We are all disturbed

Are you "Down with the Sickness?" When you hear the name David Draiman do you immediately think of the signature growl he does in many of more popular Disturbed songs? If you answered yes to either of the above, then you're more than likely a Disturbed fan.\nDisturbed, the Chicago-based four-piece band, is finally back with a new bassist in tow after a little over three years in the studio. Their newest release Ten Thousand Fists is an excellent illustration of a band taking their past successes and building on them to ultimately form a solid album. Disturbed's latest CD manages to please both fans of their heavy-hitting first album The Sickness, as well as fans of their more melodic second album Believe. This new CD essentially contains a 14-track combination of the two styles found on their previous two recordings\nThe album starts off with some aggressive riffs in "Ten Thousand Fists." The same fast-paced beats can be found on later songs such as the single "Stricken," "Guarded," "Sons of Plunder" and "Decadence." Dispersed throughout the rest of the CD are songs in which Draiman shows his smoother voice, much like he did on Believe. These songs include "Just Stop" and "I'm Alive."\nAnother interesting thing that listeners will notice on this album is there are some good old fashioned guitar solos. Most metal fans will tell you that there has been a strange absence of guitar solos in their favorite songs as of late. Hearing these solos sprinkled into songs on a metal album is definitely more than welcome in my stereo, and it makes the songs a little more interesting and refreshing to listen to.\nUnfortunately, Ten Thousand Fists isn't without flaws. At times, many of the songs begin to sound the same and appear to blur together as the tracks progress. However, this is a very small price to pay because overall the album is rich on many levels.\nIf you are a fan of Disturbed's first or second album, then you should definitely check out Ten Thousand Fists. It is definitely worth a purchase and a listen. If metal doesn't already rock your socks off then Disturbed probably won't help to change your mind, but the album is an incredibly solid third effort from the band.