DISTURBED's DAVID DRAIMAN On Global Situation: 'I Can't Recall Ever Seeing Things This Bad Before'

In a new interview with Germany's Rock Antenne, DISTURBED frontman David Draiman was asked if the title of the band's new album, "Divisive", is a reference to "current society." He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Absolutely. In every way. I think that the two years-plus of the pandemic that the world went through made everybody lose their damn minds. I think that with being shut inside for so long and having the Internet as this limitless rabbit hole of potential information to sink yourself into, people lost themselves in other really, really bad habits. And one of those bad habits was outrage addiction — people searching online to find new and more compelling reasons to be pissed off at someone for something. And it's sad what we've become. It's sad that people in positions of power pit us against one another for their own gain. It's sad that we don't realize we're being manipulated. It's a very scary time. I can't recall ever seeing things this bad before in terms of 'it's either you're on my team or you're the enemy' in my lifetime. It's pretty crazy."

As for what solution he suggests for this divisive situation, Draiman said: "I think that people need to start focusing on what we have in common that unites us as opposed to how we differ from another and what separates us. I think people need to enjoy the simpler things in life.

"I love — we love — that one of the most unifying experiences that you can participate in in this world is going to a concert, going to a live performance," he continued. "And everybody, no matter what walk of life you come from and no matter how rich or poor you may be and no matter where your politics may lie, you share a common unified love of the art that you're witnessing. It hits you, a person who's, let's say, a Republican the same way as it does a Democrat or a liberal and conservative and vice versa. We still all have that same ability to feel the same level of emotion and for it to affect us in different ways. That's part of the beauty of being human.

"We don't have any delusions of grandeur," Draiman added. "We know that we're not, like [the 1989 American comedy] 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure', we're not WYLD STALLYNS [the fictional band from 'Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure'] and our music is going to save the world or anything like that. I wish it could.

"I think that people need a good, stern reality check and for people to recognize we've gone way, way, way too far with this."

Pressed about whether he is still feeling "optimistic" about humanity's ability to come together and solve global challenges, Draiman said: "I don't necessarily have the highest level of optimism. I hope. Like I said, I've never seen it this bad. And we don't do anything to inhibit its growth. We feed it — over and over and over again. We can't help ourselves. So, I don't know. [Laughs] I worry for the world that my son has to grow up in. I truly do. He has challenges that I never would have dreamt of growing up myself."

"Divisive" will arrive on November 18 via Reprise. Over the last year, the quartet cut these ten tracks with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

Guitarist Dan Donegan previously stated about the "Divisive" title: "Whatever it takes, we've got to pull it together. We've always tried to take negative topics and spin them in a positive light. From touring around the world, we've seen the power of music as the universal language to bring everyone together from all walks of life. We can still play songs to unite people, and it's a pretty powerful feeling."

DISTURBED initially set the stage for the record with "Hey You", which came out in July. The song spread like wildfire across airwaves, emerging as the band's 15th No. 1 single at rock radio.

Thus far, DISTURBED has notched five consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200, occupying rarified air alongside METALLICA — the only other hard rock group to accomplish this feat. Since their influential five-times-platinum debut "The Sickness" in 2000, they have built a bulletproof catalog highlighted by a procession of smashes, including the platinum "Stupify", "Inside The Fire" and "Land Of Confusion", two-times-platinum "Stricken", six-times-platinum "Down With The Sickness" and seven-times-platinum "The Sound Of Silence", to name a few. The latter notably received a Grammy Award nomination in the category of "Best Rock Performance" as the band earned "Best Rock Artist" at the 2017 iHeartRadioMusic Awards.