Ten Thousand Fists

The album title was announced via Disturbed's website on June 16, 2005.{{cite news|title=Disturbed announce new album title|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.Net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=38165|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130202010021/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.Net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=38165|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 2, 2013|date=June 16, 2005|access-date=July 10, 2009|work=Blabbermouth.net}} Later that month, the track listing was revealed.{{cite web|title=Disturbed album track listing|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/disturbed_album_track_listing.html|date=June 22, 2005|access-date=August 23, 2008}} 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, "Stricken", was released on July 25, 2005.{{cite news|title=Disturbed: New single "Stricken" to go for radio adds this month|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.Net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=39017|date=July 8, 2005|access-date=July 9, 2009|work=Blabbermouth.net|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525195705/https://www.webcitation.org/66Yw3h9mT?url=http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.Net/news.aspx%3Fmode=Article&newsitemID=39017|archive-date=May 25, 2024}} On August 19, 2005, the music video "Stricken", directed by Nathan Cox, was posted on the Warner Bros. Records website.{{cite news|title=Disturbed: "Stricken" video posted online|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.Net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=40635|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120909104757/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.Net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=40635|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 9, 2012|date=August 19, 2005|access-date=July 10, 2009|work=Blabbermouth.net}} 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.{{cite news|title=Disturbed frontman: "We have the utmost love and respect for US soldiers" |url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.Net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=40600 |date=August 18, 2005 |access-date=July 10, 2009 |work=Blabbermouth.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051105054931/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=40600 |archive-date=November 5, 2005 }} 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".{{cite news|title=Disturbed: 250,000 fists to unlock new tune|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.Net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=40051|date=August 3, 2005|access-date=July 10, 2009|work=Blabbermouth.net|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525205129/https://www.webcitation.org/66ixpl18c?url=http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.Net/news.aspx%3Fmode=Article&newsitemID=40051|archive-date=May 25, 2024}} 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.{{cite news|title=Disturbed: "Land of Confusion" video available online|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=54760|date=July 7, 2006|access-date=July 10, 2009|work=Blabbermouth.net|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525195746/https://www.webcitation.org/66Yw4k5R2?url=http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx%3Fmode=Article&newsitemID=54760|archive-date=May 25, 2024}}{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/disturbeds_version_of_land_of_confusion_is_timely.html|title=Disturbed's version of "Land of Confusion" is timely|date=June 27, 2006|access-date=July 10, 2009}}

The album features several styles, including alternative metal,{{Cite web |url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/reviews/compact_discs/disturbed/ten_thousand_fists/|title=Disturbed: Ten Thousand Fists {{!}} Reviews |access-date=August 4, 2023 |publisher=Ultimate Guitar}} heavy metal,{{Cite web |title=Review {{!}} DISTURBED - Ten Thousand Fists |url=https://powermetal.de/review/review-Disturbed/Ten_Thousand_Fists,6601,6861.html |access-date=2023-08-04 |website=powermetal.de}} nu metal,{{cite magazine|url=http://loudwire.com/top-50-nu-metal-albums-of-all-time/|title=Top 50 Best Nu-Metal Albums of All-Time|magazine=Loudwire|first=Rae|last=Lemeshow-Barooshian|date=January 8, 2019|access-date=January 10, 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-50-best-nu-metal-albums-of-all-time|title = The 50 best nu metal albums of all time|date = April 2022}} and hard rock.

Vocalist David Draiman 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."

According to band members, while Ten Thousand Fists was not written as a political album, it was their most political record to date.{{cite news|title=Disturbed drummer: All the bands on the radio "sound the same to me"|url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=55284|date=July 19, 2006|access-date=July 10, 2009|work=Blabbermouth.net|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525195825/https://www.webcitation.org/66Yw72Bu4?url=http://legacy.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx%3Fmode=Article&newsitemID=55284|archive-date=May 25, 2024}} Vocalist David Draiman's lyrics for the title song, "Ten Thousand Fists", 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-style enemy being overthrown by an army of the people led by The Guy, the band's mascot.{{cite news|last =Harris|first=Chris|title=Todd McFarlane to make Genesis' 'Confusion' clip even more disturbed|publisher=MTV|date=March 15, 2006|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1525848/20060310/disturbed.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429012648/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1525848/20060310/disturbed.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 29, 2007|access-date=December 18, 2008}}

{{Music ratings

|MC = 59/100{{cite web|title=Metacritic score|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/ten-thousand-fists|website=Metacritic|access-date=December 9, 2008}}

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|title=Ten Thousand Fists Allmusic review|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=ten-thousand-fists-mw0000658781|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=July 10, 2009|last=Loftus|first=Johnny|publisher=Allmusic}}

|rev2 = Blender

|rev2Score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.blender.com/guide/new/53635/ten-thousand-fists.html |title=Disturbed Ten Thousand Fists |first=Nick |last=Catucci |magazine=Blender |access-date=April 28, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201063713/http://www.blender.com/guide/new/53635/ten-thousand-fists.html |archive-date=December 1, 2009 }}

|rev3 = IGN

|rev3Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|url=http://music.ign.com/articles/654/654530p2.html|title=Disturbed – Ten Thousand Fists|first=Spence|last=D.|website=IGN|access-date=April 28, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604000615/http://music.ign.com/articles/654/654530p2.html|archive-date=June 4, 2011}}

|rev4 = NME

|rev4Score = {{rating|0.5|5}}NME, September 17, 2005, p.58

|rev5 = Rolling Stone

|rev5score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/disturbed/albums/album/7623621/review/19172459/ten_thousand_fists|title=Disturbed: Ten Thousand Fists : Music Reviews|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=September 22, 2005|access-date=May 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411042859/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/disturbed/albums/album/7623621/review/19172459/ten_thousand_fists|archive-date=April 11, 2008|url-status=dead}}

|rev6 = The Village Voice

|rev6score = Positive{{cite news|last=Freeman|first=Phil|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2005-11-08/music/yet-another-solid-album-from-nu-metal-stars-only-the-kids-care-about|title=Yet Another Solid Album, From Nu-Metal Stars Only the Kids Care About|newspaper=The Village Voice|date=November 8, 2005}}

}}

Ten Thousand Fists earned mixed reviews from critics; it received a score of 59% on the review-aggregating website Metacritic, 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 song "Decadence" was featured in the 2005 racing video game Need for Speed: Most Wanted.

The song "Ten Thousand Fists" was featured in Madden NFL 06. The Song "Guarded" was featured on the soundtrack for the 2006 film Saw III.

The song "Stricken" was featured in the 2007 video games Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Project Gotham Racing 4.

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Disturbed, except "Land of Confusion", which was originally written by Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Mike Rutherford

| total_length = 56:09

| title1 = Ten Thousand Fists

| length1 = 3:32

| title2 = Just Stop

| length2 = 3:45

| title3 = Guarded

| length3 = 3:21

| title4 = Deify

| length4 = 4:17

| title5 = Stricken

| length5 = 4:06

| title6 = I'm Alive

| length6 = 4:41

| title7 = Sons of Plunder

| length7 = 3:49

| title8 = Overburdened

| length8 = 5:58

| title9 = Decadence

| length9 = 3:26

| title10 = Forgiven

| length10 = 4:14

| title11 = Land of Confusion

| note11 = Genesis cover

| length11 = 4:49

| title12 = Sacred Lie

| length12 = 3:07

| title13 = Pain Redefined

| length13 = 4:09

| title14 = Avarice

| length14 = 2:55

}}

{{Track listing

| total_length = 60:12

| headline = iTunes Deluxe bonus track

| title15 = Monster

| length15 = 4:03

}}

{{Track listing

| total_length = 63:42

| headline = Tour Edition bonus tracks

| title15 = Monster

| length15 = 4:03

| title16 = Two Worlds

| length16 = 3:30}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Tour Edition (bonus DVD)

| title1 = Just Stop (Live From Riviera)

| length1 = 3:57

| title2 = Just Stop (Form Yahoo Music Artist Mods)

| length2 = 3:44

| title3 = Stricken

| length3 = 4:10

| title4 = The Making of Stricken

| length4 = 20:07

| title5 = Land of Confusion

| length5 = 4:47

| title6 = Network Live Show

• 1: Liberate – 3:52
• 2: Decadence – 3:47
• 3: Fear – 3:53
• 4: Prayer – 3:42
• 5: Remember – 4:11
• 6: Stupify – 4:09
• 7: Deify – 4:16
• 8: Just Stop – 3:35
• 9: Voices – 3:29
• 10: Land of Confusion – 4:47
• 11: The Game – 4:00
• 12: Stricken – 6:49
• 13: Down with the Sickness – 6:02

| length6 = 57:22

| total_length = 94:07}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Disc 2 (instrumental version)

| total_length = 56:52

| title1 = Ten Thousand Fists

| note1 = Instrumental

| length1 = 3:35

| title2 = Just Stop

| note2 = Instrumental

| length2 = 3:48

| title3 = Guarded

| note3 = Instrumental

| length3 = 3:25

| title4 = Deify

| note4 = Instrumental

| length4 = 4:20

| title5 = Stricken

| note5 = Instrumental

| length5 = 4:09

| title6 = I'm Alive

| note6 = Instrumental

| length6 = 4:44

| title7 = Sons of Plunder

| note7 = Instrumental

| length7 = 3:53

| title8 = Overburdened

| note8 = Instrumental

| length8 = 6:01

| title9 = Decadence

| note9 = Instrumental

| length9 = 3:29

| title10 = Forgiven

| note10 = Instrumental

| length10 = 4:17

| title11 = Land of Confusion

| note11 = Instrumental

| length11 = 4:52

| title12 = Sacred Lie

| note12 = Instrumental

| length12 = 3:10

| title13 = Pain Redefined

| note13 = Instrumental

| length13 = 4:12

| title14 = Avarice

| note14 = Instrumental

| length14 = 2:57

}}

The UK and Tour editions of the album both feature 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.

Disturbed

• David Draiman – lead vocals
• Dan Donegan – guitars, electronics
• Mike Wengren – drums, percussion

Session member

• John Moyer – bass, backing vocals

Production

• Johnny K – production
• Disturbed – production, art direction
• Ben Grosse – mixing
• Paul Pavao – assistant mixing
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• Aiden Mullen – guitar technician
• Jeff Aldrich – A&R
• Ellen Wakayama – art direction
• Matt Taylor – art direction, design
• Todd McFarlane – artwork
• Greg Capullo – artwork
• Clay Patrick McBride – photography

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{clear}}

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|title=Ten Thousand Fists|artist=Disturbed|type=album|award=Platinum|certyear=2008|access-date=January 1, 2025|refname="ARIA"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=Ten Thousand Fists|artist=Disturbed|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=2002|certyear=2018|access-date=January 1, 2025|refname="MC"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|title=Ten Thousand Fists|artist=Disturbed|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=2005|certyear=2025|access-date=January 16, 2025|refname="BVMI"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|title=Ten Thousand Fists|artist=Disturbed|type=album|id=2005-10-28|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|award=Gold|refname="RMNZ"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|title=Ten Thousand Fists|artist=Disturbed|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=2002|certyear=2013|certmonth=5|id=6513-2264-2|refname="BPI"}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Ten Thousand Fists|artist=Disturbed|type=album|relyear=2005|certyear=2025|award=Platinum|number=3|refname="RIAA"|access-date=March 6, 2025}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|streaming=true}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Disturbed}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2005 albums

Category:Albums produced by Johnny K

Category:Disturbed (band) albums

Category:Reprise Records albums