[ALBUM REVIEW] WITCHFEST WEDNESDAY Devildriver - Self Titled

In just over a month, Witchdoctor Productions will be hosting American melodic death metal band Devildriver and German sludge metal duo Mantar at the 2017 edition of their annual bone crushing event, Witchfest.

As the weeks pass and the event draws nearer we will be dedicating every Wednesday to ‘Witchfest Wednesday’ where albums will be reviewed and interviews conducted with these two international heavy weights as well as the local South African bands who will be giving them a taste of what we have to offer.

ARTIST: Devildriver

ALBUM NAME: Self-Titled

RELEASE DATE: 2003

COUNTRY: American

GENRE: Melodic Death/ Groove Metal

MEMBERS:

Dez Fafara – Vocals
Evan Pitts – Guitar
Jeff Kendrick – Guitar
Jon Miller – Bass
John Boecklin – Drums

I imagine myself in a crowd of filth and thrashing, ripping my way through the air as I propel my hair back and forth. Tongue sticking out as I raise my horns, screaming ‘Can’t you see you’re in my way’!

As the pace of the songs pick up, I get lost in the drummer. This is plucking at long lost feelings. Nostalgia if you will. If I could be so bold as to say this is one of those albums that reminds me of what metal is. Where it came from and progressed to, in one album. From metal to thrash meets nu metal.

I clench my fists and throw them into the air, let the mosh pit begin! The music, it fuels me. I am unstoppable!

With all of that said, I’m sure you get the idea that this album is nothing short of fucking amazing.

The tones, the production, the message. All are on point. I battle to find any fault in this album and find myself feeling like I can label this band, and their self-titled album as a pioneer.

Dez Fafara uses an extreme range of growls and screams in every song. In the song I Dreamed I Died he even uses a style of rapcore growls (think early Slipknot, only heavier).

If you are looking for a band like coal chamber, you’ve come to the wrong place. If you think In Flames is too heavy, you’ve definitely come to the wrong place. Devildriver is far more ferocious, and brutal. Unrelenting really.

WRITER’S CHOSEN TRACKS: Devil’s Son and Nothing’s Wrong… and I dream I died.