Disturbed - Asylum (Full Album 2010)

Asylum is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on August 31, 2010, in the United States through Reprise Records.[1] The album is meant to take a fresh direction in the band's music career, while remaining consistent with the band's previous albums. Most of the lyrical content was inspired by aspects of frontman David Draiman's life prior to making the album. Asylum is also the third consecutive Disturbed album to not feature the Parental Advisory label (although the deluxe version on iTunes is marked explicit for live versions of their earlier material from The Sickness). A tour in support of the album, titled the Asylum Tour, started in late August 2010.

Asylum debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart with sales of approximately 179,000 according to Nielsen Soundscan. This is the fourth consecutive number one album in the U.S. for Disturbed. The other two bands ever to accomplish this feat in the Soundscan era are metal band Metallica and folk rock/jam band Dave Matthews Band.[2][3] On March 31, 2011, Asylum was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[4]

Development and recording
In a November 2008 interview, David Draiman stated that their album would be lyrically as dark as their previous album, Indestructible, if not darker.[5] In an earlier interview with Mike Wengren and John Moyer, it was stated that, judging by Draiman's feelings on the last few years of his life, the album would be aggressive, angry, and "hard-hitting," but similar musically to their album Believe.[6]

In a July 2009 interview with FaceCulture, Draiman said "A couple of [song riffs] that Danny has come up with are really amazing. But they're just little pieces...it's not even in two-three part progression [yet]."[7] It was later confirmed that the title of the album would be Asylum.[8]

Songwriting for the album began in late 2009.[9] On February 8, 2010, it was announced that the band had entered the studio in Chicago, Illinois to begin recording their fifth album. Guitarist Dan Donegan stated that the band had written around 15 to 18 songs,[10] and 17 were recorded.[11] On April 20, 2010, roughly two months after they entered the studio, Disturbed announced that they had finished recording the album, and were ready to begin mixing the album in Los Angeles, California. As they did with their last album Indestructible, Disturbed stated that they self-produced Asylum.[12]

Style and lyrical themes
Asylum, musically, showcases a much heavier sound opposed to their past couple of albums. The band's vocalist David Draiman stated in an earlier interview that he wanted Asylum to be a darker album, lyrically, than Indestructible, and mature themes for the album were inspired by several events that took place during Draiman's life in recent years.[7] Draiman described the album as "still identifiably Disturbed, but showing more maturation. We feel this is one of the strongest bodies of work we've ever put together. It definitely goes in familiar areas, but with new levels of precision and skill." Lyrically, Draiman says, "the themes range from very personal and introspective, to the political and provocative."[12] In an interview with Music Vice, Dan Donegan says, "We're definitely not trying to wave the flag here, all we're doing is trying to build a little bit of awareness. If it makes you think about it for a minute and change some of the small things in your life then that's good too."[13]

The album's first official single, titled "Another Way to Die", is about the acknowledgment of global warming.[14] The title track has a dual meaning, with the concept of a person losing a loved one as both an asylum driving the person insane, as well as a place of comfort. The first song on the album, titled "Remnants", is an instrumental which originally was meant to be combined with the song "Asylum" to make a 7:30-long track, but instead it was split into two parts for setting the mood of the album, and for possible appearances on the radio. "Serpentine" is a song intended to be "ethereal and frightening", about a demonic woman who "utilizes her sexuality to prey on the weaknesses of men."[15] In the same interview, Draiman pointed out the technical aspects of some songs that include vocals from himself, as well as Wengren, Donegan, and Moyer all at the same time, creating an interplay Draiman described as "gang vocals". Draiman concluded the interview by likening the album as a whole to the film Gladiator for its "moments of loss, the moments of triumph... struggle... mysticism." "The Animal" is reported to be about an individual turning into a werewolf from the light of the full moon, taking inspiration from the 2010 remake film The Wolfman.[16] "The Infection" is another relationship song Draiman wrote, talking about the depression a person feels after a break-up, and treating it as if it were an infection, something that is "eating away inside them." The song was described as having a fast guitar riff with melodic vocals and the solo section was described as having an orchestrated feel to it.[17]

"Crucified" is a song about a relationship of Draiman's that fell apart and the "desperation it brings you to". A B-side titled "Old Friend" is about the main character of the television show Dexter (based on the novel Darkly Dreaming Dexter) and how he has no emotions, calling upon his dark side known as "The Dark Passenger" and how it teaches him "The Code", a way to channel his violent urges towards people who deserve death, stating how death is just an "old friend" of his. The song "Never Again" is about the Nazi Holocaust of World War II. The song "My Child" is about Draiman getting a girlfriend pregnant, and how he readied himself mentally for the child, but his girlfriend miscarried and lost the child in the first trimester. A song called "Innocence" talks about "corrupt attorneys and the criminals that they choose to defend." The song "Sacrifice" speaks about how people seem to have two sides to their personality, a light and a dark side, taking inspiration from Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Two other B-sides for the album were talked about. In the July 2010 issue of Metal Hammer Magazine, Donegan talked about the B-side "3": "There's also a song about the West Memphis Three...these kids that came from this Bible Belt town and just because they wore black and listened to heavy metal they were found guilty of murder, even though there was no evidence!" Another B-side was mentioned, titled "Mine",[16] a song about religion as a catalyst for war.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Disturbed, except where noted

No. Title Length
1. "Remnants" (Prelude) 2:43
2. "Asylum" 4:36
3. "The Infection" 4:08
4. "Warrior" 3:24
5. "Another Way to Die" 4:13
6. "Never Again" 3:33
7. "The Animal" 4:13
8. "Crucified" 4:37
9. "Serpentine" 4:09
10. "My Child" 3:18
11. "Sacrifice" 4:00
12. "Innocence" 4:31
13. "ISHFWILF (I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For)" (hidden track) (U2 cover; 1:34 silence to begin track – actual time 3:49) 5:28
Total length: 52:53
Deluxe
No. Title Length
14. "Leave It Alone" (Japanese edition bonus track) 4:08
15. "Down with the Sickness" (Live) 5:55
16. "Stricken" (Live) 4:17
17. "Living After Midnight" (Judas Priest cover) 4:25
Total length: 71:35
iTunes deluxe
No. Title Length
14. "Leave It Alone" (Japanese edition bonus track) 4:06
15. "Down with the Sickness" (Live) 5:54
16. "Stricken" (Live) 4:16
17. "Dissected / Down with the Sickness" 2:07
18. "Dissected / Stupify" 1:45
Total length: 70:54
Spotify edition bonus track
No. Title Length
19. "Old Friend" 3:32
Total length: 74:26