It's been four years since Southern California groove metal stalwarts DevilDriver released their last record, Trust No One, an album that cemented the group as a pillar of the genre.
Building on that momentum, 2018 found the band writing more than 30 tracks for its most ambitious project to date – a double album.
Conceived by lead vocalist Dez Fafara, Dealing with Demons I & II discards the formulas of the past and elicits the band’s heaviest, most exploratory collection of riffs to date.
“Neal had roughly 20 songs written by the time I wrote one!” Spreitzer says. This time, the focus had changed. “It will sound counterintuitive to a lot of metalheads, but Neal and I discussed slowing this record down a bit compared to [previous albums]. The songs don’t necessarily have to sound slower if you’re in a slower tempo, but it leaves a bit more openness and lets things breathe a little bit more.”
For tones, Tiemann’s stable included his trusty Dunable R2s and amps including Soldano and Peavey, because, “You’ve got to have a 5150 in your arsenal,” Spreitzer says. Perhaps most inspiring for both guitarists, though, was an early-run Bogner Ecstasy.
“It’s got some magic in it, for sure,” Tiemann says. Pushing further meant rethinking guitar playing. “I’m trying not to write solos like I used to – period,” Spreitzer says. “I’d say less ‘shreddy.’ I’ve been favoring dissonance a lot more than I used to – solos with minor and major second intervals and using the tri-tone more often.”
“I used to want to play as fast and heavy, but it’s cooler if we’re on the same page and play something hard. I think that’s a maturity thing,” Tiemann adds. The band released Dealing with Demons I on October 9, with the second volume following in 2021.
- DevilDriver's new double album, Dealing with Demons I & II, is out now via Napalm Records.
