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Disturbed front man David Draiman, guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren, along with then-bassist Steve “Fuzz” Kmak released their breakout debut The Sickness in 2000 and immediately began infecting heavy metal with their unique sound - both modern and primitive - hard, textured and syncopated. 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. 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,” explained vocalist David Draiman. “Since I do not prescribe to the norm, the world has labeled me as different, perverted, disturbed.”
On hit single “Stupify,” 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.”
LA Weekly praised: “Not since Bad Brains has aggro gotten such a resuscitating jolt of unwholesome tweaked soundage as on...The Sickness (Giant/Reprise)...singer David Draiman’s...speed-rasp vocals are the galvanizer locking you into Disturbed’s head-nodding racket.”