User:Oleg O

=About me=

Research question:
What's so special about the band?

Introduction:
Reasons for choosing the topic:First of all,I'm a big music fan,and not only Rock and Metal.I like any good music,be it Classical,Hip- Hop,Electronical,Transes,or even Rap.However,the favorite type is Metal and Rock.Disturbed has been my favorite band in the last few years.And since I have a basic to begin with,and my understandings of the language is better,I can go down even deeper with the research about this outstanding band and it's achievements. The band really change the way people look at bands and think about them,they have both soul and aggressiveness in their songs.They don't just make up songs and go sell it to get money like most bands do.They sing about present conflicts,like wars,poverty,and the way politics decieve people sometimes. And this is something that just got to be admired. The rest will be explained in the "Research Findings".

Biography:
Disturbed is a heavy metal band from Chicago.It consist of 4 members(in the present):David Draiman-Singer,Mike Wengren-Drums,Dan Donegan-Guitar,John Moyer-Bass. Everything began with guitarist Dan Donegan,drummer Mike Wengren and previous bass player Steve Kmak("Fuzz").They played in small clubs before founding the band in 1996,after teaming up with singer David Draiman. In 2000 they released their first album,"The Sickness".The album recieved excellent reviews and a song from the album,a heavy metal cover to a classical song "Down With The Sickness" became very popular,and was used in several movie soundtracks.Their second album "Believe" was released in 2002 nd despite being less "aggressive" than the previous album,he was still very popular. Disturbed also made some tours,also known as "Music as a Weapon".And they've performed great tours alongside famous rock bands like:Slipknot,Linkin Park,Black Sabbath,Crazy Town and much more(those bands were at a special fastival of rock alongside Disturbed,also known as "Ozzfest",who was organized by Black Sabbath old vocal,Ozzy Osbourne. After finishing their second tour("Music as a Weapon II"),the bass player,Steve Kmak,left the band,the vocal David explained his retirement as something that was unseen for the fans,but they had problems behind the scenes,he explained that with Steve,the band wasn't really "living to their full potential" or "Clicking" as David explained it.Quick afterwards,the bass player was replaced by Matt Konopinski,and afterwards with John Moyer,who's the bass player in the present. The next album that was released,was "Ten Thousand Fists",which was pointed as #1 album in North America.This was probably the band's most succesfull album.Some songs from the album were not included,and became part of Singles the band released(The song "Hell" was available in the Single "Stricken",the track "Monster" was available in iTunes for those who pre-ordered the album,and the track "Sickened" was in the Single "Land of Confusion"). Later in 2006,the band again left on a tour(Ozzfest) with famous bands System of a Down,DragonForce,Avenged Sevenfold,Lacuna Coil,and singer Ozzy Osbourne. In late 2006,David had to go through a voice suregry,it was a success and since then he had limited his drinking on the road.Also,the band finished the first part for the next tour "Music as a Weapon III" in latre 2006,and announced they won't be making the rest of it,and insted will focus on making a fourth album.In summer 2007,the track "This Moment" was seen in the summer blockbuster "Transformers",and in November and October the band continued to recored the album.Later,the band announced in LA about the album,who was titled "Indestructble",and will be released in June 2008.In an interview,David said 15 songs are being recorded,but only 12 will be in the album,and the track "This Moment" won't be in the album. The band planes to go for another tour,after the album is released,in July-August 2008,with Slipknot,DragonForce,Mastodon and Mudvayne. The band released a 38 seconds sample of the song "Perfect Insanity",that's also gonna be in the album.The track "Inside the Fire",is the first single of the new album will be made into a music video soon,and from March 25 2008,the song is available to purchase from iTunes.

Research Findings:
The band is very famous for making aggressive covers for classical songs like Land of Confusion.The song,who was originaly created by and old band named "Genesis",had a hidden massege about the politics and they're way of treating people.Poverty,wars,and violance is in the streets,and they do the minimal effort to stop all this. Disturbed were attracted to this idea,and made the cover,and while it was more aggressive and louder,the soul,the meaning of the song remained,and a music video was created with the song,showing what it was all about.Also,the cover of the album "Ten Thousand Fists" showed a huge crowd,and everyone in it raising their fists.To show that the people have the power to change things,to take actions against the goverment,and they should give more attention to that main thing that holds the goverment,the people. The singer,David Draiman,came from a Jewish religious family from which he rebelled.A lot of the band's songs really reflect the way David feels about his past.He tells that he really feel the need to let everything out when needed,that is very eminent in some of the songs.For example,the song "Down with the Sickness",hints that David migh been abused in his childhood,and therefore,releases his anger in the songs.The thing is,even though his childhood seems painfull,and full of conflicts,David adds a lot of Hebrew words in some of the songs,the most eminent example is the album "Believe",which hints a lot of Jewish beliefs and words,so perhaps,the singer doesn't feel such hate about his religion,and in fact,proud of being part of it. Also,another very interesting fact about David,is his loyality to the term "music",and when a lawsuit was released against music piracy in the internet,he claimed that he didin't asked to be protected from this.In other words,he isn't against piracy,he believes that people shouldn't pay money to enjoy music they love.In fact,he even encourages in a way kids to download music instead of buying it,since they can enjoy music without asking money. That is a very interesting fact because most of the bands and singers are strickly against piracy,but David shows a very interesting side of the problem,showing that perhaps it's not such a crime after all,and just a way to enjoy music,and that's a very courageous claim.That is an act that should be respected.

Conclusions:
The band really seems different to me,I've learned a lot about their history,and the ideas behind the songs,and that is very fresh to me,and perhaps now I'll look at them with a completely different way. Overall,though the band seems like a normal band,they really have some characteristics that changes them from other bands,like their look at the world,and the problems in it.And also the known problem off piracy,that perhaps not such a bad thing after all. And so,just as the album "Ten Thousand Fists",they know that they have a very large fan base that supports their look on the world,and the people really do have the power,to change,and to influence on the world's condition. And even though they sound like a normal violent metal band,behind their songs is a true,and powerful soul.

Feedback:
The first topic I chose,D-Day, was something I WAS interested in,but I couldn't really find enough infomration about it and it was quite hard to explain it.So insted,I chose a more accessable topic,a favorite band,and it went a LOT more smoother. The research wasn't so hard in terms of information.However,finding the clues behind their music was tricky,and it wasn't something I thought off before. Some information shocked me a little,in a good way.And the more I've digged into their biography,the more I liked them and their music.

Reflections
=Writing Practice= Follow the writing course

Visa for U.S
Dear Mr.Keglovich,

My name is Oleg Ogorodnikov.I'm 22 years old and I live in Netanya,Israel.

I'm writing to you in hopes you would listen to my request and help me get a visa card in order to move to the U.S.

I've finished army just not so long ago and started studying sentences and law.

I wanted to move to the States for some time now to finish stuying,find a work,live here and of course do some traveling. My understanding of the language is very deep and I know how to speak,read and write in English.

I want to finish studying sentences and law in order to work as a lawyer(hopefully) or at least something close to that.

I don't have any criminal record or even a file in the police,I'm a very calm and nice person.

So,overall,I really hope you would listen to my request and help me out.

Yours Truly,

Oleg Ogorodnikov.