Review Summary: Consequences we cannot deny.
Indestructible was Disturbed’s only truly disappointing release at this point, so the band did have a little bit of leeway to bounce back with, thanks to albums like
Believe and
Ten Thousand Fists under their belt. Still, they also couldn’t sit back, say “screw it”, and just laze their way through another record. Asylum had to surpass Indestructible and at least reach the caliber of
The Sickness.
Interestingly enough, this album starts with an instrumental (“Remnants”), and a practically three-minute long one at that. The eerie electronics and orchestral strings (note that the strings hadn’t been used since “Darkness” off of
Believe at this point) give way to a snaking, intricate guitar melody that surges from quiet acoustic to attention-grabbing electric. It gets the listener excited for what’s to come and brings a sense of reinvigoration. “Another Way To Die” is a fun slow-builder as well, showing off both clean and dirty guitar riffs, a bluesy solo, and a pulsating vocal performance from David. Even the drums, not something that Disturbed is really known for, stand out. “The Animal” has some very cool electronic sections, not to mention a sci-fi sounding riff that could’ve been used in any X-files movie, and another killer performance from Dave. The infamous line “We both shall dine in hell tonight” may sound a little cheesy at first glance, but with the b-movie horror theme not unlike Rob Zombie, it fits perfectly. “Serpentine” is deeply emotional and puts listener in the face of one’s inner conflict, not unlike “Perfect Insanity”, one of the better tracks from the previous album.
Covering a band like U2 is daunting, and so it should be. This is a band that’s released some of the best rock albums out there, and screwing up one of their best songs would not go over well for Disturbed. However, Disturbed do “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” justice, and maybe even then some. Take some of the elements of the original track (the main riff, the lyrics, and, for the most part, the tempo), and meld them with furious riffs, fast-paced guitar solos, and a vocal performance that rivals Bono’s. Seriously, this cover might give the original track a run for its money.
Unfortunately, the whole record cannot be this way. While
Asylum manages to barely hold its head above
Indestructible, there’s still a lot of predictable filler. The sample of the baby crying at the beginning of “Sons of Plunder”-aping “My Child” is strange and throws off the flow of the album, for example. Lyrically, this record is at times deliciously dark (“damnation’s whore is looking for a victim tonight”), but also unfortunately generic and worn out (“Asylum” may as well the inane wandering of “Perfect Insanity” combined with the braggadocio “Indestructible”). Lyrics aren’t a major problem but don’t really do much to help the record either.
Asylum is, just by the skin of its blackened teeth, better than
Indestructible, but still isn’t either of the band’s best records. It’s a different version of
Sickness, showing the same elements of potential but being held back by generic and strange moments, just in a different way. Some tracks here are absolutely worth a download, but most are not.
