Anyone curious about the state of nu-metal in 2004 need look no further than MUSIC AS A WEAPON II, named after the second successful tour led by headliners Disturbed. Along for the ride on this compilation of live performances are Chevelle, Taproot, and Unloco. On stage, as in the studio, Chevelle's Loeffler brothers proudly wear the odd-tuning and off-kilter tempo influence of Tool on their sleeves by way of "Forfeit" and "The Red", brandishing an intriguing maelstrom of riffs. Taproot equally stakes its ground by punctuating loud-soft dynamics with Stephen Richards's sporadic death metal yowl on "Myself" and "Poem". But, of all the bands on this bill, Disturbed is the most adept at breaking away from the screaming aesthetic that defines so much of nu-metal. Frontman David Draiman is a quietly intense vocalist whose glowering presence on an acoustic version of "Darkness" and the previously unreleased "Dehumanized" make for a far more powerful effect than any amount of amped-up distortion or howling can achieve. The piece de resistance is Disturbed's take on Metallica's "Fade to Black", a reading that perfectly captures the power and nuance of the original.

Mar 2004

This live compilation features some of the hottest bands in metal right now. Disturbed, Taproot, Chevelle and Unloco serve up hard rocking metal mayhem – loud and dangerous. Break out the studded belts – it’s time to RAWK!!!

This release includes a bonus DVD featuring a music video for Disturbed's "Liberate."
Recorded live at The Aragon, Chicago, Illinois in 2003.
Anyone curious about the state of nu-metal in 2004 need look no further than MUSIC AS A WEAPON II, named after the second successful tour led by headliners Disturbed. Along for the ride on this compilation of live performances are Chevelle, Taproot, and Unloco. On stage, as in the studio, Chevelle's Loeffler brothers proudly wear the odd-tuning and off-kilter tempo influence of Tool on their sleeves by way of "Forfeit" and "The Red," brandishing an intriguing maelstrom of riffs. Taproot equally stakes its ground by punctuating loud-soft dynamics with Stephen Richards's sporadic death metal yowl on "Myself" and "Poem." But, of all the bands on this bill, Disturbed is the most adept at breaking away from the screaming aesthetic that defines so much of nu-metal. Frontman David Draiman is a quietly intense vocalist whose glowering presence on an acoustic version of "Darkness" and the previously unreleased "Dehumanized" make for a far more powerful effect than any amount of amped-up distortion or howling can achieve. The piece de resistance is Disturbed's take on Metallica's "Fade to Black," a reading that perfectly captures the power and nuance of the original.

While heavy metal band Disturbed displays all the expected aggression and angst of its peers, it has achieved a wildly successful, chart-busting popularity, bolstered by a melodic complexity and frontman Dave Draiman's persuasive swagger. Formed in Chicago in 1996, the band developed a passionate following in their hometown. Their first major label release in 2000 sold in the millions, and their 2002 follow-up BELIEVE topped the charts. Main-staging 2003's Ozzfest cemented their status as the reigning kings of nu-metal, so that their hotly anticipated 2005 release 10,000 FISTS debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200.