AT LEAST YOU CAN LEAVE BEFORE DISTURBED GO ON

When it was announced last month that Killswitch Engage would be on Disturbed’s fourth Music as a Weapon tour, we were flooded with so many irate e-mails from readers you’d have thought that Howard Jones had just been caught raping hundreds of metal fans’ mothers; KSE fans just couldn’t seem to wrap their heads around the concept of the American New Wavers acting as support for one of the most love ’em or loathe ’em nu metal acts on the planet. We didn’t report on the development at the time, though. Frankly, I figured it was just one of those things; sometimes awesome bands tour with crappy ones. You can’t please all the people all the time.

But now that Chimaira and Lacuna Coil have joined the tour, I gotta ask: what the frick?

I guess I really shouldn’t be too surprised; “real” metal is back “in” these days, as evidenced by the fact that Metallica have traded support acts like Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Kid Rock for bands like Lamb of God, Machine Head and The Sword. It benefits Disturbed to have bands like these on their tour because bands like these are trendy right now (having just played the Mayhem tour, Disturbed and their handlers may be more aware of this fact than ever), and it benefits KSE, Lacuna Coil and Chimaira to be on the tour because, frankly, Disturbed have a massive audience and it’s a chance to potentially win over lots and lots of new fans.

So, yes, it sucks that if you wanna see the three support acts you’ll have to put money in David Draiman’s pocket. But look at this way: when you leave early, you’ll totally beat the post-show parking lot traffic.

Now, if Disturbed really wanna make headlines, they should invite The Dillinger Escape Plan to be on the tour…

-AR