Open Your Ears To The Disturbed's Call For Truth

When The Disturbed gets a full head of steam going on behalf of righteous indignation, nobody cranks out the vitriol with more conviction. You start off with a thunderous explosion of guitar from long time veteran Dan Donegan, add in a pinch of David Draiman laying down truth sliced up thin and toothsome like a savory ham, bring John Moyer's fang filled bass to the party, and lastly bring along head drummer Mike Wengren to blast away any and all complacency and you have the recipe for what makes The Disturbed the powerful force it is today. David Draiman gives no quarter, asks for none in return. "Open Your Eyes" finds David and crew smack dab in the middle of their guns blazing element. The inferno roars, guns pop, The Disturbed cuts through the clutter, making their message unmistakable to neophytes and established Disturbed faithful alike. Turning to the lyric sheet, Dan condemns lying and the liars who choose to fashion it as some variant of the truth. "Open Your Eyes" plays off like the sequel to "Liberate", another ditty about getting your mind free from hypocrisy and half truths. Of course the edge boring through the soul of "Open Your Eyes" plays at a much sharper edge than "Liberate" which went on super slick like premium grade motor oil pushed through a funnel for all vehicles to behold. But again back to the words themselves which ought to give us a window into Dan's mental state. You're captive to lies, wearing a disguise just to cope with the daily doings of modern society. You're a willing stoolie for any sales pitch you get sold. Dan begs you to see through the disguise so you get a clearer picture of how you're being fleeced. News headlines compel your actions. Dan calls the uninformed on the carpet for allowing themselves to be sucked in by propaganda. Dan's guitar explodes methodically throughout and we're better off for the privilege. John Moyer acts as the girder upon which Dan can stretch out and lean into the material. It's quite beefy stump speaking to chew on and Dan pulls it off in stunning aplomb embossed fashion. He's one convincing mouthpiece for us to gain insight from. As a collective The Disturbed play on a level nobody else could possibly touch. These gents aren't out to wine and or dine you as a glam metal throwback party band might. Unabashed truisms are their stock in trade and they know where to stick the knife in for the deepest cut. What I respect most about Dan is the maniacally eyed tonsil flashing he brings to any party he signs off on. Dan's none too taken with the lemmings who accept whatever order gets put before them. Not revolutionary thinking in the slightest. He wants only authenticity standing behind him or on his behalf. "Open Your Eyes" settles on a rolling boil, then bursts into high gear for the climb ahead. If you like your hard rock soup served to a burnt tongue plateau then this song should leave your mouth feeling shades exceeding warm and fuzzy inside. The Disturbed earns its license to shake things up as much as they deem appropriate. "Open Your Eyes" belongs in the same conversation as other great Disturbed masterworks.