For every musical trend that comes along, there are a few categories of performers for it. There's the innovators, the people who started the trend, took a risk to be original, and were just what the name I give them implies: innovators. Then come the middle of the road copycat bands. They kind of put their own spin on what the innovators did, while usually adding in some sort of new creative touch of their own. Ultimately, they usually sell pretty well, cashing in on the trend, even if only for one album. Lastly, there are the stragglers. When you listen to this group of bands, you can tell that they almost formed a band specifically to play this type of music in order to cash in. Remember Mr. Big or Enuff Z'Nuff from the 80s? THOSE were stragglers.

With that, it's easy to see where the hard rock/metal/rap act Disturbed falls into with their debut album The Sickness. They clearly fall into the "middle of the road copycat" category. Let's face it, while the band's vocalist, Dave Draiman, can be unique and even a tad interesting at times, both with his lyrics and his vocal delivery, the music itself is so derivative you might think you're in a beginner's calculus course.

Disturbed began back in 1998, when after hours upon hours of searching for a singer turned up nothing, Draiman finally joined the band. After setting the Chicago club scene on fire with their live show, and producing a demo tape that became hugely circulated, the band signed with Giant records and released The Sickness in March of 2000.

Within 6 months of it's release, Disturbed had a radio smash on it's hands with the first single, Stupify. This song in a lot of ways was exactly what rock radio was craving: the same grinding guitar riffs and rhythm work, with a new variation on the rap/rock vocal delivery. Ultimately, it's only Draiman's delivery that sets this song apart at all.

This was immediately followed to rock radio by the lead track on the album, Voices, a high adrenaline track that's kind of catchy if nothing else. This has become a hit in sports arenas as well during sporting events, kind of a way to pump up the crowd. Again, nothing sets this song apart from everything else you're already hearing.

And now the song getting heavy airplay is Down With the Sickness, a song that starts out promising enough with some nice tom tom work by drummer Mike Wengren. This is followed by a scream from Draiman that sounds like a monkey on speed. It then de-evolves into the same tired plodding rhythm found on Stupify.

What these tracks all have in common is that they are 3 of the first 4 tracks of the album. Do you think the band might be trying to hide something from the fans who love the tracks they hear on the radio? Like the last 2/3 of the album maybe?

The Game, the second track on the album, is the best song on the record. You've heard these riffs before, but you haven't really heard them from a band in about 20 years. Beats the 20 minutes for most of the other material on this record.

The band tries extremely hard to become darker as the album progresses, not just with the music but with their titles as well. Violence Fetish, Fear, Numb, all titles that make you want to think this band is really what their name says: Disturbed. Any music fan with a decent set of ears though will know the real D word this band is: Derivative.

I really can't finish this review up without chortling at the band's pathetic attempt at making the old Tears for Fears song Shout into a grinding metal anthem. They go so far as to call it Shout 2000 which is so laughable it's patently ridiculous.

Oh, one other thing. Droppin' Plates is even more ridiculous. You almost want to put the band out of their misery and truly put them into the electric chair that begins each of their live shows Alice Cooper style. (That's Alice Cooper style theatrics, this band couldn't touch Alice with a ten foot pole)

This album is a grinding, pretentious, derivative mess. Slop for the masses, if you will. It's just unfortunate the masses have shown such an appetite for pig food.


Recommended: No