Disturbed: David Draiman (vocals); Dan Donegan (guitar); Fuzz (bass); Mike Wengren (drums, programming).



Additional personnel: Frank De Lamora, Enrique Santiago (programming).



Recorded at Groovemaster Studios, Chicago, Illinois.



Disturbed's debut found the band crawling through the mire of contemporary metal staples for a cohesive direction. The staccato primal scream that became the band's trademark helped break the single, “Down With The Sickness,” in tandem with the song's Tool-meets-Pantera rhythmic complexities. From the rap metal grooves of “Voices” and “Stupify” to the neo-reggae vibe of “Violence Fetish,” THE SICKNESS was a musical forecast of things to come for Disturbed. “Numb” found the band making a foray into more melodic and progressive territory, an approach they would further develop with 2002's BELIEVE.



What the critics say…



Rolling Stone (9/28/00, pp.53–4) – 3 stars out of 5 – “…Follows the same trajectory of their 1st album [going from] tranquil emotional tenderness into fuzzed-out, white-knuckle anger…with banging beats…”

Alternative Press (5/00, pp.84–5) – 4 out of 5 – “…A resuscitating jolt of unwholesome tweaked soundage…This satisfying slab is just anthem after anthem of maximum decibels that -miraculously – never gets samey…”

CMJ (1/08/01, p.26) – Included in CMJ's “Best Loud Rock Albums” of 2000.

CMJ (3/27/00, p.28) – “…catchy, addictive, and ultimately forward-thinking…leaving a permanent impression…”

Melody Maker (7/4/00, p.65) – 3 stars out of 5 – “…Rather entertaining in a turn-off-brain cheap-thrills kinda way…Absolute unreasoning misanthropy of a frankly adolescent nature.”