Disturbed has always been a band that thrives on chaos. So, of course, they drop Divisive in the middle of one of the most chaotic stretches of modern history. If a Disturbed album exists, things probably aren’t going well. David Draiman knows it, too.
“I think this is the record of the era,” he says, and he’s not exactly thrilled about it. “I've never experienced a time where people have been more addicted to instant outrage. I've never experienced a time where people have been more polarized. And I think all of these technological tools that we have at our disposal are fanning the flames.”
That’s not just empty sentiment. The last few years haven’t been easy for him either. His divorce was finalized recently. Then he lost his Akita, his best friend of 14 years. “There’s going to be plenty of inspiration for the next body of work,” he says. “I need this. I need the music—creating it, performing it, living it—now more than I ever have.”
If you think he’s joking, ask him why Disturbed still makes music after 25 years when they could just phone it in. “Therapy,” he says flatly. “This is the most effective form of therapy I have.”
So, if this album is his version of working through some stuff, Don’t Tell Me is where it gets personal. Originally written about guitarist Dan Donegan’s divorce, the song took on an entirely new weight when Draiman found himself in the same situation. “When I wrote it, I didn’t realize how prophetic it was going to be,” he says. “I kind of hate that.”
It also became the first Disturbed song to feature a guest vocalist, and they didn’t exactly start small. Enter Ann Wilson of Heart, the kind of powerhouse who could turn a shopping list into a stadium anthem. “The song wasn't originally written as a duet,” Draiman admits. “It was just one person speaking. But when we listened back, it started feeling more like a conversation.”
Turns out, Wilson was already down to collaborate. “We had talked online about working together, and when it came time to find the right song, I just said, ‘This is the one.’ So I took a shot in the dark, and she agreed. She’s just amazing. She elevated the song in ways I couldn’t have imagined.”
Now, he’s getting ready to bring all of it on tour, and, as expected, it’s not going to be subtle. “I just got off the phone with our production designers yesterday,” he says, immediately launching into a knowing grin. “We’re pulling out some tricks—some new ideas that, to the best of my knowledge, haven’t been done before.”
Legally, they’re still checking if they can do them. “We have to make sure we’re allowed,” he says, laughing. “But we’re really trying to think outside the box. It’s going to be a feast for the senses, that’s for damn sure.”
The band is also leaving room for spontaneity. “I love pulling out guest artists from time to time, covers we can drop in our pocket, all that kind of thing,” he says. “You never know what you’re gonna get.”
There’s one more line on Divisive that keeps standing out, from Hey You: There’s too many of us, there’s too many of us. On first listen, it sounds ominous, maybe even nihilistic. But Draiman sees it differently. “There’s too many of us who realize the damage we’re doing, and we keep doing it,” he says.
Maybe Divisive is a reflection of the world, but it’s also an alarm bell. Disturbed’s music has always worked that way. “We've been pitted against one another by people who are gaining from it,” he says. “And we keep falling for it. We keep taking the bait.”
And yet, in between all that doom, he also sees something else: “But there’s too many of us who realize it.”
Watch the interview above and then check out the video below.
