Customer Reviews

Ten Thousand Fists

5 star:		(210)
4 star:		(61)
3 star:		(28)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(21)

 

 

Let me begin my saying that this album is absolutely amazing. I'm a huge fan. I have all their stuff and see them every time they come to town. I think this album is the best metal to come out in the past few years. I just want people to save their money. I bought one of the special edition and one of the regular album. Believe had an extra dvd and art. The special edition only has extra art...NOTHING ELSE. Buy the regular album! The special edition is a COMPLETE WASTE...unless you love McFarlane's work. I feel a little cheated by this one. At least it's an outstanding album. Like I said, you'll love the album, but don't pay twice as much for packing and a few drawings! Just buy the regular disc.

To many music fans, Disturbed are a typical nu-metal band. That's fine when nu-metal was popular, but when it collapsed, being the poster boys of that genre took on a whole different meaning. Disturbed are now considered by some as a band which demonstrates all that's wrong with nu-metal. So, what could they do? They could be like Linkin Park, and continue to be the nu-metal band that they have always been and hope that their fans stick with them and keep buying their albums; or they could follow in Papa Roach's footsteps and evolve and add new ingredients to their music, in a desperate attempt to stay relevant.

Well, for their third record, this Chicago based four piece did a little of both. "Ten Thousand Fists" is kind of like a combination of their first two albums. Most of the songs (i.e. "Just Stop" and "I'm Alive") have both aggressive vocals and "Believe"-esque clean singing, and singer David Draiman doesn't scat (or make monkey noises) as much as he did five years ago. But some of the songs (like "Stricken," "Sons of Plunder," and "Decadence") bring "The Sickness" to mind, and most of these riffs are heavier and less mellow than those of "Believe."

But this album also has a few new things. For instance, most nu-metal bands usually steer clear of guitar solos, but, perhaps in an attempt to rid themselves of the nu-metal label, guitarist Dan Donegan sprinkles on a few solos, here. Plus, Draiman shows his newfound political awareness on the bold album closer, "Avarice."

The lead single, "Guarded," is a good example of the album as a whole. It begins with a strong, propulsive, jackhammer riff, but the beat then turns to bobbing riffs with staccato vocals, and the song climaxes with a melodic chorus. Some clean singing and a guitar solo are also slipped into the mix, here. "Stricken" is the other single. It has some of David's famous scat, and its choppy, Motorhead-influenced riff and rhythm make it sort of sound like Disturbed's 2002 single, "Liberate." Other album highlights include the skipping riffs on "Deify," "Overburdened" (a slower song and a monotony breaker), the very angry and aggressive "Decadence," "Forgiven" (which has a wah-wah solo), and the crunchy, almost explosive riffs on "Sacred Lie."

"Ten Thousand Fists" does have a few flaws, though. Aside from having a few guitar solos, it doesn't really show Disturbed evolving or maturing. Plus, not all of the lyrics are great. Draiman is none-too-worried about hitting cliches in the song "I'm Alive," which features the somewhat confusing line "You'll never take me alive!" Fortunately, this album is catchy, contagious/infectious, and energetic enough to make up for these flaws, and make it possibly Disturbed's best and most mature album to date.

So, "Ten Thousand Fists" has defied the critics and shown the world that there is indeed life after nu-metal...even for Disturbed! If you like nu-metal or if you enjoy Disturbed's first two discs, this album is made for you. If you don't enjoy this genre or this band, however, this album won't change your mind, so you'll want to give it a wide birth. But if you're only so-so on nu-metal, don't immediately dismiss this as "just another nu-metal album." Go ahead...give this disc a whirl, and pump your fists in the air to the songs of "Ten Thousand Fists."

Last time Disturbed released an album was 2002 with Believe, which took a step away from the pure brutality of The Sickness, and added
much melody and complexety to the mix. It was good in it's way, just in a different way than the Sickness, which was just a heavier
album. Again, both good in their different ways. So now Ten Thousand Fists is released, and it is a GREAT mixture of the two ablums, it really is. The songs have taken both the more complex nature of Believe and combined them with the heavier nature of The Sickness to create something entirely new and awesome.
The band really shows their growth in this album, with guitarist Dan Donagan stretching out into several solos on the album. Also, with Fuzz leaving last year, they have a new bassist in the form of John Moyer (Formerly Union Underground). David Draimen(Vocals) also goes in new directions with his voice, and continues to show why he is one of the best vocalists of his generation.

1. Ten Thousand Fists- This song is actually not all that complex, but is more of a warcry than anything, sure to be a favorite at the concerts it was inspired by.

2. Just Stop- Not one of the standout songs in my opinion, but still very good.

3. Guarded- I personally think this is better than their actual single (Stricken). This was the first I heard of the new album, and it is a perfect example of this new album. It is both melodic while being heavy and furious.

4. Deify- A politically charged song with a voice sample of the President at the begining, the band attempts to discourage the ellevation of people to godlike status, with George Bush simply being an example of this.

5. Stricken- The first single off the album, and while I don't think this is the best song, it's pretty close. Dan's solo in this one is excellent, and is a good example of how he has grown as a musician.

6. I'm Alive- Another song that doesn't stand out quite like some of the others do, but it's still keeping to the standard the rest of the album offers.

7. Sons of Plunder- In my opinion this is the best song on the album. I love the sound that it has, and would make a great second single after Stricken has had it's run.

8. Overburdened- This is the band's story of a soldier who is in hell, and doesn't know why he's there. Another politically charged song. Also it has a decidedly slower pace than most of the other songs.

9. Decadance- Like Just Stop and I'm Alive this doesn't stick out like some of the other songs do.

10. Forgiven- This one has another excellent guitar solo at the end that I absolutly love, and is enough to make this one of the best on the album.

11. Land of Confusion- A cover of the Genesis song, this is a great cover better even than their Shout cover. It's amazing how well this song lends itself to Disturbed's sound, and how you can easily translate it's message into today's world.

12. Sacred Life- Last non standout song, but again very good, just not great to me.

13. Pain Redefined- This is an interesting song, and I really have grown onto the sound and feel of this song.

14. Avarice- Possibly the hardest song on the album, this one really takes them back to their Sickness days, great song here as well.

An incredible album that has a solid level of quality throughout. It's Disturbed's best to date, combining the elements that were best from their 1st and 2nd outings to make the mix that is present in Ten Thousand Fists. Easily worth the purchase.

My review of Disturbed's debut The Sickness labeled them "The New Kings of Metal". I think that there would be more than Ten Thousand Fists in the air in agreement that Disturbed certainly still hold their position in the hierarchy of Metal with the release of this new disk.

What an impressive follow-up Ten Thousand Fists is to Disturbed's 5 star sophomore effort Believe. Ten Thousand Fists is a disk of hard rocking, melodic music with terrific vocals by David Draiman that can be understood all the way through. Dan Donegan (guitar)and Mike Wengren (drums) once again work together in a way that keeps every song rocking along with head bobbin, foot stompin precision (this as opposed to music where the drums and bass merely keep time in the background).

There are many bands trying to be hard these days. Disturbed do not have to try. Clearly their music is what comes naturally to them. Ten Thousand Fists is not the awful manufactured Pop Metal like Nickelback and most recently Trapt (Draiman sings about manufactured music in "Sons of Plunder"). Ten Thousand Fists is not Nu Metal like Staind or 10 Years; Nu Metal isn't bad...but it's not Heavy Metal. Ten Thousand Fists is not Death Metal like Lamb of God or Cannibal Corpse. And Ten Thousand Fists is not Punk like Blink 182, Green Day and the hundreds of others that all sound alike plaguing the radio today.

Ten Thousand Fists is Heavy Metal in the purest form of the art...vocals that you can follow, harmonies, melody, intensity...a uniqueness to each song where there is no confusion as to whether the track has changed. Ten Thousand Fists is great, hard rockin' fun.

And to my surprise..supporting my contention in a couple of my other recent reviews that guitar rock will once again dominate the rock genre...Dan Donegan even throws a few very awesome solos onto this disk.

This disk is an absolute must for your Metal collection. You Will Remember The Night You Were Struck By The Sight Of Ten Thousand Fists In The Air!

The latest Disturbed release is a throwback to the heavy metal of old! Those who want to label music as this or that (e.g. "nu-metal") and simply dismiss it on the basis of a silly erroneous category are feeble-minded people and their reviews should subsequently be dismissed as such! Besides when the music is good does it matter what genre it might fall under?

Disturbed (and Ten Thousand Fists) is probably the most exciting thing to happen to heavy metal since the late 80s when this type of music was at its peak. Ten Thousand Fists is a killer album from the high pitch vocals (e.g. reminiscent of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Anthrax, Slayer, etc.) the thrashing guitar solos (reminiscent of Metallica, Megadeth, etc.) and the killer drum beats (reminiscent of Pantera, Sepultura, etc.).

I highly recommend checking out this album! Most of the cuts on this album are excellent, from the writing, music, vocal arrangements, lyrical content (a lot of which is politically oriented something not found too often in metal!), to the overall highly polished production. I believe Ten Thousand Fists to be Disturbed's best effort yet...dare I say better than The Sickness (2000)? Find out for yourself and pick up a copy today!

I remember when Disturbed first hit the scene with "The Sickness". The songs I had heard from it were catchy but I never really took Disturbed seriously. The "oh-ah-ah-ah-ah" in "Down with the Sickness" was fun to hear, but laughable at best. I never really heard much from "Believe" so I have no opinion on it but I know fans from the first were less than pleased so I was never inclined to pursue the album. The point is I thought Disturbed was just another nu-metal band that had some catchy tunes but would never stick around long... untill now.

"Ten Thousand Fists" is amazing. Disturbed is so far away from nu-metal now it's "sick" and hard to "believe". The band has matured so much and their music has become much more complex. The vocals are melodic, mellow, and hard all at the same time with decent lyrics. The guitar solos on the album also display this evolution on songs such as the single "Stricken". The riffs are hard and pounding (I was headbanging on my first listen ever). The riff on "Gaurded" is fast and truly shows the guitarist's talent. "Overburdened", a slower, mellower song, shows the band's maturity. The title track, "Sons of Plunder", and "Just Stop" are just a few of my favorites, however, there is no bad part of this album. Each song is worth listening to (again and again) in it's own fashion. From the title and opening track "Ten Thousand Fists" to the brilliant album closer "Avarice" this album delievers a hard, melodic and overall great experience.

So, looking back, Disturbed went from that band that "had the funny vocal sound at the beginning of that one song" to a really good band. Disturbed is heading in the right direction with "Ten Thousand Fists". It's really hard to explain how good this album is, you just need to buy it. Disturbed is miles ahead of the bands they are usually compared with such as Korn and Godsmack. These bands are alright but Disturbed has definately shown them up with "Ten Thousand Fists". All I know is that next time I'm on Amazon and I see that Disturbed is putting out a new album I'll hit that pre-order button without hesitation.

i have been a fan of disturbed since i became unhealthly addicted to the sickness. you might say, i caught the sickness. anyway, believe was technically and musically improved, but i didnt like it as much as the raw energy as sickness. so when i heard disturbed was at it again i didnt know what to expect. as many others have said, it is kind of a combination of the two previous albums. the "musical technicality" of believe and the heaviness of sickness.

the first track, the title track, is a heavy, head banging anthem that will grip you and leave you wanting more, which is easily giving. the next track, just stop, is very, very catchy along with guarded and of course stricken. the first 7(minus im alive) are certainly the high points. i wont go too deep into individual songs, to prevent bordem, you can judge the rest of the songs on your own, but all are strong.

i have read many reviews that complain of the now political lyrics. to all those who dislike this, listen up. honestly i dont agree that bush (or whoever intended) is the new messiah. no. i do agree with the message sacred lie is getting across, though, about the war. but this is what music is all about. expressing your opion. draiman's got his opinions, just like everyone else and if he wants to share them with the world, more power to him. overall, i think the lyrics on this album are great but are no match for the guitar work of donegan. wow. its almost a shame that there were no solos on the previous albums. this guy has come a long way. enough said. draiman has also come a long way vocally. once again, enough said.

overall, if you liked the sickness, pick this up. if you liked believe, pick this up. i think this is the best disturbed album so far and will be hard to top. solos are present, but not consistanly. there are enough songs on here to keep you satisfied for a while. 14 strong tracks is not common. they do get a little repetitive by the end, but i dont think its all that bad. good job guys. if it takes 3 years to make a great album, then take all the time you need. also, awesome cover art.


ps, if you look at the bottom of the last page in the booklet, youll see disturbed has dedicated this album to dimebag darrel. just thought id add that in. RIP dime.

Surprisingly and shockingly even to me....being a 44 year old female....considering what I grew up with musically and personally.....I can't believe that these guys *make* me buy their stuff the day it's out and people smile at me cause I'm smiling listening to it at high level in my car. I wish I could make the words appear to me for this review...but there aren't any words to understand this kind of music. It evolves, it relates, it's hard, yet truth, it's hard truth, it's melodic, DANCEABLE to (with or without anyone there), it's genuine, it's evoking, it's human, it's real.....rough you bet.....but isn't life? Oh....I just love this CD. Good going guys. And me saying this.....I ABSOLUTELY abhore remakes especially from very talented musicians.....but their remake of Genesis's "Land of Confusion" just rocks my socks off. What a good song and still relevant. I swear....like I said....I'm 44...not a peep....and this music just makes me wanna smile and most importantly..........NEVER STOP BEING MYSELF and loving what I love musically.

I haven't heard about Ten Thousand Fists until about 2 weeks before it was released, so I didn't build up any expectations beforehand. Now that I have it though, I have to say the following:

David Draiman, on the band's website, claimed that he tried to get elements from both The Sickness and Believe onto the new album, and he wasn't lying. I could definitely hear bits of the last two albums on Ten Thousand Fists. His vocals continue to shine when he's singing and roar when he's growling.

However, the more I listened to the album, the more repetitious the songs seemed to be. The first 5 songs caught my attention, but then, nothing else offered fresh new content. I got tired listening by the fifth song, Stricken. It's "same old, same old" from then on.

Despite that, Disturbed showed that they can still keep up the energy and angst in their new album. My recommendation is: If you are a super-fan, get this album, but the first two albums are better those just getting into Disturbed.

Note on the cover of Genesis' "Land of Confusion":
In The Sickness, Disturbed did a great job covering "Shout"; it actually sounded like they wrote it originally. For Genesis' bit, if you never heard the original before, you wouldn't have guessed it was a Genesis song. It amazes me that Draiman would be singing something Phil Collins sang back in the 80s, but then, the lyrical content fits Ten Thousand Fists. But Disturbed only amped up the guitar and bass; they didn't change the tempo or add anything new (except change one line). Still, I enjoy listening to the song alongside the original, merely for the tune and lyrics.

Disturbed have come a long way in the five years since the release of their debut, _The Sickness_. They continually re-invent themselves, churning out fresh new music with each major album they release. Most numetal bands ("metalcore" nowadays), and most mainstream musicians in general, lack either the imagination or motivation to do this. These aspects are exactly what make Disturbed so unique. And now with _Ten Thousand Fists_, they have a new arrangement of their music...and it's good, too.

There are guitar solos, for crying out loud! And not just pathetic squeals of feedback (*cough*Godsmack*cough*), but real notes and harmonies and melodies...Dan Donegan has really moved up from even his melodic transformation on 2002's _Believe_. He also knows moderation, as evident in the solos' short durations, and they only appear in a handful of songs. Drummer Mike Wengren is also getting better and better as a musician, coming up with some interesting and original rhythms, and has good skills with his double-bass kicks. And although Fuzz has recently quit the band to pursue other interests, the bass duties are decently handled by session musician John Moyer.

The lyrics are really good, too - there are several songs about the war and the Thing in the White House (including "Deify," "Sacred Lie," and an effective cover of - gasp! - Genesis' "Land of Confusion"), as well as a stab at the sonic diarrhea that makes up most mainstream music ("Sons of Plunder").

David Draiman has tweaked his vocal patterns as well. _The Sickness_ was chock-full of his grunts and other odd sounds, which often distracted from the rest of the music. On _Believe_, David took advantage of his singing voice, using raspier vocals to add dynamic effect, often enhancing the emotional aspects of the songs. Now, his vocals seem to be somewhere in-between; he mainly uses his raspier voice, but with a real emphasis on melody throughout. However, in several songs (most notably "Deify" and "Sons of Plunder"), David again incorporates his grunts, and in the contexts of those songs, the grunts usually seem a little out-of-place. But luckily this is a minimal problem, as it hardly spoils the rest of the album.

Clocking in at nearly an hour, and sporting fourteen full-length tracks, _Ten Thousand Fists_ is another new and progressively original album from Disturbed. Keep it coming, guys!