Dear Mr. David Draiman, 

            When you say “if this disturbs you, then walk away,” are you really serious? Perhaps I’m just confused, what is it that we are supposed to be disturbed by?  Do you really mean to tell me that you’re music is just so dark and angry that the general public just can’t understand it, or is in some way…disturbed by it? 

            I know your songs are very deep and touch on such serious subject matters.  Let’s look at some of the lyrics on your last release, shall we?  The first song contains this whopping line “Power un-restrained dead on the mark is what we will deliver tonight.” Skipping ahead a few songs we come across this heartbreaking bit: “You began alone, and so it will be when you die.”  And to up the ever so poetic dosages, you finish off your album with a nice kick of “Take these chains away/free my hands from bondage/can’t explain away/Avarice will kill you in time.”

            Well congratulations sir, you really outdid yourself on this album.  The darkness and power in all your lines is simply well…disturbing.  And you know, I’m really starting to see a big theme here.  But really, there must be more to your band than trying to disturb people as an act of rebellion.  I suppose this is where you lose me, what exactly are you rebelling against? 

My first thought was perhaps that you were rebelling against the mainstream culture.  That surely can’t be it though.  You have t-shirts sold at Hot Topics around the world and I think it’s pretty safe to say that every 9 out of 10 mall goers with an average age of 15 wear your t-shirt.  Not to mention appearing on cribs, well, that doesn’t always come off as ‘non-conformist’ as we like, shocking as that may seem.

            My next thought was, perhaps you are rebelling against metal in itself.  Being a musician I understand how genres tend to get very tiresome.  I should have just figured that I hit the nail on the dead, but I had to push my luck and listen to some of your music to prove that I found the solution to the mystery.  I guess you could call this metal.  I mean, what could be harder hitting than chugga guitar riffs tuned 3 octaves too low and strange singing which at times just sounded as if your throat was filled with phlegm.  I’ll tell ya, I could barely make out a word you were saying (the lyric search really came in handy for this part).

            It just seems to me sir, that there really is nothing disturbing to the public about your music.  But I was thinking, perhaps it’s not that we’re disturbed by your message, but we’re just disturbed by how bad you are.  You just have it all confused.  When the general public hears your music and remark that it’s terrible, it’s not being said because people just “don’t understand,” it’s said because your music is so goddamn appalling that nobody wants to listen to it.

            So please, I implore you to take it from me…the gimmick is up.  I know a few people in Nebraskahoma might be upset that they need to find a new soundtrack for their backyard wrestling, but really, this is the best thing for everyone.  The mall-goth scene needs to come to an end, it’s the only way society can advance, so be a sport and take a hint for the good of society.

Sincerely,

Daniel Utano