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Spring Music Guide 2003 Disturbed Support: Chevelle, Taproot, Unloco Date: April 19, 7pm. $29.50. SJSU Event Center, Seventh and San Carlos streets, San Jose. 408.924.6350 Current Album: Believe (Reprise, 2002) Vitals: This big, bad metal band became the demon darling of OzzFest 2000 as hungry fans gorged on its modernized rendering of the sounds of the heavy metal lords of the past. Now the band headlines its second Music as a Weapon tour. Breakthrough: "Down With the Sickness" (2000) Current Single: "Remember" (2003) Scouting Report: On a mission to bring the majesty back to metal, Disturbed is a masculine band of men, not little boys. Its stage is more battleground than playground, and frontman David Draiman is a king in full command of his audience. Live, he struts and prowls the stage like a god, looking as charming and dangerous as Billy Zane in Demon Knight. Charting new territory, Draiman actually invented his own signature vocal style: a defining, staccato attack of pure primal release that unleashes the beast that resides inside his skin. The band's impressive debut, The Sickness, hit big with the singles "Down With the Sickness," "Stupify" and "Voices," cementing Disturbed's status as one of the most innovative new metal bands to emerge in some time. The group's sophomore release, Believe, is an intricate and melodic album that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. On this record, Disturbed celebrates the legacy of early metal gods like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. Still, Disturbed's muscular music is sexier than theirs, with a sharp industrial edge. Powerful and meaningful, Believe's singles, "Prayer" and "Remember," have moved the band even further from the nü metal tag. (SQ) Send a letter to the editor about this story to letters@metronews.com. [ Silicon Valley | Metroactive Home | Archives ]