DISTURBED DEBUT “THE SICKNESS” GOES GOLD AS IT CLIMBS THE CHARTS

FROM: KRISTINE ASHTON/LATHUM NELSON/MITCH SCHNEIDER

DISTURBED DEBUT “THE SICKNESS”
GOES GOLD AS IT CLIMBS THE CHARTS

One of rock’s new success stories, DISTURBED have earned a gold album for their Giant Records debut THE SICKNESS, “a resuscitating jolt of unwholesome tweaked soundage,” in the words of Andrew Lentz in Alternative Press (May 00). Released in early March, the album by the Chicago foursome is bulleted at #37 this week on Billboard’s pop albums chart and has spawned the emotionally charged Top 15 track “Stupify,” which is bulleted at #12 and #14, respectively, on Billboard’s Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts. The video for “Stupify”-a haunting mix of vivid band performance images with surreal, chaotic imagery–is currently a “Buzzworthy” clip on MTV and appearing regularly on MTV2 and The Box.

Singer DAVID DRAIMAN talked to Metal Hammer about an experience in his life that influenced the fury behind their hit single: “The song ‘Stupify’ is specifically about my upbringing, about how it affected my life. ‘Stupify’ is a song against discrimination, it’s against intolerance, against racial boundaries. It came out of a relationship that I wanted to happen between myself and a girl who was Latino. It became a big issue, due to the fact that we were from different races. It really angered me–it became this mountain that didn’t really need to be there because it wasn’t even that serious. Just because I was who I was, and she was who she was, everybody’s perception was that it couldn’t be allowed. The situation ‘stupified’ me and I don’t understand why people have to act that way towards each other.”

Success for DISTURBED-whose music has been described as “wonderfully disturbing collision of grinding nü-metal, grooving techno, and curious tribal elements” (Jeff Perlah, Smug, July 00)-keeps growing as the band have blown audiences away on OZZFEST (where they were the best-selling artist for the six straight weeks, according to SoundScan) and club dates with Kittie. They will advance their profile this fall as the main support for Stone Temple Pilots (October 3 through October 15) followed by special dates (TBA) with STP and Godsmack, while Rolling Stone, Spin and Guitar World are publishing features on the band.

In a recent Alternative Press profile, Phil Freeman wrote: “Tracks like ‘Stupify’ and ‘Down With The Sickness’ are full-on gut-stomping metal, and Draiman’s vocal delivery more than supports the colossal weight of the guitar riffs. He intermingles clearly enunciated lyrics with sounds that mix dancehall toasting with almost subhuman grunts, to create a front persona unlike any other. The total Disturbed package is unique, stretching a sound that has lately risked becoming formulaic. They’re one of the most powerful acts in current rock/metal, and even if fans don’t absorb the whole message, they’ll still get their asses handed to them by the sheer sonic power.”

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