Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Disturbed Mixes Classic and New Styles on "Immortalized"

Disturbed has always been one of those bands that's been able to achieve balance.

Accessible enough for mainstream radio, yet heavy enough for some of the snobbiest metal purists.

Unique enough to be recognizable in five seconds, yet not so different as to sound strange to the everyday listener.

With its latest release, Immortalized, the band has put its balancing capabilities to a new test.

Bands that have been around as long as Disturbed usually have fan bases that expect more of the same music that made them fall in love with the band in the first place.  Fortunately for them, Disturbed obliges on Immortalized with tracks like current radio hit, "The Vengeful One," and the earworm, "Open Your Eyes."

But the songs that contrast with that comfortable sound are what enable Disturbed to shine on Immortalized.

"The Light" is one of those songs that is hard to describe:  a sing-songy verse, clean guitars, and inspirational lyrics that somehow can still inexplicably combine to form something undeniably metal.  But the true attention-getter is the band's cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "Sound of Silence."  David Draiman delivers a classic performance in which he not only paints an exciting new picture with the original artists' colors, but utilizes practically his entire vocal range, from rumbly bass lows to Pavarotti-esque tenor highs.

Bands that aim to be just like everyone else - or even just like their former selves - rarely achieve immortal status in the history of rock-n-roll.  But regardless of whether or not tomorrow's metal history books rank Disturbed among the genre's immortal artists, Immortalized certainly showcases their ability to find a successful balance between breaking new musical ground and stomping in familiar sonic territory.