Disturbed guitarist Dan Donegan said he has been fueling his inspiration for the band’s upcoming new album by constantly attending live shows, including performances by major metal acts. Speaking on The Rockpit, Donegan explained how concert-going has become central to his creative process.
Donegan discussed the band’s plans to release new material and how live music feeds his songwriting. He described his approach to attending shows and the variety of artists he has seen recently.
“We definitely have a lot of material in the vault,” Donegan said. “We have an album sitting there that we’re trying to figure the timeframe. And that was part of the discussion. So once we realized we wanted to come back into your part of the world, we wanted to also have a game plan and an announcement of the release of an album. So sometime in ’27 is the game plan.”
He continued: “I don’t care about the outside world as much as I care about the guys I’m writing with. I wanna bring in something that’s gonna be inspiring to them, of course. … So, musically, I still feel like there’s a lot left in the tank. I go to enough concerts, I’m constantly at shows when I’m back home. I’m just looking for inspiration all the time. I just went to see Metallica at the Sphere in Las Vegas last weekend. This whole summer — I live about 25 minutes away from our outdoor amphitheater out here.”
“I was living up there all summer long,” Donegan added. “I’ve seen everything from, Creed to Limp Bizkit to Breaking Benjamin, Chevelle, Megadeth — god, everything that came through, everything from John Mellencamp to Train to everything in between. So I’m very much in my element when I’m in the crowd and I feel like that kid again. I mean, I don’t need to stand on side stage to watch bands. I’ll go out in the crowd and I’ll watch it like everybody else, and I’m there all the time. So I’m very much looking for that push and that inspiration.”
Donegan made these comments as Disturbed prepares to announce its next album. The guitarist’s focus remains on finding creative fuel through the live music experience.
Disturbed has already recorded material for the new album and is working out a release plan. The band’s target is 2027, and Donegan plans to meet vocalist David Draiman and drummer Mike Wengler in Los Angeles for a final review of the recordings and any possible adjustments. The band hopes to have at least one new track available before returning to Australia, New Zealand and Asia in April and May 2027.
The band’s most recent full-length album was “Divisive”, released in 2022. Disturbed shared “I Will Not Break” as a standalone single in 2025, which was released through the band’s independent label, Mother Culture Records. The track became the band’s 19th No. 1 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart.
The upcoming album will contain signature Disturbed elements including syncopation, aggression, and melodic moments from Draiman alongside animalistic vocal moments and old-school elements with growling. Donegan has dug up demos and riffs from the 1990s, attempting to sneak them back in because if they have stuck with him that long, he tries to see what the band could do with them today with fresh ears. Frontman David Draiman described the upcoming songs as “diverse, fresh, and powerful” after stepping away from the tracks for a while and falling in love with them all over again.
Disturbed have announced a new run of concerts in 2027 across New Zealand, Australia and Asia. The band will perform its 2000 breakthrough album “The Sickness” in full at every show, from Auckland on April 22 to Manila on May 25. Each concert will feature two sets: one dedicated to the album and another drawing on the group’s wider catalogue.
