Beyond the first trio of records, our biggest issue with DevilDriver releases is they tend to fall off a little after the initial onslaught. And that’s not a knock on the quality but more the way the records are structured with a fast blast of furious DevilDriver songs coming right after another to start then kind of plateauing but still bringing THE METAL until the inevitable fabulous finale. Like the AC/DC of Groove Metal. That said, DD’s 11th full-length, the upcoming Strike and Kill, is a different monster altogether which peaks at the first track and continues an upward trend until the end, delivering one of the more solid and refreshing DevilDriver releases in years.
Maybe the refreshed sound is due to the slight time away after a massive undertaking that was both volumes of Dealing With Demons (Released separately in 2020 and 2023)? Or the return of Bassist Jon Miller for the first time on record since 2011’s Beast? Whatever the reasoning, we’re finding Strike and Kill especially compelling and cathartically catastrophic.
Lead single “Dig Your Own Grave” is classic DevilDriver but ramped up and then some with the dual attack of guitarists Gabe Mangold and Alex Lee paired with the ferocious sounds coming out of Davier Ortega Perez’s Drum kit fully selling a reenergized vibe with Dez Fafara giving one of the most pointed and vicious Vocal performances of his career. The other single, “Dead in the Water”, is bigger and badder than that with an Old School Thrash intro that leads to a major sonic thrashing and bashing followed by “Sanctified In Scars” which is highlighted by a super stomp out of Miller and Perez and a massive signature chorus and breakdown.
Speaking of breakdowns, the title track has one of the sickest on this record surrounded by a menacing air while “In the Moonlight” is easily one of the coolest tracks DD has put out and one of the few to feature Fafara’s seldom used (In DevilDriver, anyway) clean vocals with a serene intro that devolves into a pummeling anthem. “Ride or Die” is just brutal and “Headed for the Fall” is a fun shredfest. “Shut the Silence On” is another that’s just adds to the momentum, hearkening back to that hungry young band looking to make their own name with “Never Coming Home” bringing Groove Metal incarnate.
“Summoning Shadows” is haunting for the bulk of the song, leading with a tender build up that lasts for almost half the song until absolutely unleashing hell heading toward its’ finale. “You’re Just A Ghost” is the next in a string of some of the most diverse songs DevilDriver has ever laid down at the same time brandishing a killer chorus, another massive breakdown and some of the most intricate guitar work out of Mangold and Lee with Perez giving a devastatingly crushing performance behind the kit. “Oath of Iron” is a penultimate shredder propelled forth by the razor sharp riffage coming out of Lee and Mangold as Fafara’s bark beckons the headbanging and pits to commence until closing time hits Strike and Kill and we can’t think of a more fitting end than “All Bets Are Off” which is moody yet meticulous with its’ precise delivery of some monumental Metal that sees Fafara delivering a vocal flow similar to his Nu-Metal roots before a bombastic collision of guitars, bass and drums finished the new record off all proper.
Strike and Kill releases through Napalm Records on July 10th and you can get your pre-order and pre-save on now by heading here or to the stream below. For more from DevilDriver, including all the dates on their recently announced tour with Upon A Burning Body, Ov Sulfur and Cultus Black for later in the Summer (Sadly not hitting MA on this run) as well as an Australian co-headline run with Cradle Of Filth which kicks off on Strike and Kill eve (That’d be July 9th!), hit up the band’s social by clicking here or here.