If it works once (2000's "The Sickness" sold 3.4 million), and even twice (2002's "Believe" debuted at #1 the Billboard 200), you might as well go for the hat trick with "Ten Thousand Fists."

If it works once (2000's "The Sickness" sold 3.4 million), and even twice (2002's "Believe" debuted at #1 the Billboard 200), you might as well go for the hat trick with "Ten Thousand Fists."

While lead vocalist David Draiman commented to Billboard that Disturbed [ tickets ]'s latest "seems to fuse the brutality and darkness of 'The Sickness' with the added melodic nature and complexity of 'Believe,'" the first two tracks merely seem to fuse elements of the band's 2000 breakout hit "Down With The Sickness." The lead-off title track has the grunting, while "Just Stop" has the same loping guitar and drum feel. Not bad, but not much evolution, either.

That's not to say that Disturbed--rounded out by guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren--doesn't have its own distinct musical signature. Anchored by Draiman's throat-clearing, the band's songs (like "Stricken," "Son of a Plunder," and "Forgiven") all have arena-worthy hooks, will fly out of radios with adequate punch, and show a good deal of impressive musicianship (Donegan throws down a tasty solo when he wants to), but, unfortunately, don't turn into anything that extraordinary. Even the cover of the Genesis [ tickets ] single "Land Of Confusion" doesn't feel like anything was done with it, save for those grunts.