Join the Devildriver ride.
Formed in the United States by Dez Fafara (vocals, Coal Chamber) in 2002 (under the name Deathride), the band completed by Mike Spreitzer (guitar) has recently undergone a line-up reorganization. Founding bassist Jon Miller has returned, joined by Davier Pérez (drums, Great American Ghost) and Alex Lee (guitar, Bonded by Blood, Holy Grail), for the release of Dealing with Demons, Volume II, their tenth album, on Napalm Records.
The album opens with the vindictive I Have No Pity which lets rage go out with catchy riffs after a short introduction, placing sharp Thrash influences under Dez’ recognizable vocals. Some softer melodies join the choruses, then Mantra will reveal darker sounds, quickly accompanied by more aggressive riffs. The leads borrowed from Melodic Death still fit well to the band’s catchy and fast groove, which continues with Nothing Lasts Forever, a heavy track which also lets its harmonics reveal soaring but disturbing elements to contrast with raw riffs. This false softness will hardly end to let Summoning place its jerky rhythmic where the vocalist goes wild, but guitars still offer a more soothing contrast, which we also find on the introduction of Through the Depths, the first track revealed by the band. Darker, but also more melancholic at first, it will also offer us a very efficient rhythmic and catchy vocal parts to accompany our furious headbanging sessions before calming down to let Bloodbath and its heavy influences take over. The heavy riffs also let dissonant sounds appear between two screams, and they will be followed by It’s a Hard Truth, which revives with jerky and energetic patterns. Melancholy hints appear again in piercing leads, then the energy resurfaces for If Blood is Life, which also adopts abrasive Nu Metal tones by playing on a contrast with very soft leads. The album comes to an end with This Relationship, Broken, a rather explicit composition that lets the band combine sincere lyrics and aggressive patterns to create a wave of fury which will struggle to calm down until the last moment.
Devildriver changes line-up, but the band’s motivation remains intact. Dealing with Demons, Volume II continues to explore new musical territories while keeping a catchy basis and a raw voice, that’s all the fans need.
80/100