Album Review: Disturbed - Evolution

Already one of hard rock's biggest names, that cover song elevated Disturbed to a whole new level; a crossover smash which transcended genres and ensured that they became a band you'd encounter on supermarket radio or X Factor.

A few years on, Evolution's ten cuts – bonus tracks include a live version of The Sound of Silence, which does feel akin to milking it for all it's worth – incorporate a sizeable dose of balladry to the extent that it may be jarring for some fans. Whether the acoustic flourishes, harmonies and so forth are a concession to new converts or the success of a mainstream hit simply bolstering their confidence to venture into a new stylistic territory, only they may know. Ultimately, results are mixed. Hold On To Memories is well-intentioned, but feels akin to the type of reflective fare that Alter Bridge can execute more convincingly. Sombre closer Already Gone is perhaps the most fully realised and resonating example of this new direction.

Elsewhere? There's plenty of meat and potatoes for diehards, bustling with earworm melodies, booming riffs, syncopated punches and various electronic touches. Rallying cry Are You Ready is an anthemic, if archetypal, Disturbed opener; perhaps a little too obvious, but it'll slot neatly alongside the live set staples. The hook-laden No More, In Another Time and The Best Ones Lie will also tick the boxes that diehards desire.

Even if the ballads are greeted by some wailing and wringing of hands, we should expect Evolution to dominate charts regardless.