Musical Mondays - The Lost Children (2011) by Disturbed

(right) Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (and yes, I know, this photo is more recent than the album but I like it)

I may have mentioned the trio of bands which make up the core of what I love listening to – My Chemical Romance, Korn, and H.I.M. – and in due course I have reviewed albums by all three of them. But there are other bands which orbit this central cluster like moons, and one of those ‘moons’ is the Chicago metal band Disturbed. Much like Oomph!, they haven’t changed their line-up for the majority of their 27-year career, which admittedly shows in the fairly consistent style of their music from their debut in 2000 to their hiatus in 2011. However, this only seems to have helped them retain fans – something which bold moves like Korn’s adoption of dubstep for 2011’s Path of Totality or MCR’s laser-pop Danger Days era meant many fans lost interest. Whether the album I have chosen for today’s review could be considered a fan favourite, however, is up for debate.

I chose 2011’s B-side album The Lost Children for no other reason than that the first song ‘Hell’ got stuck in my head when I woke up this morning. It’s a strong opener for what would be their last album for 4 years, packed with classic rough, metallic guitar riffs, powerful drumbeats, and vocals almost as unique and recognisable as those of Korn’s Jonathan Davis. There are tonal shifts, subtle background melodies (could be violin, could be unplugged electric guitar – or just the bass doing something funky) and that sinister electronic intro chased by Draiman’s signature animalistic growl – such heavy poetry!

Most other songs share this same strange mix of electronics, driving beat, and a sinister edge, but a few stand out as unique to this album. ‘A Welcome Burden’ – which follows hot on ‘Hell’s heels (try saying that several times fast) – is a heavy track from the get-go with guitars which switch from tightly controlled to pounding force in an instant. Draiman similarly switches the grit in his voice off and on at will. When the grit is off though, as in the verses of ‘Monster’ and ‘Leave It Alone’, there’s something almost silky to his voice, thinly veiling the power behind it (because Davey has some serious pipes!) If you need more of those beautiful vocals, tracks 10-14 all do a great job courtesy of Draiman’s ability to hold a note, almost longingly in ‘Sickened’ and ‘Dehumanized’. And if you’re after some of Dan Donegan’s excellent strings, these two songs also fit the bill, the former maintaining a strong melody throughout while the latter plays with a variety of tones from a tight tinny intro to a full chorus riff. ‘Mine’ is a real go-to for electronic tones and audio samples of a war-time nature – in keeping with Disturbed’s penchant for violent themes – but it too switches the tone several times, even slowing for a hand-drum laden breakdown.

This album also features two cover songs: Faith No More’s ‘Midlife Crisis’, a song which, even if you didn’t know it was a cover, sits very much apart from their usual sound being smoother, bolder and more atmospheric – but gives Draiman a chance to show off that sexy gruff voice – and Judas Priest’s ‘Living After Midnight’, again very different from their usual material both tonally and lyrically, but they carry the tune really well all the same. I would dedicate more time to laying out the bones of this album for a closer inspection – because trust me, I haven’t mentioned all the songs and each has its own merits – but time is getting on and I’m out for an early morning jog. So let this brief exposé sell itself as best it can and until next time – which hopefully is tomorrow!

FULL ALBUM: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaKGqsgrt0cI4mAV-GDTK0BOQMPpbJZeD