Disturbed

The opening moments of a Disturbed concert feature Draiman executed in an electric chair, paving the way for the group to preach its independent belief. “It’s symbolic,” the singer explained of his extra-crispy introduction. “Basically, our whole thing, the band name and the album title, The Sickness, represent a philosophy of individuality, development of self and finding those things in life you can be passionate about that bring you meaning.”

However, he pointed out autonomy’s double-edged sword. “Unfortunately, when you set yourself apart as an individual, society sort of blacklists you and you become a black sheep. … They think that you are strange or bizarre or sick or disturbed or whatever. And instead of allowing that behavior to spread, they’d rather imprison or restrain you or wipe you out completely, which is why I am executed. The only difference is I don’t die.”

If Disturbed was to depart musically speaking anytime soon, it would be a clear case of premature death. The visual and especially audio possibilities for the Chicago-born four piece are abundant. Disturbed’s moshing anthems have plenty of room to grow and mature, considering Draiman’s remarkable singing abilities as well as the group’s underused synthesizer sounds.

The band has already hit a chord with listeners. Rock radio has embraced the group’s debut single, “Stupify,” exemplifying the Disturbed sound, and moved to the album’s second offering, “Voices.”

Entertaining audiences on tours including Ozzfest, MTV’s Return of the Rock outing with Stone Temple Pilots and Godsmack, as well as a variety of opening and headlining slots have provided immense exposure for the band. And after opening for Marilyn Manson in Europe this month, the group is slated for U.S. headlining dates in March, Euro festivals in May and Ozzfest again in the summer.

“The work ethic of the band has just been phenomenal,” Disturbed rep Dave Kirby of The Agency Group said. “They haven’t stopped (touring) since they went on the road at the beginning of this record,” which was released last March.

The group’s determination was exhibited around Christmas time when bassist Fuzz broke his ankle, preventing him from performing onstage. But instead of canceling tour plans with Marilyn Manson, the band decided to forge ahead with a substitute bass player.

“We’re willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. We’re that hungry, but we’re not so hungry that it blinds our judgment,” Draiman said. “We have a pretty clear vision of exactly what it is we want and what we’d be willing to do to get it. It’s just there’s always the question of, ‘Is the band going to sell out?’ Well, it depends on what you define ‘selling out’ as. Are we going to let one of our songs be sold for a car stereo commercial or the Disney Channel? Probably not. … But we are trying to maximize our opportunities everywhere that is still within the philosophy and realm of taste of the band.”

It seems the music industry machine is a poor choice for a band craving complete creative independence such as Disturbed, but Draiman called that assumption “bullshit.” “It’s just a machine like anything else, and you have to use the machine to meet your ends. That’s all. Whether it’s the music industry or the media or journalists, we have music and we have a message, and we wish to spread that to as many people as possible. And if the machine runs right, it will do that,” he said.

So is the machine running like a Porsche or Pinto? “It’s a little sick,” Draiman said. “It’s a business and business can be unpleasant. You have to make decisions with your head instead of with your heart most of the time. So you can’t be as passionate as you would like to be about your decision making.”

In addition to metal guru Kirby, the band’s other supporters, such as group manager Jeff Battaglia of KMA Management, share the same passion and dedication. Battaglia feels fortunate to be among the group’s earliest supporters.

“It was funny,” he remembered. “[Disturbed’s] guitar player and I went to a mutual friend’s wedding and he gave me a demo CD with three songs that are now on the record. I listened to it on the way home that night and freaked. And I almost didn’t go to this wedding, either, because I had back surgery a couple of weeks before, but my wife talked me into going.”

It’s been a continuous struggle for Disturbed, going back to its early days in the Windy City. “We had to start out in the south suburban clubs of Chicago. We couldn’t get any shows in the inner city because the clubs were obsessed with booking alternative pop-rock bands and we were blacklisted for the most part,” said Draiman, who accurately summarized the band’s situation. “We had to build up some momentum in terms of creating a fanbase … and all of a sudden, we’d draw hundreds of people on our own and they would take notice and realize what’s going on.”