Natalie
Devil Driver - Beast Album Review
The year was 2003 and something was about to be released upon the metal community, a band that would in 8 years time be releasing album number five, an achievement by any bands standards today. This band has one overwhelming element that sets them apart from 99.9 percent of the competition...consistency. This band is of course DevilDriver. A five piece band with a mixture of aggressive vocal’s, textured ripping guitar riffs and machine like drumming that once combined together creates a relentless sound that is not often matched.
The self titled album dropped in 2003 and they never looked back, distancing themselves with track number one from any past musical connections a certain vocalist may have had. Critical acclaim was attained and the DevildDriver train was rolling and 8 years later has shown no signs of slowing down.
Two years pass and (The Fury of Our Makers Hand) is released and the loyal fan base already gathered is rewarded handsomely. Picking up where they left off they as intense as ever, incorporating a light sprinkling of melody that only goes to improve the quality of each track and give them yet another step up on the competition.
We roll into 2007 and by now DevilDriver are part of the modern metal scene staple diet, relentless touring and worldwide headlining would keep a lot of bands out of the studio, not DevilDriver, they drop album number three (The Last Kind Words) and the quality from the opening track is clear for all to hear, sharp, explosive and to the point..DevilDriver is here to stay and you can’t help but agree.
Six years in and 3 albums under the belt DevilDriver are major contenders, the mixture of brutal vocals, sweeping guitars and super human double bass work is set to be unleased for a fourth time, this time under the album title (Pray For Villains). Adding to already a well developed sound each member of the band are stamp their authority on the record, confidence at an all time high, it is the sound of a band at the very top of the pile who are constructing one five star track after another, you can sense that DevilDriver are growing stronger and the sky really is the limit.
That brief look at the progression of DevilDriver leads me to why I am writing this review, the year is 2011, the month is February and album number five is upon us, (Beast).
Dead to Rights. Within the first 5 seconds you know who is responsible for this album, it hammers to the start line and explodes, chugging guitars, signature double bass straight for the throat vocals, Dez really has fine tuned his style, to the point and gritty, the man has no problems expressing his distain for the chosen subject. This opener is vintage DevilDriver and is everything you come to expect and hope for from these guys. The album constantly keeps pushing forward, ten seconds in to ‘Bring the Fight’ you already feel satisfied with the album, achieving more than many bands can in 12 tracks, the solo work is already rising to the top, easily the highlight of this number.
Hardened. This unfolds into wall of noise, the drum work taking centre stage pulling us towards the meat of the song, savage vocals scratching at your ears. DevilDriver really have produced something special production wise, you can hear everything coming together and just when you think things are winding up you are pulled in another direction, swift breakdowns and solos reward you for your patience.
Shitlist. Something personal develops here. I have always enjoyed the way Devildriver allow the music to breather before Dez wades in with vocals, each song opens up strong, each song delivers a shining moment or two, and with shitlist you find yourself singing along and paying close attention to what is being said.
Talons Out (Teeth Sharpened). The guitar work is exceptional, a winding riff leads you along on this one, every part of this track feeds of it. By now I am usually thinking filler but in true DevilDriver fashion they deliver from start to finish.
You Make Me Sick. You get close to 40 seconds of intro on this track, almost like a little breather before business resumes and that’s exactly what it does. A stomping track that makes it’s point very clear ‘you make me sick!’, If I had to choose one song on the album that leaves you a little bit high and dry this one gets my vote, it just fades out, not the way I personally like a song to end.
Coldblooded. My album highlight, now this is DevilDriver delivering a crowd pleaser, the drumming is five star, the first minute of this track is as good as I have ever heard them, It’s hard not to just keep repeating it the first several times you hear it, it is that good. This song also carries a mid section that is another album highlight, the ability this band has to create haunting melodies and drop them anywhere they like is helping every track evolve, especially coldblooded.
Blur. By this point in the album the deal is done, if you are a DevilDriver fan you will be sleeping easy tonight. But being that compact discs let you run for eighty minutes the show must go on. Blur does not really strike any new notes at first, but as you progress through the track it suddenly reinvents itself, almost pausing for thought before pushing straight on back through twice as hard. All the bases are covered here, it does not inspire invasions of countries but it does inspire a repeated dropping of the head.
The Blame Game. As explosive as DevilDriver are likely to ever get, the guitar player in all of us would love to pull off they type of technique on display on this track let alone the whole album. The selling point here is the breakdown, the track plays out in a dark manner, a sinister tone develop as it is taken home and laid to rest.
Black Soul Choir. An interesting take on the 16 Horsepower song, DevilDriver take a relaxed country song and give it horns, it fits nicely into the album, slightly taking the brutality down a notch or two, as far as album fillers go this is acceptable, maybe more suited as a bonus track.
Crowns of Creation. I always fell like tracks towards the end of an album often neglected, due to the vast amount of media the average person has at their disposal, the attention span can often wonder. Crowns of Creation almost plays it a little too safe, of course it is as hard and as vicious as every other track, this one just feels like it could of easily closed the album, the message in the lyrics are thought provoking enough to point to the wrap up.
Lend Myself To The Night. You have made it to the end of album number five and if you have been on board the DevilDriver train since day one then you will not be seeking a refund. This plays out the album nicely, there is a decent mixture of all the DevilDriver elements, plenty of solo work on display here, almost a mission statement of intent.
This is modern metal and this is how it is played, It Is dark yet accessible, ferocious yet forgiving. With powerhouse bands like Lamb Of God, Chimaira and Shadows Fall setting a standard in modern metal it is safe to say DevilDriver deserve to be mentioned in the same breath, don’t believe me? Go back to track one and pay closer attention.
8.5/10
Gavin Harris - 22/02/2011 20:09:15
Onslaught Radio is operated by Plastic Box. VAT number 902 3364 57