Disturbed – ‘Immortalized’ [Review]
Disturbed are kings of no-holds-barred catharsis. Since stepping into the metal world’s spotlight with 2000’s The Sickness, their name has become synonymous with brutal riffage and off-kilter rhythms, topped off by frontman David Draiman’s unmistakable vocals. Following a slew of harsh and uncompromising albums, Disturbed have spent the last few years on hiatus – and spent the past year and a half working on Immortalized in total secrecy.
The first thing to point out about Immortalized is that it does showcase Disturbed at their best, and even contains some experimental moments that come across as both effective and congruent. When listening to ninth track Save Our Last Goodbye – a tribute to a fallen friend – you can easily imagine the band heading determinedly into the studio, minds set on doing justice to painful facts and memories. The intro is nothing short of apocalyptic, the lyrics gut-wrenchingly cathartic, the chorus an intense chokehold – and twelfth track Never Wrong digs in with similar intensity.
Fifth track The Light and eleventh offering The Sound Of Silence, meanwhile, are cool and well-executed curveballs. The former sounds like a cross between Angels & Airwaves and Alter Bridge, taking in positive lyricism and pop-rock synths, while the latter sees Draiman demonstrate an incredible and detailed range of vocal approaches over the course of a startlingly low-key track that builds bombastically thanks to epic approaches to orchestration, instrumentation (piano, vocals, strings, acoustic guitar), and arrangement. It’s clear on the above evidence that Disturbed remain truly great musicians, capable of pulling out all the stops without compromise.
The problem is, that same level of excellence and intent rarely makes itself known during any of Immortalized‘s remaining tracks. Every single one contains a standout moment – but they’re all to be found in the bridge sections, about three-fifths into each track. Save Our Last Goodbye and Never Wrong leave their peers in the dust, showing them all to be half-hearted in every aspect bar the lyrics. By the end of the album, a pattern emerges: great and engaging intros followed by sagging energy levels, lame choruses, and more awkward half-heartedness before the bridge kicks in, blows you away (often alongside a stunning guitar solo), and occasionally pushes the energy levels back up through to the outro.
Immortalized‘s standout moments remain either superior or equal to the best the metal world currently has to offer. Disturbed are still a great band. Despite a lengthy hiatus, they’ve proven that they still have what it takes to lay waste to your eardrums while you actively enjoy the process. But still, the fact remains that only four out of Immortalized‘s thirteen tracks showcase Disturbed at the top of their game, and only fractions of the other nine songs come close to doing the same. It’s impossible to shake the feeling that Disturbed are holding back – and listening to a band known and loved so fiercely for their ferocity treading the path of apathy and uncertainty makes mainly for awkward and disappointing listening.
TMMP RATING: 75%
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