Ok so I know its been a little while since my last post but I wanted to wait and really soak up this album. This album was on top of my 2011 to get list, so I had high hopes for this album. I really get off on DevilDriver. Dez is a great front man, even in his Coal Chamber days. I used to jam Coal Chamber all the time. Loco, and Big Truck man great jams. Their gothic but not seeming wussy, or like a bunch of cry babies, was very intriguing. When they broke up I was kind of upset, but out of the ashes of Coal Chamber came DevilDriver. When I bought their first record in 03 I was surprised at what he was transitioning to. This much heavier, intense groove. While being very different from Coal Chamber I could still hear some of Dez's Dark Days vocals in their. No melodic vocals but his scream was keeping some of the similar screams and growls. Lets just say. When I got The Fury of Our Maker's Hand I was blown away. Their speed was kicked up ten fold. Dez's Scream was getting heavier than ever, and the over all groovy energy was really paving the way for a fist pumping, head banging metal band. Since then every album has been getting better and better. The drums have gotten faster, more intricate progy pieces, and more articulate cymbal workings. The guitar techniques, while keeping a groove metal bass line their ability to bring in death metal riffage into the sound has been top notch. Lastly Dez's vocal ability is like no other metal singer out there. With every album you hear him get heavier and heavier with his chest pumbling, in your face scream. So needless to say I am very pleased with the direction Dez has gone with his music in DevilDriver. I still jam Coal Chamber to get kind of a reminiscence of what he used to do. Which it would be refreshing to hear him sing melodically again, but I know that wouldn't work for DevilDriver, but you never know.
So their new album Beast. In all the aforementioned statements about each album getting better and better. This album just pushes that even further. A solid heavy metal album. Everything a di-hard fan would love. While having a definite groove metal tone which honestly they are the new masters of this genre, they bring out their death metal elements out further than before on this record. The drum work has surpassed pretty much everything drummer John Boecklin has put down on previous albums. His over all speed has gotten faster, but while still writing pretty progressive bass hits and not just simple double bass speed riffs, which can get very mundane when written song after song. His ability to make groovy, but punishingly smart pieces is like no other. He is proving himself as one of the greats out there right now along with guys like Chris Adler, Thomas Haake, Dave Lambardo, and Gene Hoglan. I really think he hasn't reached his full potential and will continue to show us his ever growing skills in the future.
The guitar work is more in your face heavy on this album than any other album I feel. The riffing is great, and the sound quality and precision is the best yet. There is a lot of guitar talent in the band. Pretty much everyone in the band plays guitar, and puts their ideas in and pulls from each other. This is shown very well on their special edition DVD feature disc. Which let me just say they have never disappointed me with their special edition releases. A special edition is supposed to have videos, behind the scenes footage, live footage, making of type stuff, and interviews with the band members. Also last like at least two hours. There has been some very disappointing special editions in the past for me, but DevilDriver's has never been one of them. This special edition is definitely worth it. It has a video timeline of the band which is really cool to see, and a big making of showing all of these guys talents in the band. Then some videos from the past. Great job on the special materials. Us di-hard fans I know appreciate that a lot. Mike Spreitzer is a well rounded music man. His talents in music I believe could surpass the limitations of DevilDriver, but of course being a crazy metal head he trys to put all he can into this band, and it really shows with his guitar work, and his ability to bring the songs together. He is a great asset to the band, and the guys are great at giving him the props he deserves. Jeff Kendrick, the guitar counterpart to Mike is another great axe man. These guys wondrous union is bringing some of the heaviest groove in metal today, and nothing will get in their way.
Now Dez's vocals lets just say oh my friggin god. He has kicked up his scream on this album. His in your face attitude is ever flowing throughout this record, and leaves you beaten, torn, and tired after finished listening. DevilDriver has never been a hold your hand on a passionate ride through their music, and this album is no substitute. Sympathy is for the week, and boy are they stronger than ever. Metal was never made for the kind hearted. If you can't take the heat, should've repented your sins cause buddy YOUR IN HELL, and there's no going back now. :) These guys are by far some of the heaviest rockers in metal. They own when they get out on stage and their live show is like no other band out there. Dez's ability to control and move the crowd is god like, and their constant intensity throughout the whole show is really showing their commitment to taking names and becoming the hardest hitting, heaviest, fist pumping metal band out there now.
So this crazy metal addition is well worth it. While being a great new album, this for me hasn't beaten The Fury of Our Maker's Hand yet though. Nothing has but I just really love that album so it will be hard to beat it for me. Not to say that this album is anything less than perfect, but it will be hard to top that album in the world of DevilDriver. To all the DevilDriver fans you won't be disappointed with this album by any means, and to the new peeps of metal DevilDriver should be on your listen to lists for sure. So I give this album a 8.5 and its well deserved. Great job guys. So until next time stay hard, stay heavy.
Here are few tracks from the album enjoy.
Official video for Dead To Rights
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