DevilDriver has experienced a decade-long career, spanning six full-length albums. After over eight years and pumping out five full-length albums with Roadrunner Records, by 2012 DevilDriver was looking for a change. It didn’t take long for them to find a welcome home at Napalm Records, which is proudly releasing the band’s brand new offering, Winter Kills, today (8.27.2013). It must be acknowledged that Winter Kills definitely seems to have a different sense of purpose than other prior releases via their old label, yet still remains a true DevilDriver boundary-pushing treasure.
With each new DevilDriver offering, the band has always managed to enhance and expand their previous sound and Winter Kills is no exception. In comparison to the early days of DevilDriver, the band of today is hardly recognizable, but evolution is paramount to longevity within an ever changing music industry. And if there’s one thing that DevilDriver has proven, it’s that they have what it takes to not only survive, but thrive.
Winter Kills starts off relentlessly ferocious, with the track “Oath of the Abyss,” and catapults that same brutal attitude onward through the next few tracks, like “Ruthless” which is just pure DevilDriver.
Watch/listen to the “Ruthless” Lyric Video:
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I see this as both a benefit and a problem with the first half of the record, which I believe is largely due to the barely discernible vocal and melodic transitions. I seriously had to look down at my music player a few times to distinguish if the track had changed to the next. In other words, the first half of the album flows smoothly enough, standing tried and true to the solid, thick sound of the raw DevilDriver formula. But my hopes for anything immensely innovative were starting to wane.
That was until I got to the fifth track, “The Appetite,” which really stood out and started to renew my optimism and hunger for some musical divergence. Winter Kills begins to take a different form from this point and beyond, and the melodic contrast finally begins to shine through. The song begins with a catchy instrumental introduction, followed by a ripping scream by Dez, and treats the listener to some solid stand out guitar work by Mike Spreitzer and Jeff Kendrick. I was impressed by their lengthy dual-harmonizing guitar solo near the finale of the song, showcasing some of their well-honed chops.
Watch “The Appetite” Official Video:
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The ruthlessness of “Gutted” is sure to be a fan-pleasing, headbang inducing track. The song is 75% breakdown – pure kick-you-in-the-nuts, heavy-as-fuck pure metal. “Curses and Epitaphs” seems to trick you into perceiving the impression that things are slowing down a bit…but nope. Right past the calm introduction begins another ball-busting breakdown, and intensive assault by drummer John Boecklin. Did I mention the drumming on this record is insane? John is a machine behind the kit. Period.
The next track “Carings Overkill” isn’t the strongest on the record. Although it was equally heavy, much of the song was not a stand-out, with the exception of the golden gem of a harmonizing guitar solo.
“Haunting Refrain” climbs back to a high point of the record, and turns up the speed and intensity. The track is crushing, fast-paced, and contained my favorite guitar work on the album. The solo is delightful, and one of the best I’ve heard recently in the metal world.
“Tripping Over Tombstones” was a bit of a surprise, and will leave you perplexed as to which rate of speed to bang your head, because the song throws some drastic tempo changes from beginning until the brutal end, with a final Dez screaming “fucking farewell!”
Arriving at the finale of the album, we’re treated to an amazing metal rendition of AWOLNATION’s triple platinum certified song “Sail.” I’m curious as to how well this will appeal to typical DevilDriver fans, as it’s quite an unexpected cover from the band. But for the open-minded fans of the already almost perfect original, DevilDriver absolutely nails it! Dez’s vocals are spot-on; balancing the retention of his own vocal identity while managing to go head to head with AWOLNATION vocalist Aaron Bruno’s unique grunge sound. The guitar solo is a nice touch, and adds a new flavor with a metal take on the song. It was definitely a surprising closing point to a strong record.
Although Winter Kills has some transitionary issues, overall the album is tight, chalk full of highlights, and demonstrates that DevilDriver has no intention of slowing down, which is what makes them a mainstay in American metal. Do yourself a favor and give Winter Kills serious consideration as a solid addition to your collection of kick ass music.
Winter Kills receives a solid and well-deserved 4 out of 5 RockRevolt skulls!
DevilDriver is:
Dez Fafara (Vocals), John Boecklin (Drums), Jeff Kendrick (Guitar),
Mike Spreitzer (Guitar) and Jon Miller (Bass)
Pick up Winter Kills everywhere today, but you might want to check out BestBuy, which is offering an exclusive edition of Winter Kills that comes with the Deluxe Digibook version of the CD, the DVD and an exclusive t-shirt, designed specifically for Best Buy’s exclusive edition. This version can be ordered online at BestBuy HERE or is available in BestBuy stores in North America as of today!
Connect with DevilDriver (click on icons):
DevilDriver will be hitting the road this fall on a co-headlining tour with Trivium. Support on the tour will come from After the Burial and Sylosis. Everything kicks off in Boise, ID on September 12th and rolls through October 17th in San Diego, CA. Check dates by clicking on the media icons above.
By: Bradford W. Skelley, Contributing Writer
