assault vehicles lined up to offer you a definitive diagnosis of Disturbed right here.