Album of the Day

Disturbed's ASYLUM debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200, the fourth chart-topper in a row from the Chicago heavy metal quartet. “The themes range from very personal and introspective, to the political and provocative,” noted frontman David Draiman of the 2010 set, which addresses break-ups (“Crucified”) and miscarriage (“My Child”) as well as global warming (“Another Way To Die”) and the Holocaust (“Never Again”). The music is equally dark and intense, with Dan Donegan's guitar work ranging from powerful to lyrical and a balance of moods and tempos that speaks to the band members' growing sophistication as producers. We'll leave the last word to Pantera's Vinnie Paul, who simply said of ASYLUM, “That thing kicks ass.”