Disturbed's "Indestructible" -- Third No. 1 in a Row

Album Review: Indestructible -- Disturbed (Reprise, 2008)

The heavy metal rock band, Disturbed, finds itself among an elite group this week. With the release of their fourth album, "Indestructible," Disturbed debuts for the third straight studio album at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. They are the seventh band to ever pull off that feat. The other six are Van Halen, U2, Metallica, Dave Matthews Band, Staind, and System of a Down.

"Indestructible" sold 252,000 units to put it at No. 1, halfway between "Ten Thousand Fists" (239,000 in 2005) and "Believe" (284,000 in 2002). Their first album, "The Sickness", peaked at No. 29 on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart but had selling power, mostly because of the title track, a.k.a. "The Monkey Song," which is a fan favorite and has appeared on a multitude of movie soundtracks. "The Sickness" also remains the band's best seller, having went platinum three times to date.

Disturbed formed in Chicago in 1996 and quickly gained a following in the South Side hard rock bar scene. A demo landed them a recording contract with Giant records and "The Sickness" hit the stores on March 7, 2000. Powered by the edgy metal sounds of lead guitarist, Dan Donegan, and the unique vocal stylings of vocalist David Draiman, it did not take listeners long to find that these guys fit nicely alongside Godsmack and Staind.

The album is a bit more melodic than we're used to from Disturbed, but that doesn't hurt it at all. Perhaps it's the production influence of first-time producer, Dan Donegan, Disturbed's virtuoso guitarist. Perhaps it is the timing, the tight interplay of the rhythm section of Steve "Fuzz" Kmak on bass and Mike Wengren on drums. Who knows? Whatever it is, it works. The tunes are rockers - and they're catchy as hell.