The Last Kind Words

If you think of the most significant modern metal bands, Devildriver stands out more than one might expect. For instance, some of the big names in metal, like Slipknot and Bullet for My Valentine, aren't considered to be "metal" in the sense that this website defines it. Hell knows what they are if they're not metal, but this isn't the place for the debate and I'm not sure I have the patience to begin or end it. Then there are other big names in metal that do have band profiles on the Metal Archives, such as Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God, who aren't exactly more recognisably "metal" than the aforementioned bands, excepting perhaps a greater focus on riffs and rhythms. Devildriver comfortably fit into the same sort of category as Lamb of God, whereby they bear marks of some classic metal elements - the riff approach, harsh vocals, solos - but also maintain a very modern sound, which defies the trends of most music from the previous century. Even then, Devildriver have steered clear of most of the 'core genres (metalcore, deathcore, hardcore) and usually build their songs from an amalgam of classic and extreme cuttings. Their first album aside (let's call that a warm-up), these guys have been putting out consistently satisfying albums that stand at the crossroads between melodic, extreme, and modern.

In my view, 'The Last Kind Words' is the first album on which Devildriver figured out what they wanted to do and how to do it. The debut was a leftover from Coal Chamber, 'The Fury of our Maker's Hand' took everyone, including the band, by surprise, leaving Dez Fafara and co. emerging into 2007 with a fair bit of attention and a lot of options. Would they revert to the safer ground of Fafara's previous career or would they forge ahead with the heavier elements that they had displayed on the sophomore release? The answer is firmly the latter and in fact 'The Last Kind Words' ends up a lot more focused and cohesive than its predecessor, with a style and energy running right the way through it. I've seen a lot of comparisons between this and melodic death metal and, while that may be the most helpful reference to start off, it doesn't take you terribly close to the eventual product. The elements of melodeath that are present are the hooky riffs, which include lots of dynamic and rhythmic shifts, much of the lead guitar style, as well as the melodies, plus the general aesthetic and weight of these songs, since they tend to brandish their heaviness in a manner more often euphoric and emotional than purely savage.

From an instrumental point of view, this is going to appeal to fans of Chimaira as much as Arch Enemy and - while I can see this comparison causing some issues for the haters - Devildriver have many things in common with Machine Head's heavier work, though I find this band both more brutal and more subtle on occasion. What tends to separate Devildriver from all those bands is a sense of fluidity to their riffing and songwriting that comes mostly from the downtuned guitars (don't worry too much, it's only drop D) and sinuous, groovy bass. Although often hooky, the guitars don't have the same approach as a lot of modern bands, whereby they will chug and fill (as in metalcore), nor are there many beatdowns, barring the rather obvious effort at the end of 'Burning Sermon'. Instead, the riffs bounce and bob on top of a smooth production, like a motorboat on a gentle sea. This gives the songs a kind of "flow", whereby they build intensity and keep interest through momentum, rather than focusing all the energy on stop/start modern rhythms. The whole "gentle sea" image may make the band sound a little tame, but the effect is actually somewhat akin to speed metal, even if the overall style is quite different. Perhaps there are a few moments that could point to 2000s Grave Digger, though Devildriver are still too modern to maintain the comparison.

What really stops this becoming a groove metal album in the vein of 'The Great Southern Trendkill' is the drumming. It's somewhat tiring to explain that John Boecklin is a great drummer every time Devildriver is mentioned, so I'll cut it short: he transforms both the flatter and hookier riffs into something approaching extreme territory, providing a lot of the dynamics and drive behind the band, which is why you won't get bored of any songs on 'The Last Kind Words', nor do any of the sections drag. He plays with a sprightliness that really pulls those lumbering guitars up a notch and it would be tough to find any gap in his assault - he's doing something new all the time. This is the opposite feeling I get when listening to Machine Head, where all too often the guitars are banging out some nice riffs and the drumming is completely absent in effect, so the song gets dry very quickly. The other thing that emerged on Devildriver's third album was a preponderence of leads, which turn up on most of the songs and always sound fresh, dazzling, and energetic.

Depending on your preference for genre, there may be a couple of songs here that you'll want to approach with caution. Those averse to overtly 'core and modern sounds will probably baulk more at the latter half of the album, which includes that breakdown in 'Burning Sermon', the lacklustre chuggy 'When Summoned', and the interesting 'Monsters of the Deep', which slows things down for plunging bass-drops and tight rhythmic groove. The band sound more confident when moving faster and Fafara becomes a more commanding presence behind the sonic weight of 'Bound by the Moon' and 'Not All Who Wander Are Lost', both of which pack in a lot of riffs and pace, have scream-along choruses and sweet solos. 'Clouds Over California' might be the catchiest of the bunch and 'Horn of Betrayal' comes off strongly too, leaving the first half much better than the close.

There are a couple of surprises thrown in to the songwriting, such as the Spanish-sounding acoustics that close 'These Fighting Words', the attempt at atmosphere on 'Monsters of the Deep', as well as the organ that leads us out of the album. The largest surprise, however, must be Devildriver's development from a shoddy nu metal band into a decent modern melodic group only four years later. 'The Last Kind Words' isn't quite the best Devildriver album, but it's the most focused and gave the band a hand up into the general metal community.

When discussing the band Devil Driver with those of the metal community, one should always expect a fair amount of buckshot thrown into the conversation. This intense dislike of all things Devil Driver often stems from their frontman in Dez Fafara, who was once the frontman for goth/mallcore tragedy known as Coal Chamber. Not only that, but saying that this band's first two efforts weren't very impressive is putting it mildly, even if "Fury of Our Maker's Hand" showed more than a little potential from this band.

"Last Kind Words" is a welcome change from the nu-metal and groove metal tendencies of this band's earlier career. Here, we can examine a band in transition, one who has realized their flaws and made the best decision in seeking a new style to play. The style that the band adopted here seems like a combination of heavy metalcore and melodic death metal influences, with some groove metal and very slight thrash thrown in for good measure. Interestingly enough, this style has been played to death by other outfits, particularly bands like In Flames, The Haunted, etc. That being true, one would imagine that "Last Kind Words" might sound like a tired, generic throwaway album. Surprisingly, it isn't, and for some odd reason everything here sounds rather fresh and unique to the band.

Of course, the biggest cornerstone to Devil Driver has got to be Dez Fafara. The much belated frontman of Korn-meets-eyeliner in Coal Chamber is long gone, and I'm very happy with what has emerged from the ashes. Dez's voice is certainly a unique snarl, which helps distinguish his band from others at times and in some ways is a saving grace to the band. This isn't meant to imply that the band as a whole is awful, far from it, but without Dez on the vocal front I feel some of these songs would be interchangable with other acts out there.

Although I wouldn't say there is a tremedous amount of variety here, the band does manage to split their songs up where various influences take center focus. "Horn of Betrayal" and "Bound by the Moon" are two favorites of mine here, and both bring out the melo-death influence, right down to Dez's vocal performance. "Clouds Over California" is faster, and while I wouldn't call it thrash, it definitely picks up the pace in a respectable manner. "Not All Who Wander Are Lost" and "Burning Sermon" both seem to bring about metalcore influences, which doesn't make them overly terrible but also doesn't make them stand-out.

Another notable song would include "Monsters of the Deep." Its not a very fast nor heavy track by other standards set on this album, but it almost borders doom metal in some ways. In addition, the bass lines add a sinister vibe to the song which you don't hear much of these days. "These Fighting Words" stands out as being more memorable than most other songs here, thanks to a powerful chorus that keeps it running in your mind long after the song has dissipated. Yet I feel the best song was saved for last in "The Axe Shall Fall." Listen to that song, and notice how everything simply falls into place, even the keyboard outro took me by surprise but strangely did not feel out place.

Aside from a few songs running together, my experiences with this album have been nothing but positive. It isn't a jaw dropping epic by any means, but ironically this much hated band seems to have put many of their peers to shame with this one. That said, I truly feel like the band didn't reach their full potential on this album and what they began here would only be refined on the next album. In any event, "Last Kind Words" dwarfs its two predecessors and is a good all around metal album, especially for the standards of our time. This, along with "Pray for Villians" is something any Devil Driver fan should look into and makes an excellent starting place for the curious listener.

I actually kind of like Dez Fafara. I have since I was a teenager, even though I really did not care for Coal Chamber, Fafara's first band, I thought his voice was pretty good. I always wished he would focus on more metal projects than the nu metal style of Coal Chamber.

Enter DevilDriver. I actually didn't hear this band until their second album, The Fury of Our Maker's Hand, probably because of my disdain for Coal Chamber and the fact that their first album sounded a lot like later Coal Chamber. There were some very good songs on that album and it was infectious. I do believe that it was a lot more metal, but the band still had a little growth to do.

This is DevilDriver's third album, and the album that got the band into the Metal Archives. I can see why, as it is a lot more focused on groove metal with some melodic death metal thrown in for good measure. Most of the nu metal elements have been stripped away and replaced. However, it is not as catchy as their previous album, and this is unfortunate.

Dez sticks to his growled vocal style that I have always liked. There are no clean vocals in the entire album, which is good because his clean voice from the Coal Chamber days is horrible. The riffs are decent and reasonably catchy with some fine guitar leads thrown in at various points in the proceedings as well as some surprisingly decent guitar solos. As I said earlier, the music is more groove-oriented with some melodic death metal as well. The most intriguing musical part is the end of the album with a somber organ leading to the conclusion.

Ultimately however, this album is not as good as their previous album because it's just not as memorable. There are a few decent songs, but nothing that rises to the level of "Grinfucked", "Hold Back the Day", and "Before the Hangman's Noose." "Bound by the Moon", "Horn of Betrayal" and "Not All Who Wander Are Lost" are the highlights.

Devildriver has copped an immense amount of flak from the metal community, mainly due to the presence of ex-Coal Chamber vocalist Dez Fafara but also for contributing what is quite possibly some of the most unnecessary and useless music to date. Their first two efforts are as repugnant as they are forgettable; the reprehensible bringing together of metalcore and nu-metal made for an ugly sight not unlike fat people fucking. However with 'The Last Kind Words' we see Devildriver thankfully shed this terrible affliction only to side-step into a new outfit which is more aesthetically pleasing but is just as cheap and unwholesome as the first.

'The Last Kind Words' is not the type of album that makes you pour blood from every orifice on your head as you crawl in agony towards the stereo in a futile attempt to somehow stem the onslaught that bellows forth; it's just really bland and terrible. "Not All Who Wanders Are Lost" is the only track that I can clearly remember, if only because it's the blueprint for every song that proceeds it from then on; the song writing falls hard on it's ass with every song being a string of mediocre riffs you've heard at least three or four times elsewhere. The riffs themselves are split between Pantera-esque chugs and gothenburg melodies that even In Flames deemed to be too derivative for release on 'Come Clarity' (but not on 'A Sense of Purpose'! However that's a completely different kettle of fish).

At this point you'd be forgiven for thinking that 'The Last Kind Words' sounds like nothing more than an 'Ashes of the Wake' clone, and for the most part you're right since that crowd of brain surgeons happily eat this insipid shit right up. Unlike Lamb of God's miscarriage however, there is at least one solo every song, sometimes two! If your eyes actually lit up with a glimmer of hope for a moment there you may want to consider doing another shot of draino for the good of the gene pool. The solos are just as bland as the riffs; simplistic and insignificant in every aspect possible. They're there because that's what all the other cool metalcore bands are doing. From memory there are a few moments that constituted breakdowns but much like the rest of the album there’s little point in actually giving a shit since it’s not unlike every other one you’ve heard before.

The remaining elements of the band are a mixed bag; Dez Fafara vocal's are severely lacking in range and after awhile his dull barks are completely phased out, or at least I managed to. The bass is inaudible but when isn't it on a modern metal release? The drumming is surprisingly decent, if not great at times and is the only instrument in the band that contributes anything that could be considered worthy of noticing.

Even with the great drumming this is still a terribly redundant release that is lamely trying to be 'real metal' by stealing riffs that make every second of this music more of a derivative than d/dt, but still desperately holding onto it's brain-dead initial fanbase. I'm not implying that Devildriver could be a good band, because to do that they'd have to somehow learn the definitions to the words integrity and originality. Let's face it: if Dez Fafara ever came across a dictionary he'd complain that his steak wasn't well done enough.

Devildriver has impressed me tremendously with this album. Recently, I have noticed that many metal albums have begun to take turns for the worst; however, Devildriver went all-out on their 3rd album to date. When I heard that they had finished a new album, I didn’t know what to expect. The Fury of our Maker’s Hand blew me away, and I was extremely impressed by it, and that set the bar very high for The Last Kind Words, a bar which was met and exceeded greatly.

The lyrical content of this album was extremely impressive to me, as the lyrics never were what I favored Devildriver for, but I was very pleased to hear some very meaningful yet powerful lyrics coming from Dez Fafara. Not All Who Wander are Lost, which is the opening track, really puts life into perspective. While brutal, it gets across a message of a sort of adventurous/devious side to the character of the album story… and yes, there is a storyline.

“Clouds over California” was one of my favorite songs (masterpieces) on this album. Starting off with a “what next” sounding intro, followed by Dez’s scream, leading into some very well-delivered and brutal verses, backed by some incredible drum and guitar work.

Devildriver does not miss a beat through this whole album. The riffage does not over-power the melodic parts, or vice-versa. Very impressive throughout this album I noticed an excellent balance in this.

Skipping ahead a bit, Head on to Heartache is another masterpiece on this album. I found the drum work very impressive in this song and the flow goes well throughout the album.

Finally, The Axe Shall Fall is easily my favorite song in this album. It is a perfect finale to such an incredible album. The intro and body of the song is incredibly brutal. The guitar, bass, vocal, and drum work is mind-blowing. It also features a catchy ending. Not easily described, it leads you out of the album very well.

Upon listening to DevilDriver's previous works, namely their self-titled debut, I thought this would be another attempt at recreating what Dez Fafara hoped Coal Chamber could have been. Well, I was wrong. Very, very wrong. I had picked up a copy of their sophomore effort, The Fury of Our Maker's Hand, and I was shocked. Their sound had evolved from really mediocre metalcore-ish angsty "let's bang our instruments but kind of act like we know what we're doing" to "hey, let's actually make some quality fucking music because Coal Chamber failed miserably."

But their third output, The Last Kind Words, shows MASSIVE maturity and improvement upon their style, and their musicianship as a whole. This album is very consistent, never missing a beat. One of the most astounding aspects of this album is the drumming. I have never heard such precise, timely, and well-maintained drumming on any other album (minus Mirrorthrone and Unholy Matrimony, but that's just a given).

Moving on, Dez Fafara's vocal skills have improved upon themselves as well, taking a major step forth from his still-raspy screams that presented themselves on The Fury of Our Maker's Hand, and his screamo-esque high-pitched shrieks on their self-titled. The lyrics and the way Dez executes them follow very accurately with the melody of the song, never really straying in between notes. His tone fits the atmosphere, as well. I'm really looking forward to hearing the changes on the next DevilDriver album, because Dez has really started to make a name for himself.

The guitar work is stellar. I really can't stress this enough. They really keep the rhythm intact, and the solos don't really take away from the value of the song at all. They match the timing, and give each song character. Along with the backbone drumming, the constant up-down-up-down picking adds a nice touch to keep the structure of the songs flowing. Great examples of guitar work on this album include Clouds Over California, Bound By the Moon, Horn of Betrayal, Head On to Heartache, When Summoned, and The Axe Shall Fall.

One thing that really caught me off-guard when I first gave this album a full listen was the introduction to Monsters of the Deep. That bass line is just incredible. This is honestly the first time I can say I've ever heard bass present itself on a DevilDriver album, minus a few times on The Fury of Our Maker's Hand. But this, the bass is much more prominent and is an awesome addition to the fluency of the songs. It gives them a ballsier, gripping, almost industrial sound without being too deep.

In general, this album was really well written. The production quality is fantastic, and the band just unites, each doing their part as best as they can. I'm not really sure why these guys get so much hate, aside from the fact that Dez Fafara once fronted Coal Chamber, a nu-metal act. It's quite obvious that those days are over, and Dez is back with a vengeance, ready to kick some ass.

The highlights of this album include: Clouds Over California, Bound By the Moon, Horn of Betrayal, Head On to Heartache (Let Them Rot), Monsters of the Deep, and The Axe Shall Fall.

OK, we're all well familiar with Dez Farfara's musical past, so how about we concentrate on the present? And well we ought to, as this is a very good album. After years of hearing about this band and catching them on Ozzfest recently, I finally took the plunge and (on guitarist Mike Spreitzer's recommendation) went and got this CD. And it was worth it.

What Devil Driver lack in technical ability on the guitar front they make up for quite adequately with a surfeit of riffs and melodies that are accompanied by a well-honed sense of structure and songwriting craft. Each song has little to no excess, muscle and bone as opposed to fat, and all comfortably settle into the 3:30-4:30 time range with a couple of exceptions that nudge over the five-minute mark. And each song feels well-developed with plenty of ideas that flow surprisingly well in such short amounts of time. They get in, make their point, and get out before they overstay their welcome and there's something positive to be said about that. There is just enough going on musically to get your attention and hold it. And yes, a pronounced Pantera influence rears its head, most notably on "Burning Sermon" in the intro and verse riffing, but is this a bad thing all the time? Not always, if you ask me.

The riffing is catchy and precise throughout the album, and the drum work is fantastic. John Boecklin deserves more attention for his ultra-tight double kick work as he follows tricky syncopations and his creative and energetic tom-tom and hi-hat work, as well as his overall rock-solid feel over the album's course. Of course, the kick drums are triggered, but it's not as obnoxious as that drum sound tends to be much of the time. Give this man some press!

Mike Spreitzer and Jeffrey Kendrick are a strong guitar team weaving simple and effective melodies around the powerful riffing as well as adding menacing sounds to enhance those riffs and even some sweet-toned clean parts in classical counterpoint style like on the middle and ending of "These Fighting Words". Their soloing is, again, simple and effective, and downright moving at times--while not the Amott brothers, they have their own identity and that means a lot to me. And you can actually hear and feel the bass guitar for once, with Jon Miller's roaring distorted tone elbowing the guitars hard in the mix, which is full and clear and packs plenty of power.

Speaking of roaring, Dez' vocals are furious and he sounds demonically possessed at times as he layers screams, growls, and roars into a deadly package of bile and rage. This is one aspect I actually wish he'd backed off on a bit, as the layering sometimes gets to be too much sometimes. He sounds like Phil Anselmo's enraged brother, not entirely a bad thing since I mean Phil in his prime as opposed to the parody of himself he became before Pantera's end. His lyrics explore themes of alienation, being the outsider, and he delivers them with caustic conviction.

Standout tunes are most definitely opener "Not All Who Wander Are Lost" with its frenzied thrashing, "Clouds Over California" (my favorite on the album)--some of the best riffs and drumming and the best chorus on the album rear their heads on this little bruiser--"Horn Of Betrayal", and the gorilla punch in the nuts that is "Monsters of the Deep". The guitars are tuned extremely low on that number and the riffing exploits this with its groaning, almost Sabbathy feel. Final tune, "The Axe Shall Fall", has a surprisingly unconventional ending--instead of the usual crashing rock ending or fading out or ending abruptly, the song seems to end, and then goes into some more of those nice clean guitars playing some pretty melodies, a crisp and downright funky beat, and some righteous organ playing that sends you out on a comfortably grooving feel. Outstanding that they chose to try something different and original instead of adhering to the tried and true, and it works well, in my opinion.

Again, I say enough with bitching about Dez' musical past and forget about scene cred/kult cred/what have you. LISTEN to DevilDriver and give them their due as a totally different and valid musical entity. If you don't like this album, fine--but at least try seriously listening to it first instead of downing it sight unseen or giving it a cursory listen and ragging on Dez for having been in Coal Chamber instead of giving the music a chance. I think that once you get past that prejudice you will be able to give this album its due as well. I like it and that's that. (And Mike Spreitzer is one funny dude--if ever you meet him, ask him about his record label's German reps giving him crap about his last name!) DD are no joke and no lightweights--take thie veteran banger and hater of nu-metal's word for it.

You can imagine my surprise when I saw a link to Devildriver's metal archives page on a forum elsewhere. I thought to myself "is this a joke?" and "what the fuck?" simultaneously. I then saw in their notes that they had been added courtesy of their latest release "The Last Kind Words". Naturally I thought to myself "this must be a hell of a redeeming CD to get this joke of a band on the archives".

Needless to say, it's not that great. They're listed as a melodic death band, so I was expecting some Darkest Hour / Mors Principium Est style riffs. What I got was more of the same, except with solos and a few improved riffs here and there. It wasn't a total change of sound or a total improvement by any means. The riffs are still far too groovy for me to get into, and there's still a severe lack of brutality in the vocals Dez tries to deliver.

However, there are some actual winners on here! Bound By The Moon is a pretty good melodic death metal song, complete with epic guitar work and some awesome licks. It doesn't feel like the same band with this song. It's a heavy and fun piece of metal, and it doesn't just drone along like their other songs tend to. There's dynamic and emotion behind the writing, rather than just Coal Chamber with a makeover.

Shit, I said winner(s) as in the plural form didn't I? As it turns out, Bound By The Moon is the only good song on this album. I guess it put these clowns on the archives. All the other songs on this album are repetitive and boring, just like their other works. Oh well, at least they squeezed out a decent song this time.

My recommendation is to download Bound By The Moon just to beef up your collection with another artist, but avoid everything else. Even Bound By The Moon isn't that worth having, but it's a decent song for fans of In Flames / Darkest Hour.

Don't spend a penny on this album.

DevilDriver was never that bad of a band. Sure, their material is considered trendy these days, but I admit that they had some decent song structure. "The Last Kind Words" was, in a way, an improvement in some areas, and a strong disappointment in all others. Their first two full-lengths were, in my personal opinion, a lot better. I would consider them metal long before I even think of adding this album as metal.

The guitars are very predictable. They are just your typical "machine-gun-sounding" riffs. There are occasional solos, but they are nothing worth it. They are trying though; I have to give them that much. The major problem is that they're trying to sound like Yngwie Malmsteen when their guitarist is obviously not that talented. The bass line may be there, and it may not. The only song that really let their bass shine is "Monsters of the Deep." However, the bass is so distorted that it sounds like a down-tuned guitar.

The drums are the real talent here. There are many double bass kicks, blast beats, and drum fills. The drummer never repeats the same thing twice. You would almost think that these drums were programmed, but they're not. After seeing this band live, I can appreciate a lot of what their drummer does. However, it's hard to hear the drums over the barking vocals. Everytime I hear this guy, I keep thinking that my neighbor's dogs are barking again, then I remember that this guy just barks out his vocals.

There are some songs in this album, such as "These Fighting Words", that are obviously aimed at the trendy. I'm half-expecting them to go into clean vocals saying "I slit my wrists because I love you." The only words to describe these kinds of songs are "trendy, screamo, false metal." However, some songs like "Head on to Heartache (Let them Rot)" (which is a very stupid title), make up for it. The riffs sometimes actually sound like metal riffs, but they're ruined by the monotonous solos.

This album was a major disappointment, but at least DevilDriver is trying. I just find this whole thing to be a setback from what they released before. This is only a good "metal" album if you haven't heard anything else.

DevilDriver have evolved into the next phase of their career with their third (and highly anticipated) release, "The Last Kind Words." The initial side-project attitude has finally been left in the dust and on this release DevilDriver are taking out all the stops (and almost all the Nu Metal nuances). Those who had been skeptical about DevilDriver before seem to have even come around to this latest album whilst fans of the original two albums have also been satisfied.

This is DevilDriver's best album to date. Granted, it isn't as catchy as their first two but "The Last Kind Words" delivers in areas that DevilDriver has yet to touch. With each release the band has increased the stakes and that includes this release. Everyone involved on the album is giving their A game and nothing seems to hold them back.

Musically, the album is not near as diverse or catchy as their previous two. The songs are similarly structured on first listen but with multiple spins the little differences come to the front and really make this album solid. Gone is most of the stop and go riffs that were some of the main song structures prior. This time the band has included a plethora of Post Thrash Metal groove inspired riffs along with dueling leads and solos galore. Where the band had never really included a solo on a song before, "The Last Kind Words" is full of dueling solos that even most critics were amazed at. No one really knew that the band was able to solo with such technicality or emotion before this album. Not to mention the riffs that underlay the solos and leads are way more complex. This band truly had talented guitarists and no one really knew.

The bass lines are back and also more complex. Although the bass doesn't get to shine all that often with a new found focus on the guitar work and chemistry the bass does serve its purpose. "Monsters Of The Deep" has some of the most interesting bass parts to it and, considering the title, really uses the bass to its potential. The drum work is once again a beast on this album. I was skeptical to whether or not the drum work on "The Fury of Our Maker's Hand" could be matched or topped but after listening to "The Last Kind Words" I know that the drums are not some fluke of the band. The drums are more subtle on this album but they are very technical and diverse.

Dez does experiment a little with his vocals on this album. The lyrical writing style is more complex and there are few initial sing-a-long moments. The choruses are much more complex and his delivery is definitely more towards the Death Metal side. His unique voice does help the album out and any nay-sayers he may have had because of his Coal Chamber days can kiss that comparison goodbye.

This is a very solid album and the best offering the band has yet to produce. This is a more Post Thrash than the band has ever been. There are some odd experimental moments on the album (the keyboards are the end of "The Axe Shall Fall" took me by surprise) but the album is still more cohesive then any past releases. The direction of DevilDriver seems to be more complex and technical - and I couldn't be happier.

Songs to check out: "Not All Who Wander Are Lost", "Head On To Heartache", "The Axe Shall Fall."

So. DevilDriver are finally secured in the annals of metallic elitism. Whatever traits they've tacked on since their shitty sophomore album apparently transformed them from a slightly harder Nu-Metal act with underlying Rap Metal/Core rhythms and a good sense of "when to plagerize", into a full fledged, bulldozing, woman-beatin' aural assault of PURE FUCKING METAL.
In other words, DevilDriver now incorporate a more classic approach to the genre, not unlike Trivium and Avenged Sevenfold, all while remaining mind-numblingly bland and marketably susceptable.

Look back for a moment: Do you see the birth of Pearl Jam worship aka Post-Grunge? Now bring it forward a few steps: Can you make out the shape of Korn and the rest of the Nu-Metal boom overthrowing Post-Grunge in terms of popularity? Then look back at the last 3 years: Metalcore has decidedly replaced Nu-Metal. Do you see where I'm going with this?
Basically, shit heaps like Trivium, Still Remains, Darkest Hour and now, DevilDriver are the logical next-step for modern "Metal" acts: harder, faster, grittier vocally, the inclusion of solos, etc...

As much as I'd love to embrace the shift away from radio-friendly pop-metal, this new sound is just as fucking awful as the old. DevilDriver are as previously mentioned, "harder, faster, grittier etc..." than on their previous efforts, but the real kick in the teeth is: they still sound derivative and unintentionally silly, regardless of their decidedly more serious lyrical focus, wailing solos, and excursions into heavier genres. The vocals are even more processed and layered than ever, the riffing is devoid of the old, groove-laden chugging that made the songs relatively memorable on the self-titled, and occasional melodic fills are already too played out by other bands to sound emotionally charged or stimulating. It's not terrible, but it's far from good at the same time. I couldn't even peg it as "listenable", as it's barely inviting from the first track on.

It's not a landmark album either way you look at it, it's just an average album by an average band that will never see the same commercial success that it's catalysts have. Will we see goregrind with pop tendencies 5 years down the road? We can only imagine.

“The Last Kind Words” is the third album in DEVILDRIVER’s four-year existence. Many metal purists have written off DEVILDRIVER due to front man Dez Fafara’s nu-metal past (vocalist for COAL CHAMBER). This album distances the band even further from those unfair comparisons. In a recent Metal Center interview, Guitarist Mike Spreitzer commented on the group’s style, “I would call us more straight-forward metal.”

Sprietzer’s statement is for the most part right on the money, but lacks the term “modern.” New Wave of American Heavy Metal (NWOAHM) also aptly describes the group’s current direction. “The Last Kind Words” is a snap shot of the modern metal scene. Employing the talents of two of the best sound controllers in the business, Jason Suecof (production) and Andy Sneap (mixing), the group has found a polished, professional sound. Although the album’s production lacks rawness, especially in the guitars, all the instruments are clear, crisp and loud. The sound is grand, especially the drums. This is an album meant for cranking on massive home or car speakers. One could use Chimaira and Fear Factory’s sound for comparison.

The low guitar tuning is not too far removed from nu-metal, but bereft of the funky grooves and boring fret work. Instead, Spreitzer and Kendrick opt for muffled and open chugging rhythms, and catchy scale work. Also, the duo focuses more on melody—both in leads and solo breaks—to add a degree of expertise and emotion not found on previous efforts. “Clouds over California” contains some of the more memorable guitar work. A myriad of guitar changes and lead ins start the track before settling into an ascending hammer on riff that hits its peak before swiftly chugging back to lower ends of the fret board.

Drummer, John Boecklin is more than qualified to fill in the gaps between guitar technique change ups and tempo changes. Boecklin’s constant moving feet and rapid drum rolls not only keep the pace moving, it is the key ingredient for the group’s BIG sound!

Dez Fafara’s vocals must also be examined. Fafara is the veteran of the group. Obviously, he knows how to make a band successful. The easiest approach for Fafara would be to make COAL CHAMBER part two, but instead he has created music a great deal heavier than his former project. Through a Phil Anselmo-like screaming style, Fafara provides the perfect voice for the extreme direction he has chosen to stride.

When asked about “The Last Kind Words, Spreitzer made another comment during the interview that held true. He said, “Great album! Definitely, in all of our opinions, the best DEVIL DRIVER album we've done so far. We all had to step it up quite a bit as far as our playing skills.” After giving several listens, I can’t argue with anything in his statement. The hype is true. “The Last Kind Words” is DEVILDRIVER’s best album, by far! It is a genuine modern metal masterpiece.

originally published on www.metalcentre.com