Disturbed - Indestructible (2008)^{Release ID: 6545}

Having already laid down the foundations for their post-nu metal career with 2005’s ‘Ten Thousand Fists’, Disturbed have finally shed the stigma that came with the subgenre, and established themselves as a legit and credible metal band with 2008’s ‘Indestructible’.

The band has managed to take the groove-laden guitar style of the aforementioned subgenre whilst blending it effortlessly with an old-school metal mentality and vibe. As a result, ‘Indestructible’ is an album brimming with hooks, choruses and intense guitar work that can appeal to metal fans old and new alike, as well as more casual listeners too.

David Draiman’s melodic vocals work fantastically, his unique style has always given Disturbed their own sound. And they work in complete synergy with Dan Donegan’s guitar riffs, which perfectly capture the essence of traditional metal with the styling of nu metal. Donegan really lets rip a number of times on this album, and shows that he’s more than capable of shredding up the guitar when necessary, but can also show restraint when it’s needed.

Highlights from this release include ‘Indestructible’, ‘Inside the Fire’, ‘Perfect Insanity’, ‘The Night’, ‘Criminal’, ‘Divide’ and ‘The Curse’. The first three tracks in particular were all downloadable content for the incredibly popular 2007 video game ‘Rock Band’, which no doubt helped boost the bands popularity to no end around the time of this albums release.

With a number of stand-out tracks and an outlet for a whole new audience, ‘Indestructible’ is another strong outing by Disturbed, who have so far gone from strength-to-strength since the demise of nu metal, and have firmly cemented themselves as one of the standout metal bands of the 2000’s.

This is it. The real "Big Bang" beginning of my brother's rock/metal taste that would spark up my metal interest, Disturbed's Indestructible! Or at least the title track, which we'll go to a couple paragraphs later. Disturbingly enough, both the band and this "new beginning" they created spawned from vocalist David Draiman's traumatic experience in his teens of seeing his heroin-addicted girlfriend dead and hanging from the ceiling. And apparently, that was where the band name came from, when Draiman was disturbed from that tragedy. One song from the album is heavily centered around that event and took a few years to write, and we'll get to that soon as well. Indestructible shines similarly yet greater than what I've heard from Ten Thousand Fists. There's the grand guitar performed by Dan Donegan, with pretty much every track having good soloing without ever being out of place. And those songs I've hinted at have great examples...

See, this album would've been as perfect as those masterpiece milestones for my metal interest like DragonForce's Inhuman Rampage and Trivium's In Waves, but there is something holding it back, or someone. Drummer Mike Wengren's beats sound too plain and doesn't work right in the snare-pedal combo. This causes the bass to have more prominence but in a way that overshadows the drumming. That's not to say the bass is bad at all, it's quite amazing. Simple yet interesting, performed by John Moyer.

The aforementioned title track starts off greatly with background gunfire and war sirens. It's as if you're dragged into this battlefield where you become an army soldier ready for war, and when the drums and guitar enter, you're all pumped up for a new intense experience. I'm guessing that's how my brother felt when he first heard this song that caused him to convert from our earlier sh*tty radio pop interest into the more enjoyable (for us) rock/metal. Amazing catchy chorus, impressive guitar soloing, mighty vocals... I totally understand and enjoy how this brand-new world of metal opened up for my brother and eventually me. Thank you for that, Disturbed! "Inside the Fire" follows as another favorite track for me, and it's the song heavily written about Draiman's girlfriend's suicide. Interesting electronics and riffing open the song before kicking in the bass and drums. The chorus is so brilliant, and so is the guitar soloing. Then the bridge has more of an electronic vibe in the guitar. Absolutely great! "Deceiver" starts heavy yet having pitched-up guitar. The bass and drums, along with Draiman's vocals, give the song a Nevermore kind of vibe. The lyrics describe the deceivers and liars we have to avoid in our lives. The solo-less bridge doesn't impress me. Though what's awesome is Draiman's final cry of "DECEIVING ME NOW!!!!" as the music ends. Other than that, the song is just decent. Next up, "The Night" is perhaps the second best track between those first two. It really shows the band's talent and melody in the guitar. It can really stay in your mind! The pre-chorus has heavy pounding bass before an unbelievable chorus. The solo is one of the best and longest here. Another perfect track!

Speaking of perfect, "Perfect Insanity" is a re-recording of a demo track from 10 years before this album. This one's also quite an awesome single! The drum beat intro sounds a bit weird, but once the riffing enters, so does the greatness. The chorus is so perfect, fitting well with the lyrics. There's also some more of the melodic guitar here, especially a great solo between parts of the bridge. Draiman repeatedly asks "Have I lost my mind?!?" until the song ends nicely. "Haunted" starts, well, haunting with the creepy atmospheric intro.. However, the chorus does fit well with the sinister vibe. And the disturbing bridge then just leads back to the chorus with nothing impressive. Still it's quite good. Now enough with this next song "Enough"! The guitar and vocals sound softer while being heavy in a strange balance. Make up your minds, guys! The bass and drums in the bridge are quite good, but they don't make up for the horrid chorus. "The Curse" is much better. It starts weird in the bass, drum, and guitar mix, but it's very good. The pre-chorus is great, while the chorus is incredible! There's no technicality in the guitar until the solo that's well-executed. Then some final riffing to wrap things up.

"Torn" is the most horrible disappointment for me here, with nothing impressive at all. Let's not talk about it, and instead move on. "Criminal" makes up for that sh*tter quite well with interesting drumming and vocals. There's a good addictive chorus here. The bridge melody will enter your mind and stay in. Then one more time with that chorus. What better way to start a song here than in another favorite, "Divide"?! The bass and drums actually sound complex! The guitars kick things up and before going a bit softer. The heavy chorus is so good. Then a slow solo adds to the groovy sound. So great! "Façade" is too straight in the guitar and drums, which is a bit disappointing along with the vocal strength. There are a couple upsides in the good chorus and long solo. It ends badly in the guitar and drums. Still the track is OK, but not the best ending.

All in all, Indestructible is pretty great. Despite a couple downers and poor quality in a bit of the drumming, the guitar shines a lot in technicality and melody. Any Disturbed fan might dig this, and I respect this offering as the one spark to ignite my brother's rock/metal interest and eventually mine. Hail our true beginning!

Favorites: "Indestructible", "Inside the Fire", "The Night", "Perfect Insanity", "The Curse", "Divide"