Indestructible (Disturbed album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Indestructible | |||||||||||
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| Studio album by Disturbed | |||||||||||
| Released | June 2, 2008 | ||||||||||
| Recorded | February 2007 – January 2008 at Groovemaster Studios in Chicago, Illinois | ||||||||||
| Genre | Alternative metal, heavy metal, hard rock | ||||||||||
| Length | 49:15 | ||||||||||
| Label | Reprise | ||||||||||
| Producer | Dan Donegan | ||||||||||
| Professional reviews | |||||||||||
| Disturbed chronology | |||||||||||
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Indestructible is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. A self-produced effort, Indestructible is the first Disturbed album that did not feature Johnny K, the producer of Disturbed's previous three albums, The Sickness, Believe, and Ten Thousand Fists. Indestructible was recorded at Groovemaster Studios in Chicago, Illinois. The album features two songs that were written by Disturbed before their first album, The Sickness, but were never previously featured on an album, titled "Perfect Insanity" and "Divide".
The album features significantly darker themes than any of Disturbed's previous work. Some of the lyrical themes involve actual experiences that vocalist David Draiman had endured over the course of the past few years prior to making the album, including relationships that didn't work out, a motorcycle accident he was in, and even one about him dealing with suicide. To match the aggressive attitude and dark nature of said themes, Draiman told the other band members to create darker, more textural music than they have before. However, the title track, "Indestructible", is a song meant to encourage troops fighting in wars, to make them feel strong and strip them of their fear.
Indestructible was released on June 2, 2008 in compact disc format, and also as two different limited edition and special edition digipaks, and it shipped over 253,000 units in its opening week. The album was Disturbed's third consecutive number one debut on the Billboard 200, making them one of only six rock bands to do so. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in July 2008, for shipping over 500,000 copies in the United States. An EP was produced to promote the album, titled Live & Indestructible, which featured the music video for "Indestructible", as well as three live tracks from Disturbed's first online concert, sponsored by DeepRockDrive.
Contents |
[edit] Recording and production
After touring in support of the band's previous album, Ten Thousand Fists, the band took a break. During this time, drummer Mike Wengren got married, and guitarist Dan Donegan had a child. After the break, the band went to Groovemaster Studios in Chicago, Illinois and began writing music. Indestructible is Disturbed's first self-produced effort, without Johnny K acting as producer, as he did on the band's previous albums; The Sickness, Believe, and Ten Thousand Fists. The band was comfortable with self-producing, despite having Johnny K produce two consecutive number one albums, and this being their first time without him. As vocalist David Draiman reasoned, "we learned it, and we'd like to try [self-producing]."[1]
Early in the writing process, Donegan created guitar riffs. The rest of the band then listened to the riffs, and wrote the rest of the music, with the riffs being the base. As Donegan commented, "The writing process is ... pretty much the same since the beginning ... of this band. It's always been riffs; something musically that I'll come up with [that begins the writing process]."[1] Wengren commented, "We're always tossing around riffs and beats, but it isn't really until we get home and we are able to clear our minds, decompress for a little bit, and then hit it, especially Danny and I, and just start throwing the riffs and the beats out, that the music starts to finally come to life."[1] When Wengren and Donegan completed a song musically, they sent it over to Draiman, and they waited for him to make a melody line. The first song completed musically was "The Night", and Draiman completed the melody line in three days. This caused Draiman to tentatively call the record The Night.[1] As Draiman commented, "The instrumentation was so cool and so dark and textural that I right away kind of jumped into it."[1]
Bassist John Moyer left the studio during the recording process, due to his wife being pregnant. Donegan and Wengren sent him demos through e-mail, and he continued to write bass lines for the songs from his home studio. When the instrumentation was completed, Draiman began to write melody lines for each song.[1] Draiman commented, "I'm a big believer in the vibe of the music and the feel of it, how the song makes you feel musically should dictate what it is to be about and so if you start with something that has meaning, but the music doesn't support the meaning, then what good is it?"[1] When the songs were completed, the band sent them out to their record label, Reprise Records, and waited for their approval. After they received approval, they continued the writing process.[1] Regarding electronics on the album, Donegan said, "When the basic guitar, bass, [and] drums were being laid down, at first I didn't really see a whole lot of room for some of the electronics, but as the songs were starting to develop, I was just in that frame of mind to try and toy around with some of the electronics."[1]
Wengren commented, "We thought it would be pretty cool, especially for the fans, if we brought back maybe a song or two, that were actually written during the same period that The Sickness songs were written. Danny brought in some old demo tapes, I'm talking twelve years old, back when 'Down With the Sickness' and 'Stupify', and all that stuff was written, this was actually written before that."[1] The songs that Wengren was referring to were "Perfect Insanity",[2] and "Divide".[1]
The band also recorded a version of the song "Midlife Crisis", which was originally performed by Faith No More. Draiman comments, "We took the song, revamped it and modernized it to our current level, and the version’s killer."[3] However, the song did not make it into the final track listing of the album.[1]
[edit] Naming the record
Indestructible took the longest to name, according to Wengren. The band had originally wanted to name the record The Night, because it was the first track to be completed, and it defined the musical direction the band wanted to use with Indestructible. The record had a song whose working title was "Defend", but it eventually was re-named "Indestructible". When the title was changed, the band felt the title had, as Donegan reasoned, "made a bigger statement".[1] Draiman said they named the record Indestructible because the title "... kind of symbolizes the fact that we're still fucking here, that we haven't been destroyed, that we withstood the test of time."[1]
Regarding the choice of the title, Moyer commented, "Usually there's some name or phrase that sort of sums up, you know, what the vibe of the record's about, so this one's Indestructible, and it is an aggressive record, this record's about kicking ass."[1] Donegan, commenting on the meaning of the title, stated, "We feel that we've become indestructible to be able to survive this long in the business, and continuing a success with it."[1] Draiman concluded, "We have been through a lot. No matter what gets thrown at us, as a band, no matter what happens in the musical environment, we're still here, we're still viable, and still standing."[1]
[edit] Musical and lyrical themes
Vocalist David Draiman states that, lyrically, the album was inspired by various occurrences of "bad luck" that happened to him. "I had a motorcycle accident, and I had my garage burn down with most of my vehicles," Draiman commented. "And I’ve had really bad relationships that I’ve been in and out of. They’ve left their mark."[3] Draiman told his bandmates, "give me your darkest, nastiest, aggressive tribal rhythmic shit you can," to match the tenacity of his lyrics.[3]
The song, "Indestructible", which is the title track of the album, is "an anthem for soldiers", Draiman comments. "It’s meant to be something that would make them feel invincible, take away their fear, make them strong and that’s what this whole body of work on this record does. It’s music to help you feel strong."[3] Cuts such as "Deceiver" and "Inside the Fire" are about "really bad relationships".[3] "Inside the Fire" is about "standing over the body of my girlfriend, who just killed herself, and the Devil is standing over me, whispering in my ear to kill myself," says Draiman.[3]
The song "The Night" is, "just kind of meant to portray the night almost as like a living entity that sets you free. You're enveloped by it, enmasked by it," Draiman comments.[1] Draiman says the track "Divide" "is meant to detract from the idea 'oh, let's all be one, let's all be united!' Fuck that, be yourself, be an individual, stand out, make your mark, make an impact."[1] Commenting on the meaning of the song "Façade", Draiman states, "why not go ahead and write a song from the perspective of a girl in a relationship where she's abused? But it's like that she's thinking about killing him, like you see on the news. It's like 'OK, one more time.'"[1]
[edit] Promotion
In February 2008, an audio sample was posted on Disturbed's MySpace page to promote Indestructible.[4] The sample, titled "Perfect Insanity", is actually a song written early in their career that never previously appeared on an album, but was expected to appear on Indestructible.[2] The track was later made available for download, in its entirety, on Disturbed's website for promotional purposes.[5]
Another sample of the track "Inside the Fire" appeared on Rock on the Range's MySpace page in March 2008.[6] The track was anticipated to be the album's first single, with a music video directed by Nathan Cox.[6] On March 24, 2008, "Inside the Fire" debuted on more than sixty radio stations.[7] It was released for digital download the next day; March 25, 2008.[8] On May 2, 2008, the music video for "Inside the Fire" appeared on Disturbed's website.[9]
In April 2008, a limited edition pre-order digipak package of Indestructible was made available for order exclusively through Disturbed's website.[10] The limited edition package featured the entire album, with a B-side titled "Run", a DVD featuring a documentary about the making of the album and some "InDistRuctionals", a "wrap-around" poster, a special VIP laminate which grants access to special Disturbed events through 2009, and a special code which grants access to the "Inside the Fire" website add-on.[10] Another special edition pre-order of the album was on iTunes Music Store, and featured three live bonus tracks, as well as the entire album.[11] Yet another pre-order of the album allowed customers who pre-ordered the album through Best Buy to download the two songs, "Inside the Fire", and "Indestructible" as playable content on the video game Rock Band.[12]
Three songs from Disturbed's first online concert performance from DeepRockDrive were mastered and put on the EP, Live & Indestructible.[13] On August 20, 2008, a music video directed by Noble Jones for the album's third single and title track, "Indestructible", was posted on Disturbed's website.[14] The single was released digitally on September 29, 2008,[15] and the music video was officially available for purchase the next day, packaged with the EP, Live & Indestructible.[13] The next single from Indestructible, "The Night", is scheduled to have a music video filmed in January 2009.[16]
[edit] Reception
Indestructible earned mostly mixed reviews from critics; it received a score of 57% on review-aggregating website Metacritic, based on six reviews.[17] Being the first self-produced effort by the band, they had more leeway to create music without any outside interference, suggests 411mania writer Dan Marsicano. "The band uses this opportunity to their advantage, utilizing a more aggressive and gloomier sound than their previous album, while sticking with the melodic sound that has helped to pave their way to success," continues Marsicano.[18] He concludes that the self-production also led to a lack of guidance, though, which ultimately works against the album, rather than helping it.[18] Guitarist Dan Donegan's guitar work was praised, and About.com writer Chad Bowar suggests that some songs on the album are guitar-driven.[19] Metaleater writer Chris Akin also praises Donegan, saying, "If there is growth in the band, it's in the guitars. Dan Donegan takes a much more 80s approach than he has on past recordings."[20] Allmusic writer James Monger praises the album, suggesting that rather than taking melodic elements from acts like Pantera, like Disturbed's previous records are suggested to, Indestructible takes musical elements from acts such as Metallica or AC/DC.[21]
The album did, however, receive criticism. IGN writer Jim Kaz proposes that vocalist David Draiman has an "overly-forced" vocal delivery.[22] Kaz also finds, "The tunes are largely similar in style and structure ... In essence, there's very little that stands out."[22] He goes on to say that the album already seems obsolete, "There's just too much of the very recent past on Indestructible to move away from it. So in effect, it sounds a bit dated... already."[22] It is also suggested that, although possessing a reliably solid foundation, the album lacks a meaning behind its drive, "They wind up sounding a little lost on Indestructible, stabbing their weapons without any reasons behind each parry," says PopMatters writer Andrew Blackie.[23]
[edit] Sales and impact
| Features | Standard | Special | Limited |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image of contents |  |
 |
 |
| Compact disc and booklet | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Making of Indestructible DVD | No | Yes | Yes |
| "Inside the Fire" access code | No | Yes | Yes |
| VIP laminate | No | No | Yes |
| B-side "Run" | No | No | Yes |
Indestructible shipped over 253,000 units in its opening week.[24] It is also Disturbed's third studio album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, and it remained in the top ten for five weeks, making Disturbed one of six bands to ever achieve three consecutive number one debuts.[8] It also peaked at number one in Canada, as well as Australia, and New Zealand.[15] Indestructible was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in July 2008, for shipping over 500,000 copies. The album has also sold over one million copies worldwide.[15] The album's lead single, "Inside the Fire", received significant radio airplay. The single remained at number one on Mediabase's Active Rock chart for fourteen weeks, setting a record as the longest running number one single on that specific chart.[25]
[edit] Track listing
(All songs written by David Draiman, Dan Donegan, Mike Wengren, and John Moyer, credited as Disturbed.)
| # | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Indestructible" | 4:38 |
| 2. | "Inside the Fire" | 3:52 |
| 3. | "Deceiver" | 3:49 |
| 4. | "The Night" | 4:46 |
| 5. | "Perfect Insanity" | 3:57 |
| 6. | "Haunted" | 4:42 |
| 7. | "Enough" | 4:20 |
| 8. | "The Curse" | 3:25 |
| 9. | "Torn" | 4:09 |
| 10. | "Criminal" | 4:16 |
| 11. | "Divide" | 3:36 |
| 12. | "Façade" | 3:45 |
[edit] Bonus tracks
| # | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Run" | 3:13 |
| 14. | "Parasite" | 3:25 |
| 15. | "Stricken (Live At the Riviera)" | 4:27 |
| 16. | "Down With the Sickness (Live At the Riviera)" | 5:14 |
| 17. | "Just Stop (Live At the Riviera)" | 3:51 |
| 18. | "Stupify (Live At the Riviera)" | 4:22 |
[edit] Chart positions
[edit] Album
| Chart (2008) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Albums Chart[26] | 1 |
| Austrian Albums Chart[27] | 10 |
| Canadian Albums Chart[28] | 1 |
| Finnish Albums Chart[29] | 2 |
| Irish Albums Chart | 43 |
| New Zealand Top Albums Chart[30] | 1 |
| UK Albums Chart[31] | 20 |
| US Billboard 200[32] | 1 |
| US Top Internet Albums[28] | 1 |
[edit] Singles
| Song | Chart (2008) | Position |
|---|---|---|
| "Indestructible" | The Billboard Hot 100[33] | 72 |
| "Indestructible" | Hot Canadian Digital Singles[34] | 40 |
| "Indestructible" | Hot Digital Songs[33] | 35 |
| "Indestructible" | Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[33] | 4 |
| "Indestructible" | Hot Modern Rock Tracks[33] | 20 |
| "Inside the Fire" | The Billboard Hot 100[33] | 73 |
| "Inside the Fire" | Hot Canadian Digital Singles[34] | 66 |
| "Inside the Fire" | Hot Digital Songs[33] | 49 |
| "Inside the Fire" | Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[33] | 1 |
| "Inside the Fire" | Hot Modern Rock Tracks[33] | 4 |
| "Inside the Fire" | Pop 100[33] | 67 |
| "Perfect Insanity" | Hot Canadian Digital Singles[35] | 70 |
[edit] Personnel
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[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t The Making of Indestructible, (2008), Rafa Alcantara, notes from: booklet. Twentyfourcore Productions, (2008).
- ^ a b "Disturbed performing new song in Kuwait; video available". Blabbermouth.net (2008-03-12). Retrieved on 2008-03-12.
- ^ a b c d e f Kreps, Daniel (2007-11-21). "In the studio: Disturbed’s David Draiman talks Indestructible new album". Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
- ^ "Disturbed: New song sample available". Blabbermouth.net (2008-02-26). Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ "Disturbed: New song to be made available for download this Friday". Blabbermouth.net (2008-03-05). Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ a b "Disturbed: 'Inside the Fire' song clip posted online". Blabbermouth.net (2008-03-13). Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ "New Disturbed catches 'fire' on airwaves". Blabbermouth.net (2008-03-28). Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ a b "Disturbed's 'Inside the Fire' is ruling 'Active Rock' chart". Blabbermouth.net (2008-08-11). Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ "Disturbed: 'Inside the Fire' video posted online". Blabbermouth.net (2008-05-02). Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ a b "Disturbed: Indestructible limited-edition package details revealed". Blabbermouth.net (2008-04-09). Retrieved on 2008-08-26.
- ^ "Disturbed live video: Band unleashes newly edited moving pictures for new single". IGN (2008-05-14). Retrieved on 2008-08-29.
- ^ "Disturbed offer free songs for Rock Band: Find out how you can score some bonus stoke for your 360.". IGN (2008-05-13). Retrieved on 2008-08-30.
- ^ a b "Disturbed: Live & Indestructible EP track listing unveiled". Blabbermouth.net (2008-09-18). Retrieved on 2008-09-30.
- ^ "Disturbed: 'Indestructible' video available". Blabbermouth.net (2008-08-20). Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ a b c (2008) Album notes for Indestructible (Single) by Disturbed [insert]. Burbank, California: Reprise Records.
- ^ "Disturbed frontman talks engagement, next single". Blabbermouth.net (2008-11-12). Retrieved on 2008-11-12.
- ^ "Metacritic score". Metacritic (2008). Retrieved on 2008-09-30.
- ^ a b Marsicano, Dan (2008). "411mania review". 411mania. Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ Bowar, Chad (2008). "About.com review". About.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-30.
- ^ Akin, Chris (2008). "Metaleater review". Metaleater. Retrieved on 2008-08-30.
- ^ Monger, James (2008). "Allmusic review". Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-08-30.
- ^ a b c Kaz, Jim (2008). "IGN review". IGN. Retrieved on 2008-08-30.
- ^ Blackie, Andrew (2008). "PopMatters review". PopMatters. Retrieved on 2008-08-30.
- ^ Willman, Chris (2008-06-11). "Disturbed leads this week's album chart...but get ready for Lil Wayne". Hollywood Insider. Retrieved on 2008-08-20.
- ^ "Disturbed interviewed on 'Cara's Basement'; audio available". Blabbermouth.net (2008-09-24). Retrieved on 2008-10-04.
- ^ "Australian chart". australian-charts.com. Retrieved on 2008-10-04.
- ^ "Austrian chart". austriancharts.at. Retrieved on 2008-10-05.
- ^ a b "Disturbed charts allmusic". Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-10-05.
- ^ "Finnish chart". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-10-05.
- ^ "New Zealand chart". charts.org.nz. Retrieved on 2008-10-05.
- ^ "UK chart". everyHit.com. Retrieved on 2008-10-05.
- ^ "Artist Chart History - Disturbed". Billboard. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Disturbed: Chart history - Singles". Billboard.com (2008). Retrieved on 2008-10-04.
- ^ a b "Indestructible single charts". Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-10-05.
- ^ "Disturbed: Chart history - Perfect Insanity". Billboard.com (2008). Retrieved on 2008-10-04.
| Preceded by Here I Stand by Usher |
Billboard 200 number one album June 15, 2008 - June 21, 2008 |
Succeeded by Tha Carter III by Lil Wayne |
| Preceded by Here I Stand by Usher |
Australian ARIA Albums Chart number one album June 16, 2008 |
Succeeded by Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends by Coldplay |
| Preceded by Home Before Dark by Neil Diamond |
New Zealand RIANZ Albums Chart number one album June 9, 2008 - June 16, 2008 |
Succeeded by Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends by Coldplay |
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