Arguably the most popular metal group mentioned here, Disturbed originates from Chicago, and their dark tones and anger may have given me some release in my early twenties when I was full of ill emotions. They also influenced a horror / action work of mine that is presently undergoing rewrites, but which has already caught the interests of several publishers and readers alike.

Where to begin with The Night? It’s a song about doing what has to be done to fight back, even finding a savior in the darkness, and that is almost the horror work to a T. The riffs keep my head rocking, and the chorus, I can see a desperate man making a plea for power.

Criminal, is, a, fight, scene. In the same novel, I have a battlemage rip apart a cybernetic demon abomination when it hurts a fellow coven member. This song played on full blast when I first wrote that scene, and I’ve played it every time I’ve gone over that bit because it had a build up all the way to the full, naked fury he finally demonstrates while he destroys the beast using his guns, summoning of destructive powers, and eventually, using his bare hands to finish the job, tearing out the unholy heart and crushing it to juice between calloused fingers.

Lastly, a song that is unlike most Disturbed is famous for, Darkness is a slow piece with a hauntingly beautiful riff, and a showcase of David Draiman’s smoother vocals. The lyrics catch me every time, and I see, in my mind’s eye, a man preparing to face his end, his mission complete, except for one final step.