Ten Thousand Fists
Encyclopedia
Ten Thousand Fists is the third studio album
by American heavy metal
band Disturbed. It was released on September 20, 2005 and became Disturbed's second consecutive #1 debut on the Billboard 200
in the United States, shipping around 239,000 copies in its opening week. It has been certified Platinum by the RIAA and was also the band's second #1 release in New Zealand
. It is also the second Disturbed album to not have the Parental Advisory
label.
Ten Thousand Fists marks the first album with bassist John Moyer
who replaced Steve Kmak
following his dismissal in 2003. However, he was considered a session musician during the time of recording, and only became a full-time member during the tour supporting the album. It would be the band's third and final collaboration with mainstay producer Johnny K
. The album is also the first in which Disturbed's mascot, The Guy, appears on the album cover. He would later appear full-bodied in the music video for "Land of Confusion".
Ten Thousand Fists is, as of 2010, Disturbed's second highest selling album in the United States, with sales of around 1.9 million copies. The Sickness
, the band's debut CD, has shifted sales of almost 4.2 million copies in the United States. The album was dedicated to Dimebag Darrell
who died the year before.
The first single
, "Stricken
", was released on July 25, 2005. On August 19, 2005 the music video "Stricken", directed by Nathan Cox, was posted on the Warner Bros. Records
website. The music video was filmed in an abandoned hospital, in the same location where some scenes from the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street
were filmed. In early August 2005, viral marketing
was used to promote Ten Thousand Fists. A piece of software was sent via e-mail to certain recipients, who passed it along to other recipients. When the software was passed along to at least 250,000 recipients, it unlocked the song "Ten Thousand Fists
". In early July 2006, the third single, "Land of Confusion" (originally written by Genesis
), was released, alongside an animated music video directed by Todd McFarlane
.
said that Ten Thousand Fists "seems to fuse the brutality and darkness of The Sickness
with the added melodic nature and complexity of Believe
. It's more aggressive than the last record, and at times, more aggressive than the first one." The song "Overburdened" is about soldiers going to Hell
. Draiman said that the song "Guarded" is about Draiman guarding himself from other people. He said the song "reflects what choosing this life forces certain people to do in a certain way — you have to remain guarded on a certain level." Draiman said the song "Ten Thousand Fists
" is meant to "[signify] strength, unity, conviction, power, and the exhilaration that you feel when you get to see that at one of our shows." Draiman continued to say, "It's one of my favorite moments, and people know that I have an affinity for asking people to put their fists in the air, and it's just, it's exhilaration to be able to see ten thousand raised fists or more."
", were heavily influenced by his feelings towards American president George W. Bush
, and several of the songs included war/anti-war themes, including "Deify", for which the intro features audio clips of Bush urging the nation to push forward in war, interlaced with an individual's political commentary, while the video for "Land of Confusion" depicts big business and capitalism as being a corrupting Nazi-like enemy being overthrown by an army of the people led by The Guy, the band's mascot.
, based on seven reviews. Allmusic reviewer Johnny Loftus gave the album a positive review; however, regarding the album's sound, he stated "Ten Thousand Fists does start to sound the same after a while." The Village Voice
's reviewer Phil Freeman also gave the album a positive review, "The guitarist and drummer are an airtight team, and the session bassist capably underpins the guitar solos that are a welcome new addition to the band's sound. Program out the cover of 'Land of Confusion' and you've got the best mainstream metal release since Judas Priest
's Angel of Retribution
." NME
gave it a 1/10 review describing it as "unfocused rage" and "you'll find nothing more despicable this year".
The UK and Tour editions of the album both featured four bonus tracks: "Monster", "Two Worlds", "Hell", and "Sickened", the first of which was also included as an iTunes
bonus track. All four songs are also included in the band's b-side compilation, The Lost Children
.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Disturbed. It was released on September 20, 2005 and became Disturbed's second consecutive #1 debut on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in the United States, shipping around 239,000 copies in its opening week. It has been certified Platinum by the RIAA and was also the band's second #1 release in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is also the second Disturbed album to not have the Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
label.
Ten Thousand Fists marks the first album with bassist John Moyer
John Moyer
John Moyer is the bassist and back up vocalist for the heavy metal band Disturbed, replacing their former bassist Steve "Fuzz" Kmak...
who replaced Steve Kmak
Steve Kmak
Steve "Fuzz" Kmak is an American bass guitar player, best known for his work with the heavy metal band Disturbed. Kmak founded the band Brawl in 1994 with guitarist Dan Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren. They played small clubs in Chicago before singer David Draiman answered their ad, after which...
following his dismissal in 2003. However, he was considered a session musician during the time of recording, and only became a full-time member during the tour supporting the album. It would be the band's third and final collaboration with mainstay producer Johnny K
Johnny K
John Karkazis, better known as Johnny K, is a Grammy Award nominated producer/engineer/mixer/musician and songwriter. He owns Groovemaster Recording Studios in Chicago...
. The album is also the first in which Disturbed's mascot, The Guy, appears on the album cover. He would later appear full-bodied in the music video for "Land of Confusion".
Ten Thousand Fists is, as of 2010, Disturbed's second highest selling album in the United States, with sales of around 1.9 million copies. The Sickness
The Sickness
The track "Stupify" actually lasts 4:07, but skipping to the track or ripping it produces a song that's 4:33. There's a 0:26 backwards-played instrumental part hidden in the pregap between tracks 3 and 4 that can only be heard by rewinding / playing straight through.-Chart...
, the band's debut CD, has shifted sales of almost 4.2 million copies in the United States. The album was dedicated to Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
who died the year before.
Promotion
On June 16, 2005 the album title was announced via the Disturbed website. Later that month, the album track listing was also revealed. The song "Guarded" was released to radio stations in late June 2005 as a teaser. Vocalist David Draiman said the motive behind releasing the song was to promote the album. He said, "[The song] was put out there to just whet everybody's appetite. It's one of the more aggressive tracks on the record, just to remind everybody where we came from and who we are."The first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Stricken
Stricken (song)
"Stricken" is a song by American rock band Disturbed. The song was released on July 25, 2005 as the second single from their third studio album Ten Thousand Fists. "Stricken" was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America on August 18, 2008 for selling...
", was released on July 25, 2005. On August 19, 2005 the music video "Stricken", directed by Nathan Cox, was posted on the Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
website. The music video was filmed in an abandoned hospital, in the same location where some scenes from the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American slasher film directed and written by Wes Craven, and the first film of the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise. The film features Heather Langenkamp, John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Amanda Wyss, Jsu Garcia, Robert Englund, and Johnny Depp in his feature film...
were filmed. In early August 2005, viral marketing
Viral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
was used to promote Ten Thousand Fists. A piece of software was sent via e-mail to certain recipients, who passed it along to other recipients. When the software was passed along to at least 250,000 recipients, it unlocked the song "Ten Thousand Fists
Ten Thousand Fists (song)
"Ten Thousand Fists" is a song by American rock band Disturbed. The song was released in 2006 as the fifth single from their third studio album, Ten Thousand Fists...
". In early July 2006, the third single, "Land of Confusion" (originally written by Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
), was released, alongside an animated music video directed by Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
.
Themes
Vocalist David DraimanDavid Draiman
David Michael Draiman is an American songwriter and the lead singer for the metal band Disturbed. Draiman is known for his distorted voice and rhythmic singing style...
said that Ten Thousand Fists "seems to fuse the brutality and darkness of The Sickness
The Sickness
The track "Stupify" actually lasts 4:07, but skipping to the track or ripping it produces a song that's 4:33. There's a 0:26 backwards-played instrumental part hidden in the pregap between tracks 3 and 4 that can only be heard by rewinding / playing straight through.-Chart...
with the added melodic nature and complexity of Believe
Believe (Disturbed album)
Believe is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on September 17, 2002. Believe debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it Disturbed's first #1 debut, shipping over 284,000 copies in its first week...
. It's more aggressive than the last record, and at times, more aggressive than the first one." The song "Overburdened" is about soldiers going to Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
. Draiman said that the song "Guarded" is about Draiman guarding himself from other people. He said the song "reflects what choosing this life forces certain people to do in a certain way — you have to remain guarded on a certain level." Draiman said the song "Ten Thousand Fists
Ten Thousand Fists (song)
"Ten Thousand Fists" is a song by American rock band Disturbed. The song was released in 2006 as the fifth single from their third studio album, Ten Thousand Fists...
" is meant to "[signify] strength, unity, conviction, power, and the exhilaration that you feel when you get to see that at one of our shows." Draiman continued to say, "It's one of my favorite moments, and people know that I have an affinity for asking people to put their fists in the air, and it's just, it's exhilaration to be able to see ten thousand raised fists or more."
Political content
According to band members, while Ten Thousand Fists was not written as a political album, it was their most political record to date. Vocalist David Draiman's lyrics for the title song, "Ten Thousand FistsTen Thousand Fists (song)
"Ten Thousand Fists" is a song by American rock band Disturbed. The song was released in 2006 as the fifth single from their third studio album, Ten Thousand Fists...
", were heavily influenced by his feelings towards American president George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, and several of the songs included war/anti-war themes, including "Deify", for which the intro features audio clips of Bush urging the nation to push forward in war, interlaced with an individual's political commentary, while the video for "Land of Confusion" depicts big business and capitalism as being a corrupting Nazi-like enemy being overthrown by an army of the people led by The Guy, the band's mascot.
Reception
Ten Thousand Fists earned mixed reviews from critics; it received a score of 59% on the review-aggregating website MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, based on seven reviews. Allmusic reviewer Johnny Loftus gave the album a positive review; however, regarding the album's sound, he stated "Ten Thousand Fists does start to sound the same after a while." The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
's reviewer Phil Freeman also gave the album a positive review, "The guitarist and drummer are an airtight team, and the session bassist capably underpins the guitar solos that are a welcome new addition to the band's sound. Program out the cover of 'Land of Confusion' and you've got the best mainstream metal release since Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
's Angel of Retribution
Angel of Retribution
Angel of Retribution is the 15th studio album by British heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in 2005. It marks the return of Rob Halford, after a 12 year departure from the band. The album debuted at #13 on the U.S. Billboard chart, which made it the second highest chart of a Judas Priest album...
." NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
gave it a 1/10 review describing it as "unfocused rage" and "you'll find nothing more despicable this year".
The UK and Tour editions of the album both featured four bonus tracks: "Monster", "Two Worlds", "Hell", and "Sickened", the first of which was also included as an iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
bonus track. All four songs are also included in the band's b-side compilation, The Lost Children
The Lost Children (album)
-Personnel:Disturbed*David Draiman – lead vocals*Dan Donegan – guitar, electronics*John Moyer – bass guitar, backing vocals*Mike Wengren – drums, percussions*Steve Kmak – bass guitar Production...
.
Track listing
Personnel
- David DraimanDavid DraimanDavid Michael Draiman is an American songwriter and the lead singer for the metal band Disturbed. Draiman is known for his distorted voice and rhythmic singing style...
– lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Dan DoneganDan DoneganDan Donegan is an American musician and guitarist for heavy metal band Disturbed. Donegan began playing guitar as a teenager and eventually formed a band called Vandal, which was an '80s-style hair band...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, electronics - John MoyerJohn MoyerJohn Moyer is the bassist and back up vocalist for the heavy metal band Disturbed, replacing their former bassist Steve "Fuzz" Kmak...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocals - Mike WengrenMike WengrenMike Wengren is a drummer from Chicago, Illinois, best known for his work with the heavy metal band Disturbed, he is one of the founding members of the band, which was formed in 1996.-History:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Johnny KJohnny KJohn Karkazis, better known as Johnny K, is a Grammy Award nominated producer/engineer/mixer/musician and songwriter. He owns Groovemaster Recording Studios in Chicago...
– producer - Ben GrosseBen GrosseBen Grosse is an American record producer and mixer, who has worked on numerous albums. He currently works with a staff at his own studio, The Mix Room, in Burbank, California...
– mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - Matt Taylor – artwork
- Ellen Wakayama – artwork
- Greg CapulloGreg CapulloGregory “Greg” Capullo is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on Quasar , X-Force , Angela and Spawn ....
– artwork - Todd McFarlaneTodd McFarlaneTodd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
– artwork - Clay Patrick McBridge – photography
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
11 |
| Austrian Albums Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
37 | |
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
2 | |
| Dutch Album Charts MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
87 | |
| German Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
21 | |
| New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
1 | |
| Swedish Album Charts Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
24 | |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
62 | |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
59 | |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
1 | |
| US Top Internet Albums | 1 | |
| 2008 | US Catalog Albums Chart | 13 |
| US Hard Rock Albums Chart | 17 |
| Year | Song | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | "Guarded" | Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
| Alternative Songs | 28 | ||
| 2006 | "Just Stop" | Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 4 |
| Alternative Songs | 24 | ||
| "Land of Confusion" | Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 | |
| Alternative Songs | 18 | ||
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
79 | ||
| "Stricken Stricken (song) "Stricken" is a song by American rock band Disturbed. The song was released on July 25, 2005 as the second single from their third studio album Ten Thousand Fists. "Stricken" was certified gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America on August 18, 2008 for selling... " |
US Billboard Hot 100 | 95 | |
| Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 | ||
| Alternative Songs | 13 | ||
| Pop 100 Pop 100 The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009... |
89 | ||
| UK Singles Chart | 88 | ||
| 2007 | "Ten Thousand Fists Ten Thousand Fists (song) "Ten Thousand Fists" is a song by American rock band Disturbed. The song was released in 2006 as the fifth single from their third studio album, Ten Thousand Fists... " |
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 7 |
| Alternative Songs | 37 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification |
|---|---|
| Australia Australian Recording Industry Association The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956... |
Platinum |
| Canada Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Platinum |
| New Zealand Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
Gold |
| United Kingdom British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Silver |
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |