September 12, 2000 – One of rock's new success stories, Disturbed have earned a gold album for their Giant Records debut The Sickness, "a resuscitating jolt of unwholesome tweaked soundage," in the words of Andrew Lentz in Alternative Press (May 2000). Released in early March, the album by the Chicago foursome is bulleted at #37 this week on Billboard's pop albums chart and has spawned the Top 15 track "Stupify," which is bulleted at #12 and #14, respectively, on Billboard's Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts.

The video for "Stupify" is currently a "Buzzworthy" clip on MTV and appears regularly on MTV2 and The Box. Singer David Draiman talked to Metal Hammer about an experience in his life that influenced the fury behind their hit single: "The song 'Stupify' is specifically about my upbringing, about how it affected my life. 'Stupify' is a song against discrimination, it's against intolerance, against racial boundaries. It came out of a relationship that I wanted to happen between myself and a girl who was Latino. It became a big issue, due to the fact that we were from different races. It really angered me -- it became this mountain that didn't really need to be there because it wasn't even that serious. Just because I was who I was, and she was who she was, everybody's perception was that it couldn't be allowed. The situation 'stupified' me and I don't understand why people have to act that way towards each other."

Disturbed's success keeps growing as the band has blown away audiences at Ozzfest (where they were the best-selling artist for the six straight weeks, according to SoundScan) and club dates with Kittie. They will advance their profile this fall as the main support for Stone Temple Pilots (October 3 through October 15) followed by special dates (TBA) with STP and Godsmack, while Rolling Stone, Spin and Guitar World are publishing features on the band.

In a recent Alternative Press profile, Phil Freeman wrote: "Tracks like 'Stupify' and 'Down With The Sickness' are full-on gut-stomping metal, and Draiman's vocal delivery more than supports the colossal weight of the guitar riffs. He intermingles clearly enunciated lyrics with sounds that mix dancehall toasting with almost subhuman grunts, to create a front persona unlike any other. The total Disturbed package is unique, stretching a sound that has lately risked becoming formulaic. They're one of the most powerful acts in current rock/metal, and even if fans don't absorb the whole message, they'll still get their asses handed to them by the sheer sonic power."

Check out Disturbed at any of the following stops:

DAY	DATE	CITY	VENUE
Opening for Kittie
Tue	9/12	Detroit, MI	Harpo's
Thu	9/14	Toronto, ONT	The Guvernment
Fri	9/15	Ottawa, ONT	Zaphod Beeblebrox
Sat	9/16	Montreal, QUE	Club Soda
Headlining and Radio Shows
Sun	9/17	Boston, MA	Greenville Park (WAAF)
Tue	9/19	Hartford, CT	Webster Theater
Wed	9/20	New York, NY	Roseland Ballroom (KROQ)
Thur	9/21	Philadelphia, PA	Electric Factory
Fri	9/22	Baltimore, MD	Recher Theater
Sat	9/23	Huntington, WV	Harris Riverfront Park (WAMX)
Sun	9/24	Norfolk, VA	Norva Theater
Tue	9/26	Albany, NY	Saratoga Winners
Wed	9/27	Old Bridge, NJ	Birch Hill Nite Club
Thu	9/28	Cleveland, OH	The Odeon
Fri	9/29	Louisville, KY	Waterfront Park (WLRS)
Sat	9/30	Indiananapolis, IN	Deer Creek (WRZX)
Sun	10/1	Atlanta, GA	Lakewood Amphitheater (99X)
Main Support for Stone Temple Pilots
Tue	10/3	Philadelphia, PA	First Union Spectrum Theater
Wed	10/4	Wilkes Barre, PA	First Union Arena
Sat	10/7	Buffalo, NY	Suny Buffalo /Alumni Arena
Mon	10/9	Milwaukee, WI	Wisconsin Center
Tue	10/10	St.Paul, MN	Roy Wilkins Auditorium
Wed	10/11	Madison, WI	Dane County Expo Center
Fri	10/13	Birmingham, AL	Oak Mountain Amphitheater
Sat	10/14	Charleston, SC	Joseph Riley Jr. Ballpark
Sun	10/15	Pensacola, FL	Pensacola Civic Center