DevilDriver
Dealing With Demons: Volume II – Napalm Records
You’d expect a band entering their third decade to start easing off the gas, not so with Californian metal maestros, DevilDriver. Still led by the irrepressible Dez Fafara, the band have left a trail of scorched stages and smoking speakers on the road to their tenth full-length album; the second instalment in their Dealing With Demons saga. From the pummelling riff which introduces ‘I Have No Pity’ to crushing closer ‘This Relationship, Broken’, this album is a brutal beatdown that offers little in the way of redemption. Each song is a tightly bound ball of aggression, with the band attacking in unison like a school of sharks in a feeding frenzy. DevilDriver don’t do ballads, but slower cuts such as ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’ add contrast and ensure the album ebbs and flows perfectly. The brand of groove metal on offer here is very contagious and gives proceedings a real swing, making it both heavy and harmonious. Volume II takes all that was good about its predecessor and ups the ante several notches…so bring on Part III!
Review by Peter Dennis