Asylum | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 31, 2010 | |||
Recorded | February 8 – April 20, 2010 | |||
Studio | Groovemaster Studios in Chicago, Illinois | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 52:54 | |||
Label | Reprise | |||
Producer | ||||
Disturbed chronology | ||||
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Singles from Asylum | ||||
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Asylum is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on August 31, 2010, in the United States through Reprise Records. [1] The album is meant to take a fresh direction in the band's music career, while remaining consistent with the band's previous albums. Most of the lyrical content was inspired by aspects of frontman David Draiman's life prior to making the album. Asylum is also the third consecutive Disturbed album to not feature the Parental Advisory label (although the deluxe version on iTunes is marked explicit for live versions of their earlier material from The Sickness ). A tour in support of the album, titled the Asylum Tour, started in late August 2010.
Asylum debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart with sales of approximately 179,000 according to Nielsen Soundscan. This is the fourth consecutive number one album in the U.S. for Disturbed. The other two bands ever to accomplish this feat in the Soundscan era are metal band Metallica and folk rock/jam band Dave Matthews Band. [2] [3] On March 31, 2011, Asylum was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [4]
In a November 2008 interview, David Draiman stated that their album would be lyrically as dark as their previous album, Indestructible , if not darker. [5] In an earlier interview with Mike Wengren and John Moyer, it was stated that, judging by Draiman's feelings on the last few years of his life, the album would be aggressive, angry, and "hard-hitting," but similar musically to their album Believe . [6]
In a July 2009 interview with FaceCulture, Draiman said "A couple of [song riffs] that Danny has come up with are really amazing. But they're just little pieces...it's not even in two-three part progression [yet]." [7] It was later confirmed that the title of the album would be Asylum. [8]
Songwriting for the album began in late 2009. [9] On February 8, 2010, it was announced that the band had entered the studio in Chicago, Illinois to begin recording their fifth album. Guitarist Dan Donegan stated that the band had written around 15 to 18 songs, [10] and 17 were recorded. [11] On April 20, 2010, roughly two months after they entered the studio, Disturbed announced that they had finished recording the album, and were ready to begin mixing the album in Los Angeles, California. As they did with their last album Indestructible, Disturbed stated that they self-produced Asylum. [12]
Asylum, musically, showcases a much heavier sound opposed to their past couple of albums. The band's vocalist David Draiman stated in an earlier interview that he wanted Asylum to be a darker album, lyrically, than Indestructible , and mature themes for the album were inspired by several events that took place during Draiman's life in recent years. [7] Draiman described the album as "still identifiably Disturbed, but showing more maturation. We feel this is one of the strongest bodies of work we've ever put together. It definitely goes in familiar areas, but with new levels of precision and skill." Lyrically, Draiman says, "the themes range from very personal and introspective, to the political and provocative." [12] In an interview with Music Vice, Dan Donegan says, "We're definitely not trying to wave the flag here, all we're doing is trying to build a little bit of awareness. If it makes you think about it for a minute and change some of the small things in your life then that's good too." [13]
The album's first official single, titled "Another Way to Die", is about the acknowledgment of global warming. [14] The title track has a dual meaning, with the concept of a person losing a loved one as both an asylum driving the person insane, as well as a place of comfort. The first song on the album, titled "Remnants", is an instrumental which originally was meant to be combined with the song "Asylum" to make a 7:30-long track, but instead it was split into two parts for setting the mood of the album, and for possible appearances on the radio. "Serpentine" is a song intended to be "ethereal and frightening", about a demonic woman who "utilizes her sexuality to prey on the weaknesses of men." [15] In the same interview, Draiman pointed out the technical aspects of some songs that include vocals from himself, as well as Wengren, Donegan, and Moyer all at the same time, creating an interplay Draiman described as "gang vocals". Draiman concluded the interview by likening the album as a whole to the film Gladiator for its "moments of loss, the moments of triumph... struggle... mysticism." "The Animal" is reported to be about an individual turning into a werewolf from the light of the full moon, taking inspiration from the 2010 remake film The Wolfman . [16] "The Infection" is another relationship song Draiman wrote, talking about the depression a person feels after a break-up, and treating it as if it were an infection, something that is "eating away inside them." The song was described as having a fast guitar riff with melodic vocals and the solo section was described as having an orchestrated feel to it. [17]
"Crucified" is a song about a relationship of Draiman's that fell apart and the "desperation it brings you to". A B-side titled "Old Friend" is about the main character of the television show Dexter (based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter ) and how he has no emotions, calling upon his dark side known as "The Dark Passenger" and how it teaches him "The Code", a way to channel his violent urges towards people who deserve death, stating how death is just an "old friend" of his. The song "Never Again" is about the Nazi Holocaust of World War II. The song "My Child" is about Draiman getting a girlfriend pregnant, and how he readied himself mentally for the child, but his girlfriend miscarried and lost the child in the first trimester. A song called "Innocence" talks about "corrupt attorneys and the criminals that they choose to defend." The song "Sacrifice" speaks about how people seem to have two sides to their personality, a light and a dark side, taking inspiration from Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde .
Two other B-sides for the album were talked about. In the July 2010 issue of Metal Hammer Magazine, Donegan talked about the B-side "3": "There's also a song about the West Memphis Three...these kids that came from this Bible Belt town and just because they wore black and listened to heavy metal they were found guilty of murder, even though there was no evidence!" Another B-side was mentioned, titled "Mine", [16] a song about religion as a catalyst for war.
On July 15, Disturbed released a free download of the song "Asylum" on their official website. On July 19, the song "Asylum" was released in the United States via the iTunes Store. They have also announced an iTunes deluxe version of the album which included a code to download Decade of Disturbed online for free, and five bonus tracks, "Leave It Alone", live performances of "Down with the Sickness" and "Stricken" and two videos of guitarist Dan Donegan showing how to play the main riffs for the band's first two singles, "Down with the Sickness" and "Stupify" both of which were titled "Dissected" instead of "Disturbed". A hidden track titled "Ishfwilf", which is a cover of U2's song "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", is available on all versions of the album. The band also released a limited edition version of Asylum, featuring the Decade of Disturbed DVD and bonus tracks on the CD (live performances of "Down with the Sickness" and "Stricken").
The songs "Asylum", "Another Way to Die" and "The Animal" were released as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band on August 24, seven days before the album's release date. The song "Asylum" has the album's opening track, titled "Remnants", attached to it in the game. [18]
On August 16, 2010, the music video for "Asylum" was released on the band's official website and MySpace page. On August 24, the track "Never Again" was available for download on the band's official website, after the band announced the song's release on their Twitter page. The third music video was for "The Animal", and was released on November 16, 2010. A short, forty-second trailer for this video was displayed on the band's official website 4 days before its release.
Disturbed toured in support of Asylum as a headlining act in the Uproar Festival, along with Stone Sour, Hellyeah, and Avenged Sevenfold. The first show of the tour took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Target Center on August 17, with the last show played in Madison, Wisconsin, at the Alliant Energy Center Memorial Coliseum on October 4, 2010.
As a Hot Topic exclusive, those who purchased the CD there also received an "Asylum" wristband, similar to a real one from a real psychiatric ward. The wristband includes a false bar code, a DOB (which is 8/31/10, the album's release date), along with the word Disturbed and a website for the album (DisturbedAsylum.com), as well as a specific unique number for each wristband with an amalgamation of two letters and six numbers.
On March 3, 2011, it was announced that the band had filmed a music video for the song "Warrior"; [19] however, David Draiman stated on his Twitter page that the video was cancelled.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 70/100 [20] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
About.com | [21] |
AllMusic | [22] |
Billboard | [23] |
Entertainment Weekly | B− [24] |
Kick-Axe | [25] |
Rock Sound | 7/10 [26] |
Rolling Stone | [27] |
PopMatters | 7/10 [28] |
411mania | 7.0/10 [29] |
Asylum has received positive reviews from music critics, averaging a score of 70 on the review aggregate website Metacritic [20] and is the best reviewed album by Disturbed from critics. James Zahn of Kick-Axe gave the album a 4 out of 5, summarizing his review by stating "Admittedly, I've long respected Disturbed as a band, while not considering myself 'a fan.' Asylum has changed that." [25] Also, giving the album a positive review, Merlin Alderslade of Rock Sound stated "Asylum won't set the world alight, but it's certainly not monotonous enough to send anyone to the madhouse." [26] Gary Graff of Billboard gave Asylum a short and positive review ending with "There are enough brains and brawn to make this an 'Asylum' any head-banger would be crazy to avoid." [23]
Damon Harrison of Rinse Review Repeat said of the band and Asylum that "Disturbed have hit a nail with their hammering aesthetics, finally, and build an aggressive foundation that's sure to leave both fans and critics alike standing firm in their territory." [30] Chris Colgan of PopMatters compared Asylum to Disturbed's previous efforts, remarking how well-balanced it is by comparison. He said, "If Ten Thousand Fists is the large tiger of Disturbed's discography, oversized with more muscle than necessary, and Indestructible is the lean jaguar, fine-cut to just the foundation and essentials, then Asylum is the lion, king of the jungle, perfectly balanced in both core strength and added power to create the purest musical engine for emotional expression." [28]
Ben Czajkowski of 411mania stated about the album, "After five albums, Disturbed has perfected their sound; they might have even become a bit more hard rock than before. Sadly, though, all of the humor that made me fall in love with the band is gone. Replacing it is the darkness of the world, sounds about death, corruption, and depression that come across as a bit uninspired, even though it has perplexed [David] Draiman for the last few years." [29]
Vinnie Paul, former drummer of Pantera and Hellyeah reviewed Asylum in four words, stating, "That thing kicks ass." [31]
On the day of its release, Asylum (Deluxe Edition) topped the iTunes Top Albums and Top Rock Albums chart, and the regular edition of the album ranked No. 2 on the same charts.[ citation needed ]
All tracks are written by Disturbed, except where noted
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Remnants" (Prelude) | 2:43 |
2. | "Asylum" | 4:36 |
3. | "The Infection" | 4:08 |
4. | "Warrior" | 3:24 |
5. | "Another Way to Die" | 4:13 |
6. | "Never Again" | 3:33 |
7. | "The Animal" | 4:13 |
8. | "Crucified" | 4:37 |
9. | "Serpentine" | 4:09 |
10. | "My Child" | 3:18 |
11. | "Sacrifice" | 4:00 |
12. | "Innocence" | 4:31 |
13. | "Ishfwilf (I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For)" (hidden track) (U2 cover; 1:34 silence to begin track – actual time 3:49) | 5:28 |
Total length: | 52:53 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
14. | "Leave It Alone" (Japanese edition bonus track) | 4:08 |
15. | "Down with the Sickness" (Live) | 5:55 |
16. | "Stricken" (Live) | 4:17 |
17. | "Living After Midnight" (Judas Priest cover) | 4:25 |
Total length: | 71:35 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
14. | "Leave It Alone" (Japanese edition bonus track) | 4:06 |
15. | "Down with the Sickness" (Live) | 5:54 |
16. | "Stricken" (Live) | 4:16 |
17. | "Dissected / Down with the Sickness" | 2:07 |
18. | "Dissected / Stupify" | 1:45 |
Total length: | 70:54 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
19. | "Old Friend" | 3:32 |
Total length: | 74:26 |
Disturbed
Production
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
Certifications
|
Region | Date | Distributing label | Format | Catalog |
---|---|---|---|---|
Australia | August 27, 2010 [66] | Warner Music Australia | CD and music download services | |
Germany | August 27, 2010 | Warner | ||
United Kingdom | August 30, 2010 [1] | Reprise | ||
Europe | August 31, 2010[ citation needed ] | |||
United States | August 31, 2010 [67] |
Disturbed is an American heavy metal band from Chicago, formed in 1994. The band includes guitarist Dan Donegan, drummer Mike Wengren, lead vocalist David Draiman and bassist John Moyer. Donegan and Wengren have been involved in the band since its inception, with Draiman replacing original lead vocalist Erich Awalt in 1996 and Moyer replacing original bassist Steve "Fuzz" Kmak in 2004.
The Sickness is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on March 7, 2000, by Giant and Reprise Records. The album peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard 200, and spent a total of 106 weeks on the chart. It was Disturbed's only album to not hit number one on the US Billboard 200 until their seventh album Evolution debuted at number 4 in 2018. In 2018, The Sickness was certified five times platinum by the RIAA for shipments of over five million copies in the US, making it the band's most successful album.
Believe is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed, released on September 17, 2002 via Reprise Records. Produced by the band and Johnny K, it focuses heavily on religious and spiritual themes inspired by recent tragedies. With greater emphases on melodic dynamics, it also demonstrates a broadening in the band's musical range compared to their 2000 debut The Sickness. Believe was the last studio album to feature original bassist Steve "Fuzz" Kmak before he was fired from the band in 2003.
Ten Thousand Fists is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on September 20, 2005 and became Disturbed's second consecutive number 1 debut on the Billboard 200 in the United States, shipping around 239,000 copies in its opening week. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA and was also the band's second number 1 release in New Zealand. It is also the first Disturbed album to not have the Parental Advisory label.
"Prayer" is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on 14 August 2002, as the first single from their studio album, Believe. The song was inspired by the death of vocalist David Draiman's grandfather as well as various circumstances after the September 11 attacks, and is about a conversation between Draiman and God. Upon release, many media outlets refused to air the "Prayer" music video, citing supposed similarities between the imagery of the music video and that of the September 11 attacks. "Prayer" peaked at number-three on two United States airplay charts, Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts, as well as peaking at number-fifty-eight on Billboard's Hot 100 and number-fourteen on the Canadian Singles Chart. "Prayer" is Disturbed's second highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100 and their highest-charting single on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and one of only two of their songs to reach the top five on the chart. The song is playable and part of the soundtrack to the 2015 music video game, Rock Band 4.
"Just Stop" is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on February 7, 2006, as the third single from their studio album, Ten Thousand Fists (2005).
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, "Perfect Insanity" and "Divide", that were written by Disturbed prior to their first album, The Sickness, but were never previously released.
The discography of American heavy metal band Disturbed includes eight studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, one extended play, 31 singles, three video albums, and 27 music videos. The band formed when guitarist Dan Donegan, drummer Mike Wengren and bassist Steve "Fuzz" Kmak hired vocalist David Draiman in 1996. A demo tape led to their signing to Giant Records, which released their debut album, The Sickness, in March 2000. The album reached the top 30 on the United States' Billboard 200, and the Australian ARIA Charts. Since its release, The Sickness was certified 5x platinum, a measure of its high sales volume, in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), 2x platinum in Canada by Music Canada, and platinum in Australia by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Four singles were released from the album, "Stupify", "Voices", "The Game", and "Down with the Sickness"; the latter of which was the most successful, having been certified platinum by the RIAA.
"Inside the Fire" is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed. The song was released as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, Indestructible (2008), on March 25, 2008 as a digital download. The song features suicidal themes, and, in May 2008, a music video was unveiled for the song. However, due to the involvement of suicidal themes in the uncensored music video, an edited version of the song and music video was released, in which these themes are absent.
"Indestructible" is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed, released as the third single from their studio album of the same name. The single peaked at No. 2 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and No. 10 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. The music video for the song appeared on Disturbed's website on August 20, 2008, and the single was released on September 29, 2008. "Indestructible" is meant to encourage troops going into battle, and boost their morale. It is also meant to represent Disturbed's success in the music industry. It is one of Disturbed's best known songs. The song appeared in the video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles.
"The Night" is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on 31 March 2009, as the fourth single from their studio album, Indestructible. The song was the first from Indestructible to be completed musically. It is lyrically meant to portray the night as a living entity. Musically, "The Night" is dark and textural. Disturbed guitarist Dan Donegan was almost universally praised for his work on this song, specifically during the guitar solo. A music video to correspond with the song was filmed in January 2009 and later released in late March 2009.
"Another Way to Die" is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed, released as the first single from their fifth studio album, Asylum. Airplay for the single began on the morning of June 14, 2010. That same day, a lyric video was posted by the band on their official YouTube channel and was released as a digital download on June 15, 2010, via iTunes. On August 31, 2010, an excerpt of the song played in a newly released second trailer for the 2011 Mortal Kombat game.
The Asylum Tour was a 2010–11 concert tour by American heavy metal band Disturbed in support of the group's fifth studio album, Asylum, which was released in August 2010.
"The Animal" is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on October 4, 2010, as the third single from their studio album, Asylum. According to vocalist David Draiman, "The Animal" was heavily inspired by the movie The Wolfman (2010).
The Lost Children is a B-sides compilation album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on November 8, 2011. The album was announced in August 2011 by David Draiman via Twitter, where he answered several questions regarding the album.
Device was an American industrial metal band started by David Draiman, frontman of the heavy metal group Disturbed, and Geno Lenardo, former guitarist of Filter. They released one album, Device, in 2013.
Immortalized is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. The album was released on August 21, 2015, by Reprise Records, and is Disturbed's first studio album since Asylum (2010), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in their career.
Evolution is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on October 19, 2018, by Reprise Records. The album's first single, "Are You Ready", was released before the album in August 2018, while the second single, "A Reason to Fight", was released a month later. The third single, "No More", was released on June 2, 2019.
"A Reason to Fight" is a song by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released as the second single off of their seventh studio album Evolution. It topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart for three weeks and became the band's record-breaking sixth consecutive number one on the chart.
Divisive is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. Produced by Drew Fulk, it was released on November 18, 2022, via Reprise Records.
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