“Asylum”
(Reprise, late August)
Frontman David Draiman says he’s hesitant to call the new Disturbed album “the darkest or the most aggressive” of all the band’s records, but fans can rest assured the act hasn’t gone soft. Songs deal with post-breakup depression (“The Infection”), religion as a catalyst for war (“Mine”) and the Holocaust (“Never Again”), while on the title track, the narrator is tormented by the memories of a lost love. On the somewhat lighter side, Draiman says “The Animal” “deals with being a werewolf.”
While the subject matter might not be very different, Draiman says the album represents the band’s “strongest body of work.”
“It shows a lot of maturation,” he adds. “We incorporated more electronic elements and more intricate instrumentation. We have fully developed melodies and more harmonies than previous albums.”
Draiman says the band has yet to road-test the songs, a situation he finds frustrating. “It’s the debacle of the Internet age,” he says. “If you play a new song on the road, it’ll be online within 24 hours. It robs everyone of the surprise and it gums things up in terms of the album’s rollout plans. I love a lot of things about the Web, but it’s a bummer it has taken away our ability to try out our new stuff for fans.”
Once the album is out, Draiman says he’s excited to play it, and followers will have plenty of chances to see the band this summer and through the fall. “We have some warm-up dates, including a show at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, and then we really get going in August,” he says. “We’ll be on the road through the end of the year and then into 2011.”
Despite the band’s subject matter, Draiman says his goal is to comfort and inspire his fans. “I want to help people find their strength and get them through trials and tribulations,” he says. “We have a very loyal base. They know they can count on us to deliver a great record.”
Previous album and sales: “Indestructible,” 1.1 million (according to Nielsen SoundScan)