David Draiman: Becoming a dad has made me angry at the world

Lena Yada and David Draiman
(Image credit: Getty)

Disturbed frontman David Draiman says becoming a father has made him angrier.

Draiman and his wife Lena Yada welcomed their son Samuel into the world in 2013 and his birth had some unexpected effects on the singer – some of which found their way onto Disturbed’s comeback album Immortalized.

Draiman tells Full Metal Jackie: “I can’t deny the impact of becoming a father and having my son come into this world, and even becoming a husband.

“The irony is that, when people think that in certain ways it softens you – in many ways I’m more defensive and more on guard and more frightened and more angry at everything in this world now that I have them to worry about.

“But on another level, they open your eyes to things. Tracks on this record like Who Taught You How To Hate, coming from watching the innocence of youth and how someone like my son has absolutely no prejudices of any kind and sees everyone as equals, and that it is something that is taught. It isn’t something that you’re inherently born with.

“Or penning my first quote-unquote love song on this record, which is You’re Mine. These are probably things I would not have done prior to being married and prior to having my son.”

He adds that he feels more responsibility on his life and work since becoming a dad. “You have that much more riding on everything you do, now that you have those that are dependent on you and those whom you love more than yourself,” he says.

“So it accentuates everything, in my opinion.”

Disturbed are on the road in support of Immortalized.

Disturbed remaining tour dates 2016

Apr 07: Detroit St. Andrews Hall, MI
Apr 08: Grand Rapids Orbit Room, MI
Apr 10: Memphis New Daisy Theatre, TN
Jul 09: Syracuse Lakeview Amphitheatre, NY (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 10: Bristow Jiffy Lube Live, VA (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 12: Saratoga Performing Arts Center, NY (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 17: St Louis Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, MO (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 19: Pittsburgh First Niagara Pavilion, PA (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 20: Indianapolis Klipsch Amphitheatre, IN (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 22: Hartford Xfinity Theatre, CT (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 23: Boston Xfinity Center, MA (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 24: Darien Center Lake Performing Arts Center, NY (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 26: Detroit DTE Energy Amphitheatre, MI (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 27: Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center, OH (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 29: Scranton Pavilion At Montage Mountain, PA (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 30: Wantagh Nikon At Jones Beach, NY (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Jul 31: Holmdel PNC Banks Arts Center, NJ (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Aug 04: Gilford Bank Of NH Pavilion, NH (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Aug 08: Toronto Molson Canadian Amphitheatre, ON (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Aug 12: Dallas Gexa Energy Amphitheatre, TX (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Aug 13: Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, TX (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Aug 15: Denver Red Rocks Amphitheatre, CO (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Aug 17: Albuquerque Isleta Amphitheatre, NM (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)
Aug 19: Concord Pavilion, CA (with Breaking Benjamin & Alter Bridge)

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Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.