DISTURBED PREPARE TO SPREAD ‘THE SICKNESS’ WITH THE MARCH 7 RELEASE OF THEIR DEBUT ALBUM ON GIANT RECORDS

FROM: KRISTINE ASHTON MARIE DOMINGUEZ LATHUM NELSON MITCH SCHNEIDER

DISTURBED
PREPARE TO SPREAD ‘THE SICKNESS’
WITH THE MARCH 7 RELEASE OF THEIR DEBUT ALBUM
ON GIANT RECORDS;

FIRST SINGLE ‘STUPIFY’ IS #1 Most Added AT METAL RADIO;

BAND HITS THE ROAD FOR U.S. CLUB TOUR

DISTURBED–described by LA Weekly as an “eight-legged groove machine which puts the nü back into nü metal”–are ready to spread THE SICKNESS with the release of their debut CD March 7 on Giant Records/Reprise. THE SICKNESS–produced by Johnny K and the band and mixed by Andy Wallace–stands out like a compound fracture. Tracks such as “Stupify,” “The Game,” “Voices,” “Down With The Sickness,” “Meaning Of Life” and “Dropping Plates” emanate both ferocity and imagination. Their sound–both modern and primitive–is hard, textured and syncopated.

The inspiration for the songs? “We are driven primarily by the physical and psychological need to release our emotional demons in the form of song,” explains vocalist DAVID DRAIMAN. “Since I do not prescribe to the norm, the world has labeled me as different, perverted, disturbed.”

“Stupify,” the lead single from THE SICKNESS, has already made an impact at radio, collecting “#1 Most Added” honors on Album Network’s Aggro Chart, CMJ’s Loud Rock Chart and FMQB’s Metal Chart. On “Stupify,” vocalist DRAIMAN’s blunt lyrics bellow above the percussive aggro-batics of guitarist/programmer DAN DONEGAN, drummer/programmer MIKE WENGREN and bassist FUZZ. The hook-laden chorus rings: “Why, do you like playing around with/My, narrow scope of reality/I, can feel it all start slippin’/I, think I’m breaking down.” Describing his imposing vocal attack, DRAIMAN says: “I’m not a rapper by any means, but there’s a very distinctive rhythm that I use to complement the music.”

THE SICKNESS is receiving early critical acclaim. In a recent show preview, the LA Weekly praised: “Not since Bad Brains has aggro gotten such a resuscitating jolt of unwholesome tweaked soundage as on the forthcoming The Sickness (Giant/Reprise)…singer David Draiman’s…speed-rasp vocals are the galvanizer locking you into Disturbed’s head-nodding racket.” Elsewhere, USA Today included the band in their list of “Notable Newcomers” and said THE SICKNESS“weaves hints of electronica into hard rock.” Meanwhile, Album Network called DISTURBED‘s music “the coolest, freshest sound we’ve heard since Korn’s debut.”

DISTURBED recently capped off a string of West Coast dates with a February 8 performance at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Next up, the band will kick-off a full U.S. tour March 10 with a record release party at the Metro in their hometown of Chicago. Check out www.disturbed1.com for current tour and band information.

The initial tour dates are as follows, with more to come:

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