6 Covers by Disturbed You Probably Haven’t Heard

Chicago metal mavens Disturbed like to tackle other people’s songs, and they have the distinction of achieving their greatest notoriety with a ballad, but not just any ballad. Their grandiose cover of the revered Simon and Garfunkel duet “The Sound of Silence” has topped a billion views on YouTube. It’s by far the biggest success they’ve ever had. They’ve also drawn attention for their animated cover of Genesis’ “Land of Confusion” and Tears for Fears’ “Shout,” which emerged on their debut album.

People who are not deep Disturbed fans likely do not know of many or all of the other cover songs they have done. The group clearly have an affinity for ‘80s music because they revisit songs from that decade often, and they generally seek meaningful songs to cover and avoid sticking within their own genre. That results in some interesting choices.

Here are six Disturbed covers that you may not actually have heard.

“Fade to Black” from Music as a Weapon II (Live Album, 2004)

The original Metallica song is one of the most haunting rock tracks about suicide ever recorded. Rather than attempt to reproduce the whole thing when performing it live, Disturbed focused on the first half where pastoral folk verses clash with heavy instrumental passages, echoing the torment of the song’s subject. It seems unusual to cut out at the midway point, especially as the electrifying coda is the most haunting part, but Disturbed’s live version of “Fade to Black” led into their own somber ballad “Darkness” to continue the vibe and semi-acoustic part of the show. 

“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” from Asylum (2010)

Nestled at the very end of their 2010 album Asylum with the title “ISHFWILF,” Disturbed’s cover of the U2 classic does not even attempt to replicate the lilting atmosphere of the original. This is a rocked-up and dissonant variation that takes on the form of a Disturbed track, especially with guitarist Dan Donegan’s hyperactive solo parts. If you’re a devout fan of the original you’ll likely run screaming, but at least David Draiman sticks to the original vocal melody even with the sonic chaos bubbling underneath.

“Living After Midnight” from The Lost Children (2011)

Found on their B-sides and rare tracks compilation, Disturbed’s respectful rendition of the Judas Priest hit is pretty much on the nose, although it can throw people off with Mike Wengren initially launching into the drum intro to Priest’s immortal “Painkiller.” It doesn’t take liberties with the material, even the original guitar solo, until the end when Donegan lets loose with a squealing solo. Draiman’s vocal timbre here suits the original.

“Midlife Crisis” from The Lost Children (2011)

Another B-side cut, this time from the Indestructible album, “Midlife Crisis” was a Faith No More song from 1992 that sounded like a new wave throwback. It also included samples from Simon and Garfunkel and Beastie Boys songs. The Disturbed version thickens the sound with some added percussion and Donegan’s six-string sizzle, and it gets heavy by the end. What’s funny is how Faith No More’s Mike Patton actually sounds like Draiman at the start of the original version. This is probably the best cover on this list.

“Killing in the Name” (Live, 2016)

This is a slightly truncated rendition of the popular Rage Against the Machine song. As tricky as it is, Donegan tries his best Tom Morello impression, and Disturbed trots out Nonpoint frontman Elias Soriano for this 2016 show in Vancouver, British Columbia, to provide the extra vocal gusto needed for this rap-rock jam. It feels like this was really performed to get those middle fingers in the air and a big crowd shout along going. (F–k you, I won’t do what you tell me!) It certainly worked.

“If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” (Non-Album Single, 2020)

Five years after the blockbuster success of their “Sound of Silence” cover, Disturbed took on Sting’s 1993 hit “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You” which originally came out in 1993. It was released during the first year of the pandemic, and its lyrical themes seemed well-suited to the tumultuous times people were going through. Draiman doesn’t sing quite as high as Sting, but he fits the material in his own way. The subtle swing feel of the original is transformed into straightforward acoustic guitar and piano verses here, and the radiant quality of the chorus becomes more overtly moody. And this being Disturbed, the guys rock up a couple of sections to remind us this is a metal cover. It’s an interesting variant.

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