Disturbed’s Long Awaited Evolution

Disturbed’s Evolution is the band’s first album in over three years and the first album in over eight years with bass guitarist John Moyer.

The album was made to pay tribute to heavy metal musicians, that died, that the band has worked with over the years. According to the band’s front man, David Draiman, this is the band’s “Black Album.”

You have to fight for the strength of your creation. It’s fighting to make sure the song is as powerful as it can be, that the meaning behind it as poignant as it can be, that you’re using all the choices of words, notes, patterns, rhythms,” he said. “You’re dealing with other very strong creative influences that are a part, and other creative minds that are a part of that process and you’re fighting for your vision.”

The first single off this album, “Are You Ready,” was released on Aug. 16. The song starts off with a machine like sound. The song then goes into the sound Disturbed fans are used to hearing. The song is heavy and loud with a hard hitting beat. While the message the band wants the listener to get from the song is unclear, it seems they are encouraging people to not just obey what society is saying to do.        

The second song is “No More.” This song continues to follow the heavy tone and while the meaning is still unclear, it seems to be very similar in meaning to the first one.

The next song is “A Reason To Fight.” This song is a sharp contrast to the previous two songs. There is an acoustic guitar present in this song and it’s slower than all the other songs that have already been heard on the album. There is a more serious tone to this song and it is presented to be more serious than the past two.

The next song, “In Another Time,” returns to the hard hitting, fast paced, heaviness that fans have grown to expect from the band. The song’s meaning is more clear than the previous songs. It is saying how things were better before times this.

The next song is “Stronger On Your Own.” This song is softer than most of the other songs up until this point on the album. The main point of this song appears to be a commentary on not needing to depend on others at much as people think is necessary.

“Hold On To Memories” the longest song on the album. It features an acoustic guitar for the majority of the song and is slower pace than most of the other songs. The meaning expressed in this song appears to be that it is important to keep the memories of those who were close to you after they’re gone.

Adding a sharp change to the song before it, “Savior of Nothing” returns to the harder style that is present in the majority of the album. This song has a hard hitting drum line complimented by a heavy guitar presence. The song’s meaning appears to be about becoming something that you have stood against and how that does nothing for your cause.

“Watch You Burn” starts with an upbeat acoustic guitar and a quitter drumbeat. Draiman is singing higher than he normally does in most songs. This song is still fast paced but has a completely different vibe than any other song on the album. The song’s meaning appears to be saying to not sacrifice who you are to please people, because it’s only temporary.   

The next song is “The Best Ones Lie.” This song is in the hard hitting style like most of the album. There are parts in the song where the music fades some and showcases Draiman’s voice more. The meaning of this song is unclear and can be interpreted in different ways.

“Already Gone” is a song where Draiman sings in a low tone. The music is slowed down and has a downcast beat. There is an acoustic guitar present that goes along with a very light drumbeat. This song is the one that sounds the most like a tribute to musicians that the band had worked with who died.

The next song is a live recording of the band’s cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound Of Silence.”

The next song is “This Venom.” This song is heavier and more upbeat than the previous two songs. 

The next song is a remix of the first song on the album. The song has been completely altered from the original. The words and the order of them is still the same, but the music has been changed to be more like electronic music. This shifts the songs tone and creates a different atmosphere for the song.

The final song on the album is “Uninvited Guest.” This song starts very calm and soft. The only instrument present is an acoustic guitar in the beginning, with drums coming in about halfway through. This song has the most serious tone out of any on the album. The song appears to be talking about dealing with depression or similar issues.   

In most of the videos released with the songs a shadowy figure with a hood over its face with only two flaming teal eyes being able to be seen can be seen in the background of the videos. The band has not said anything on record about this.

All in all this has been another album from this band that the fans have received very well and is the quality that fans have come to expect.