Name: Music as a Weapon II by Disturbed
Brand: Disturbed
SKU: 093624862062
Price: 9.9 USD
Availability: OnlineOnly
Rating: 3 (98 reviews)

LIVE Explicit

Music as a Weapon II is a keepsake of Disturbed's 2003 tour of the same name, which also featured Taproot, Chevelle, and Ünloco. But it's also a time capsule for the active rock radio format, which in 2002 and 2003 was bombarded by bellowing pretenders to the Korn and Tool throne. Minor leaguers like Taproot and Chevelle had nothing to offer beyond compressed production, roaring guitar sludge, and laughably stale woe-is-me lyrics; naturally, they sold millions of records. Here, Taproot get the worst of it. Music as a Weapon's shallow sound quality is a definite disservice to all of its bands. Still, Taproot's "Myself" is a painfully uninspired mess of overcompensating vocals (in both the melodramatic moan and scary growling departments) and tuneless guitar. "Sumtimes" and the hit single "Poem" fare a bit better, but in general the live setting reveals Taproot's tunes as tepid, blustery rewrites of the recent post-grunge past. As for Chevelle, their earnest Tool reproductions are rescued by some genuine instrumental chemistry, especially in the final thrashing moments of "Forfeit." Since Ünloco's metallization of Nirvana is neither here nor there, Music as a Weapon II is ultimately about Disturbed. The Chicago combo isn't entirely free of genre homogeny. But its vigilant dedication to melody and a higher standard of bone-crushing metallurgy have helped carve a unique sonic niche. Both traits are evident on Weapon. A brooding introduction sidles up to the spiky, thick boot-heel strut of "Bound," and the previously unreleased "Dehumanized" -- "Let me see those fists!" David Draiman implores the gathered throng midsong -- should satiate those lying in wait for the band's next full-length. Weapon might have used more tracks like this; a cover of "Fade to Black" is unremarkable, and the atmospheric Believe ballad "Darkness" doesn't translate to disc very well. Are those strings in the background? Still, Disturbed know how to bring the house down, which they absolutely do with an incredible closing version of "Stupify." Too bad Beavis isn't around anymore. He would've loved Draiman's guttural yawps. "Don't denyeee meeee!" ~ 093624862024

1. Loading the Weapon (Live)

by Disturbed

Primary Artist: Disturbed; Main Performer
Bass Guitar: Steve Kmak; Performer
Bass Guitar: Steve Kmak; Performer
Guitar: Dan Donegan; Performer
Composer: Mike Wengren
Steve Kmak
David Draiman
Dan Donegan; Composer
Audio Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Mixing Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Recording: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Audio Recording Engineer: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Other

2. Bound (Live)

by Disturbed

Primary Artist: Disturbed; Main Performer
Bass Guitar: Steve Kmak; Performer
Bass Guitar: Steve Kmak; Performer
Guitar: Dan Donegan; Performer
Composer: Mike Wengren
Steve Kmak
David Draiman
Dan Donegan; Composer
Audio Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Mixing Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Recording: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Audio Recording Engineer: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Other

3. Myself (Live Version)

by Taproot

Primary Artist: Taproot; Main Performer
Bass: Phil Lipscomb; Performer
Drums: Jarrod Montague; Performer
Guitar: Mike Dewolf
Stephenrichards; Performer
Vocals: Stephenrichards; Performer
Composer: Stephenrichards
Phil Lipscomb
Mike Dewolf
Taproot
Jarrod Montague; Composer
Assistant Engineer: Matt Hennessy; Production
Mixing: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Production
Recording: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Production
Unknown Contributor Role: Angela Desimone
Larry Einbund; Other

4. Dehumanized (Live)

by Disturbed

Primary Artist: Disturbed; Main Performer
Bass Guitar: Steve Kmak; Performer
Bass Guitar: Steve Kmak; Performer
Guitar: Dan Donegan; Performer
Composer: Mike Wengren
Steve Kmak
David Draiman
Dan Donegan; Composer
Audio Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Mixing Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Recording: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Audio Recording Engineer: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Other

5. Forfeit (Live Version)

by Chevelle

Bass: Joe Loeffler; Performer
Primary Artist: Chevelle; Main Performer
Drums: Sam Loeffler; Performer
Guitar: Pete Loeffler; Performer
Vocals: Joe Loeffler
Pete Loeffler; Performer
Composer: Chevelle; Composer
Lyricist: Pete Loeffler; Composer
Assistant Engineer: Matt Hennessy; Production
Mixing: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Recording: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Production
Unknown Contributor Role: Larry Einbund
Angela Desimone; Other

6. Fade to Black (Live)

by Disturbed

Primary Artist: Disturbed; Main Performer
Bass Guitar: Steve Kmak; Performer
Bass Guitar: Steve Kmak; Performer
Guitar: Dan Donegan; Performer
Composer: James Hetfield
Lars Ulrich
Kirk Hammett
Cliff Burton; Composer
Audio Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Mixing Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Recording: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Audio Recording Engineer: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Other

7. Empty (Live Version)

by Unloco

Primary Artist: ünloco
Unloco; Main Performer
Bass: Victor Escareno; Performer
Drums: Peter Navarrete; Performer
Guitar: Marc Serrano; Performer
Vocals: Joey Duenas; Performer
Composer: Unloco
ünloco; Composer
Assistant Engineer: Matt Hennessy; Production
Mixing: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Recording: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Unknown Contributor Role: Angela Desimone
Larry Einbund; Other

8. Sumtimes (Live Version)

by Taproot

Primary Artist: Taproot; Main Performer
Bass: Phil Lipscomb; Performer
Drums: Jarrod Montague; Performer
Guitar: Mike Dewolf
Stephenrichards; Performer
Vocals: Stephenrichards; Performer
Composer: Stephenrichards
Phil Lipscomb
Mike Dewolf
Taproot
Jarrod Montague; Composer
Assistant Engineer: Matt Hennessy; Production
Mixing: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Production
Recording: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Production
Unknown Contributor Role: Angela Desimone
Larry Einbund; Other

9. Darkness (Live)

by Disturbed

Primary Artist: Disturbed; Main Performer
Bass Guitar: Mike Wengren; Performer
Bass Guitar: Mike Wengren; Performer
Drums: Mike Wengren; Performer
Guitar: Steve Kmak
Dan Donegan; Performer
Lead Vocals: David Draiman; Performer
Composer: Steve Kmak
David Draiman
Dan Donegan
Mike Wengren; Composer
Audio Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Mixing Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Recording: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Audio Recording Engineer: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Other

10. Bruises (Live Version)

by Unloco

Primary Artist: ünloco
Unloco; Main Performer
Bass: Victor Escareno; Performer
Drums: Peter Navarrete; Performer
Guitar: Marc Serrano; Performer
Vocals: Joey Duenas; Performer
Composer: Unloco
ünloco; Composer
Assistant Engineer: Matt Hennessy; Production
Mixing: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Recording: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Unknown Contributor Role: Angela Desimone
Larry Einbund; Other

11. Prayer (Live)

by Disturbed

Primary Artist: Disturbed; Main Performer
Bass Guitar: Steve Kmak; Performer
Bass Guitar: Steve Kmak; Performer
Guitar: Dan Donegan; Performer
Composer: Mike Wengren
Steve Kmak
David Draiman
Dan Donegan; Composer
Audio Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Mixing Engineer: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Recording: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Audio Recording Engineer: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Other

12. The Red (Live Version)

by Chevelle

Bass: Joe Loeffler; Performer
Primary Artist: Chevelle; Main Performer
Drums: Sam Loeffler; Performer
Guitar: Pete Loeffler; Performer
Vocals: Joe Loeffler
Pete Loeffler; Performer
Composer: Chevelle; Composer
Lyricist: Pete Loeffler; Composer
Assistant Engineer: Matt Hennessy; Production
Mixing: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production
Recording: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Production
Unknown Contributor Role: Larry Einbund
Angela Desimone; Other

13. Poem (Live Version)

by Taproot

Bass: Phil Lipscomb; Performer
Primary Artist: Taproot; Main Performer
Drums: Jarrod Montague; Performer
Guitar: Stephenrichards
Mike Dewolf; Performer
Vocals: Stephenrichards; Performer
Composer: Taproot
Mike Dewolf
Jarrod Montague
Phil Lipscomb
Stephenrichards; Composer
Assistant Engineer: Matt Hennessy; Production
Mixing: Rae Nimeh
Larry Sturm; Production
Recording: Larry Sturm
Rae Nimeh; Production