Hershey, PA/March 29, 2003.
We arrived late. Commitments and children caused the Long Family Truckster to roll into the parking lot of Hersheypark Arena at about 8PM, some 30 minutes after concert start time. The steak that filled my stomach had put my hunger at bay and provided me with the energy I’d need to weather the coming storm of heavy metal. A storm that would be a blistering hail of fiery rock.
As we coasted up the steps, we were acosted by the usual male and female searchers, looking for knives, fireworks and the like which have caused havoc at many a concert throughout the years. I thanked the man for avoiding my crotch and headed up another set of steps while the first chords of teen-angst ridden Chevelle filled the arena. But these songs didn’t instill much confidence in the openers. A melange of power chords with some low singing followed by some screaming didn’t bode well for the beginning of the night.
We circumnavigated the place, working our way to the chosen headbanging position for the evening. Informed by my buddy on arrival that they had to “move” two girls from our seats a little earlier, we settled in. The scene below was already a living mass of moshing and crowd surfing. Why, I was not sure, this band didn’t have the stuff. The set dragged on to conclusion and the only standout was their radio-friendly “The Red” which was about the only listenable song of the bunch.
Once the set wound down, in swept the roadies like so many worker ants. Within minutes, the stage was transformed and the next rock wannabes made their way onstage to a roar. The crowd was ready for the night’s headline act, but one more band stood in their way. Taproot opened with a constant barrage of screaming and smashing, nothing like the tune they pump to the masses on rock radio. Again, we thought we were in for another boring ride. These young bands (no one over the age of 23 it would seem) just flailed around on stage in a “look at me!” fashion. They seemed to be mostly oblivious to the gathered throng as the songs rolled on. The only bright spot a trip around the arena singing one of their mellower songs as he high fived the entire second level of the arena. Maybe they did know we existed after all?
As long as it seemed, this last opener seemed to end their set more quickly than the band before and each time they mentioned the headline act, the crowd erupted in a roar of approval.
The worker ants once again made their way down to the floor. Other more capable ants manned spotlights ready to focus on the brutal assault to come. The stage itself metamorphosed into a gleaming black and chrome behemoth, ready to support the weight of the soon to arrive (and soon to be crowned) Kings of New Heavy Metal. Lights dropped, pulses rose and the arena began to sense the coming storm.
Then, like lightning crashing from the skies, the chords were struck. Three figures stirred in the black. A solid chorus of chords the likes of which we had not heard before. The song was something new, an opening maybe, for something familiar? The crowd was sizzling with anticipation of the appearance of our leader for the night. Familiar strains of “Bound” began and all was revelead!
“READY!”
There he was, the messiah! Lead us David!
“DARKNESS COVER ME!”
Blistering the stage and crowd, Disturbed ripped into the tenth track of their second disc. A fitting opener, found late on the CD! Something many probably did not expect and surely poured fuel on the fire of our anticipation! We looked on in disbelief. Here they were, a real heavy metal band amidst… children. The babes that had come before were just amateurs to their professional power. Bound quickly turned into Voices and once again, the crowd was alight.
But something was wrong…the second song ended and our leader told us “Some had forgotten the rules…”
“You’ve become soft and you’ve forgotten that one rule of all heavy fucking metal shows. You need to rise to your feet! Give us all that you have to give. No matter the steepness of the seats, get up!” Realizing that yes, I had become soft, I stood and shouted my approval! Devil horns extended into the air, I saluted this man. He craved our release! Unlike the bands that had come before, this one knew what we needed. Knew how to drive us to the edge of sanity and present a bold outpouring of power through our collective hands and voices.
More songs ripped by in a flurry of tight, focused steel. Like the metal poured in the furnaces of Priest, Maiden, 'ryche and even the mighty Blue Oyster Cult, Disturbed, led by this second coming of Rob Halford, pounded our skulls while tickling our brains. We came to an impasse after such senses shattering songs as “The Game”, “Intoxication”, “Believe”, the profanity powerhouse “Liberate” and the melodic “Devour”. A brief respite between songs found our frontman describing the symbol of their current power. Four major faiths of the world, Islam, Christianity, Paganism and Judaism, combined to form the image forged in steel behind their stage. “But what about those devil horns I asked you for earlier”, he said. Yes, what about that, I thought to myself as sweat poured from every pore. “We don’t believe in the devil, because he doesn’t exist… but, we ask you for those devil horns because as you all should be aware they are the sign of HEAVY FUCKING METAL!” “Heavy fucking metal”, I chortled! Yes, as I suspected, this man and this band knew what it was all about. What we all live for when we arrive at this Church of Heavy Metal we worship at, which he also casually mentioned throughout the show. It was like I had stepped back in time ten years to superb sets from the mighty Priest. Here we had the true successors to the throne. The Defenders of the Faith!
After this brief moment where we caught our breath (but only to roar our approval mightily whenever we were asked), the set continued. The familiar and popular now mingled with the anthemic. We were “Droppin’ Plates”, met a “Mistress”, and of course, as the assault reached its conclusion, we were “Down With the Sickness”!
But we craved more. The crowd would not be satisfied by this first offering. Some business was left unfinished and we wouldn’t leave without our contract being fulfilled. To worship at this holy house of metal, is to expect all that could possibly be given freely. The very timbers of the arena shook under our pounding assault. An old building to be sure, one that had seen many a concert or sporting event, we wanted to bring it down on our heads if we could not hear more!
They returned.
“That’s exactly the kind of thing I expect from my brothers, my sisters, my blood.” He exclaimed as we shouted our relief at their return. “We got here with one song that started it all, maybe you know the name?” “STUPIFY!” we all shouted in harmony and before we knew it, the last bits of the set kicked off. Molten metal rained down on us one last time and we burned under its searing heat. “Stupify” lead to “Prayer”. One last homage to the Metal Gods that started it all in the '70’s and brought us this music that enrages the soul and “is better than any therapy for the price” as our host had earlier explained. By this point, my arms were rubber. My feet and legs burned with salvation under me as I banged my head in unison with my brothers and the sermon came to its end. We saluted them one last time… “WE ARE” “DIS-TURBED!” we chanted as they took their leave.
As I wandered beaten and battered to my transportation, I knew that I’d be back. I knew that what I had just seen had become rooted to my soul. I had seen shows like this before, but not for some time. I had forgotten how it worked. Forgotten what makes heavy metal, true heavy metal as it was created by those early prophets into what it was and now once again…is. Disturbed had revived my will to go on in this cross-genre music world where no one seems to have a message or a care for their fans. This band knew what it was to be metal gods and they claimed their throne that night. Even if I could attend their sermon again tonight it would not be soon enough. I’ll satitate my appetite with their studio releases but the sooner they return, the sooner I can get my next release.
We are Disturbed indeed.
–Dave