The Disturbed Lights Up The Rock Scene

Who knew The Disturbed had a spacious motivational crunching cut in them. I stand utterly impressed. Being an avid fan of "Liberate" I can tell you this band knows how to induce Halloween month terrors. One nifty trick the guys pull out of their hat with "The Light" revolves around their ability to inject motivational into their space without sacrificing masculinity. The first section makes good on rewarding hard core disciples of the group with blitzing guitar work and copious doses of David Draiman's glare heavy vocals mannerisms. He's the guy who looks you dead in the face and dares you to flinch. This chorus hits note after scintillating note. Again, what's most impressive is you're still hearing one of Chicago's most preeminent metal bands but they've grown approachable, not an act you've got to clear the velvet rope to get an audience with. Reaching for the sky, arms opened to the heavens strikes me as perfectly understandable. Each player steps on the gas but never fails to allow the octane to zip along at cruising speeds that any cop worth his salt would be quick to monitor. The Disturbed knows how to make the best of their sizable talents. Dan Donegan has his guitar in such a commanding stranglehold it's a wonder any air is punching through at all. Meanwhile Mike Wengren drums along at a steady reliable pace, much the way a Timex watch ticks reliably for impressive blocks of time. Bassist John Moyer plays an important part in seeing to it that the swagger doesn't fade into the background. From a tempo standpoint "The Light" doesn't move any faster than is absolutely necessary. Much like a sunbeam taking its sweet time to reach the apex height in the sky the core groove meanders along, drinking in the sights, waving to passersby, absorbing each blessed frame in the film. "The Light" benefits from the deliberate approach. That means you can truly appreciate how complex the fluid sounds are. I never pictured The Disturbed as an act that could tug at the heartstrings but, as they say, there's a first time for everything. "The Light" possesses a chorus heavy on reassurance. Picture a father nurturing his son after a tough go on the Little League diamond. The words he might use (insert right to incorporate artistic license here) are, "When you think all is forsaken. listen to me now. You need never feel broken again. Sometimes darkness can show you the light." Changing gears in the second act we unearth less beef and an uptick of raw focus on the notes as they're being played. David demonstrates that sharing attention makes for a heightened overall musical experience. John's bass rings true, long, and loud. Mike's drumming gets to be heard above the fray. I can't make out one facet of "The Light" that doesn't merit repeated listening. Throughout "Liberate" David was mad right up to and surpassing froth level. "Light" puts David in namaste terrain. He's opening up his arms for us to fall into. "The Light" has an inviting radiance that doubles as a neat break from the usual hyper aggressive riff festivals The Disturbed likes best. "The Light" succeeds in carrying us home to masterful rock glory.