The Fury of Our Maker's Hand

DevilDriver’s definitely one of the more interesting mainstream metal bands from the mid-2000s, at least as far as the earlier albums are concerned. The self-titled debut had some carryover from Dez Fafara’s failed nu metal act Coal Chamber, but it’s The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand that has DevilDriver double down on the heavy fucking metal. There’s that Lamb of God-style groove metal alongside those At the Gates/In Flames-style melodeathisms that a lot of US metalcore bands were utilizing at the time. Like Lamb of God, they’re definitely the most extreme-like metal band out of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal scene. Going from All That Remains and Killswitch Engage to this was quite a shock back in the day, let me tell you.

But if I’m being real, where the likes of Lamb of God and Trivium can still hold up, DevilDriver… don’t. Not from a lack of trying – Dez Fafara’s vocals are genuinely vicious (which was way too much for a dull nu metal joint like Coal Chamber, and the sorta groove kinda nu metal joint the DevilDriver debut album was), and John Boecklin’s kinetic percussion positively radiates the songs with a ton of energy. Honestly, this was a scene that bred some top-tier drummers. Alongside Boecklin are the likes of Chris Adler and Travis Smith, who – alongside Joey Jordison and Scott Travis – elevated heavy metal drumming sensibilities by intensifying the drumming while providing ample backup to the songs. But Fafara and Boecklin are stacked against third-rate Lamb of God/Pantera riffs and blasé melodeath harmonics. Compositions that can make for some killer background music while you’re benching 100kgs; compositions that get the pit fucking rolling; and sadly, compositions that do not do a whole lot else.

Okay, being nice, there are some legitimately good parts. “Hold Back the Day” has a fucking sick tremolo riff throughout much of its duration, which is excellently emphasized by the percussion. This song is a fucking treat – both if you are new to heavy metal, and if you’ve been a big fan for more than like half your life. There’s some real razor-steel riffage between that and the more semi-mid paced verse riffing, although much of it is boosted by the drumming and vocals. Regardless, this shit is quite infectious! I’d make this weird exception also for “Driving Down the Darkness” thanks to some competent nu metal swagger, coupled by a genuinely catchy rhythm. Sadly, this does not carry onto “Grinfucked”, which lacks that sharp hook “Driving Down the Darkness” has. Anyway, other than that? Umm, “Just Run” has a decent lead through its intro and chorus, and “End of the Line” at least hits the hardest out of its groovy riffing… which I suspect much of the album is derived from.

That’s really where a lot of the problem lies. In a vacuum, these guys can pull off some tunes – there’s enough groove and enough fast-paced riffs to get things going. But a lot of the songs just go off the “End of the Line”/“Hold Back the Day” formula, only weaker and without any particularly memorable bits or hooks to really draw you in. They end up rather forgettable. It just has this unfortunate habit of going in one ear and out the other. It’s a similar issue to what Shadows Fall had back in the day, except their singles are generally stronger and more memorable than what DevilDriver had to offer here.

A more melodic direction does result in some smoother tracks, with a decent enough groove and some sharp riffs to try and get your attention. But above all else, they’re busy enough to get you going during a workout and they get the moshpit going. If that’s all you’re looking for, this is worth looking into – but not before going through Lamb of God’s earlier stuff first.

The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand came out in 2005, which I remember quite clearly. I was into nu metal at the time. My favourite bands were Korn and Slipknot. I remember reading the review in Kerrang! magazine and looking up to the album as much heavier than anything I was listening to. I bought it after I had a couple of Coal Chamber albums – maybe that was the gateway, maybe not. The point of all this reminiscing is that I’m still listening to this album today, while I don’t really spend much time with my favourite nu metal bands of yesteryear. This is, more or less, the album that got me into more extreme forms of metal.

That is one thing really worth noting. Devildriver’s debut was tame, uninspired, and sounds dated now, especially compared to this release. This album could have been recorded by a completely different band, one that was used to taking the tastiest (also read: grooviest) parts of death metal, metalcore, thrash metal, and melodeath and turning them into something modern and exciting. There are some nu metal moments, like on ‘Driving Down the Darkness’ and ‘Bear Witness Unto’, but these parts are rare and are probably attributable to the downtuning of the guitars more than specific stylistic choices. Dev Fafara was always too brutal for a nu metal band, but if you listen to the drums, the great step-up in heaviness is immediately apparent. John Boecklin has since proven that he’s a great drummer, but he does an extremely good job of keeping up the intensity, filling the mix with double bass and quick, tight snares. There are a few moments when it sounds like the drums could be triggered, but having seen what this guy can do, I think I’d give him the benefit of the doubt.

The guitars are a vast, vast improvement on the debut. There are lots of good riffs here, even if the downtuning and slightly rounded, muffled tone don’t let them really tear the shit out of the extreme parts and makes them groovier. Of course, on the plus side, it’s a groovy, catchy album that doesn’t have to skimp on actual heaviness. That full bottom end tone packs a mighty punch when ‘Ripped Apart’ erupts into death metal two thirds of the way through and keeps the simple riffs of ‘Before the Hangman’s Noose’ meaty and catchy, while contrasting wonderfully with the more complex blackened style of ‘Grinfucked’ (again the song becomes purer as it progresses) and the sharper sledgehammer and pickaxe groove-and-stab thrash of ‘Pale Horse Apocalypse’.

A big plus for this album – and most likely the reason Devildriver are on Metal Archives at all – is the injection of melody and lead work into an otherwise slightly bland formula. There are some very modern attempts at melody on the scream-along ‘Hold Back the Day’ and ‘Bear Witness Unto’, but the genuine gold comes from the pleasant melodic leads that fit into heavier songs and sprinkle a bit of water on those dry, earthy riffs. The title track is actually a great melodeath song that shows the genre hadn’t run out of ideas by the end of the '90s. The lead melody still haunts me in the shower.

Thus The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand is either the heaviest and most technical nu metal album ever recorded or a very respectable slab of modern metal that shows brutal can still be catchy and catchy can still rip your nuts off. The songs aren’t all absolute keepers, but the 2 year transformation since Devildriver’s debut was astonishing, and this album is fun, furious, and not at all boring.

Devildriver's sophomore album, The Fury of Our Maker's Hand is a huge step forward for a band that started off as the offspring of frontman Dez Fafara's previous nu-metal band Coal Chamber. But those nu-metal influences are almost nowhere to be found on this album. The band has improved on all fronts, and the things that made their debut slightly above average are gone.

Lyrically the band has taken a great leap forward. The catchy but simplistic lyrics from the self-titled album have been dropped on The Fury of Our Maker's Hand. Previously, the band basically picked a catchy phrase like "Swinging the Dead" and repeated it seemingly endlessly during the song's chorus section. The lyrics on DevilDriver also had a slightly hip-hop inspired feel to them, like on "I Dreamed I Died." On their sophomore album, this has been replaced with more potent and better written lyrics.

Dez's vocals have greatly improved since Devildriver. The amatuerish, frog like croaking sounds, have been replaced with more skillfull sounding growls and shrieks that are more death/thrash metal esque. This combined with improved production makes Dez sound much better than he previously did on DevilDriver.

But the biggest improvement is in the musicianship and songwritting of the band. The band has transformed their sound into a thrash/melodic death type sound, establishing the band in the groove metal genre. However the greatest improvement is in the guitars, which now sound much more harmonic and groove metal oriented. This improvement can be seen on "Hold Back the Day," and "End of the Line."

However, they still have problems with sounding metalcore. "Pale Horse Apocalypse," and the albums title track instantly make me think of a heavier, more pissed off Unearth, "Just Run," is simply awful," and "Ripped Apart," although catchy and somewhat enjoyable, sounds a tad bit too mallcore. It's like a child growing up who can't throw away childish things from his past and mature completely. That's the only thing holding DevilDriver back, if they'd 100% drop all metalcore or nu-metal influences they could realize their potential.

When one considers Dez Fafara's back catalog and his time in the comical nonsense of the mallcore with eyeliner abomination in Coal Chamber, its easy to understand why most metalheads do not take a liking to Devil Driver. After all, no one would accept Jonathan Davis or even worse, Fred Durst if they popped up with a more respectable metal act, no matter how impressive the other musicians were. Given that Devil Driver have forged a unique career for themselves by evolving their sound further with each new album, they stand amongst some of the more impressive bands to arise out of North America in the last decade or so.

The crucial moment for this band actually came after the self-titled release. The "Devil Driver" album was basically post-thrash meets mallcore with snarling vocals, which came off slightly less half-assed than Damageplan's "New Found Power." It was still nothing great and definitely nothing to either build a career upon nor convince metal fans that Dez still wasn't still kicking it with the idea of nu-metal mediocrity. Yet when the original guitarist left the band following the self-titled release, a new transition began to take hold, one that would open up a far more creditable and sustainable career than before.

"The Fury of Our Maker's Hand" is a pretty unique album, not only because of the band involved but also because of the concept. Its still engrained in some aspects of mallcore, such as the downtuned guitars and a heavy reliance on catchiness, not to mention a shortage of impressive soloing. The bass still has prominence, though not as much as before and is far less sloppy. This helps bring out the improvement on the guitars, which now have some decent leads and leaves behind the Neanderthal concept of dumb-assed "stop-go" riffing. The drummer has also stepped up his game, going on to become one of my favorite members of this group. His performance here isn't exactly awe-inspiring, but its a definite upgrade from before.

To truly grab hold of the changes, we need to discuss the songs. From the very beginning, one can hear the obvious differences between "The End of the Line" and the sloppy mess off the self-titled. This continues with the grinding "Driving Down the Darkness" and the interestingly titled "Grinfucked." The band even rolls out a few ambitious tracks, such as "Hold Back the Day," "Sin & Sacrafice," and the title track. None of these are truly incredible, at least not in the context of more epic works by other bands of the era, but they're definitely gateway into where this band would go later on.

Despite the upgraded sound and quality of the album as a whole, my problems deal with the lack of variety. Most of these songs play out in a similiar fashion, running off the chunky, downtuned riffs and Dez's snarling vocals. This works for a good deal of them, but it also causes many of these songs to run together, thus making recalling them pretty difficult. "The Fury of Our Maker's Hand" is a twelve track, 50+ minute album, and I can only recall about half of them after not listening to the album for three days. That fact does not help Devil Driver succeed in making an incredible listen, instead something that listens fairly well for most of its duration but never striking awe into the listener.

As much flak as Devil Driver gets, I personally think about half of it is pointed in the wrong direction. Most of the hostility spurs from Dez's past in Coal Chamber and the band's unwillingness to fully let go of the nu-metal tendencies until "The Last Kind Words," which came out after this one. That is the wrong reason to hate this band, as the amount of quality material they've put forth matches, if not supercedes most others on the American front. Love them or hate them, they've carved out a sound that is their own, thanks largely to the most controversial guy in the group, Dez Fafara. Still, everyone is their band was putting a good effort into this album, and while it lacks the intricacy of "The Last Kind Words" and "Pray for Villians," I find it to still be rather enjoyable. Devil Driver fans will certainly appreciate this, though I'd advise curious listeners to seek out "The Last Kind Words" first, as it displays more of the good aspects of this band. "The Fury of Our Maker's Hand" is a good release for the band, one that was crucial to their career, but the uninitiated might find the music here a little too hard to grasp onto.

With this second album by DevilDriver, the band still wasn't accepted into the Archives, though it contains more elements of true metal than the self titled debut. The sound of the band on this release ranges from groove/thrash down to metalcore. With emphasis on "core".

The album contains some great tracks, such as "End Of The Line" and "Grinfucked" (the latter features harsh vocals that remind me of Children of Bodom) but some of the tracks are absolutely unlistenable, such as "Pale Horse Apocalypse" and the title track. "Sin and Sacrifice" has an interesting opening, but is overlong.

One strong point of the band is that their singer can growl the whole time. The whole CD is pretty much growled vocals. There are no Slipknot-esque half-growls, or shitty clean singing, for 12 tracks. For those people who put DevilDriver in the same category as Slipknot, Limp Bizkit, and Korn, you are wrong. This band is nothing like nu metal.

Despite the metalness of this record, this is DevilDriver's worst effort. It is an awful lot like the first CD, except the singing style is different. Also, unlike the first album, the songs are all at least 4-5 minutes. Good groove metal is quick, three minutes is enough ... However, the skill of the singer makes up for the unoriginality and lengthiness of it all. My overall rating for the album is 2/3.

Holding a position as perhaps one of the most unfairly maligned bands in existence, DevilDriver are also a group who offer far more than first impressions may account for. Vocalist Dez Fafara’s dubious musical past as frontman of Coal Chamber and DevilDriver’s association with the modern ’New Wave Of American Heavy Metal’ has all too often lead to them being disregarded instantly by skeptical metalheads. Not a reputation they deserve, and one that will likely be wiped from many a rivethead’s mind upon hearing DevilDriver’s triumphant second album ‘The Fury Of Our Maker’s Hand’

What seems to escape the notice of many listeners is that DevilDriver are one of the few bands who have succeeded in utilising a mixing pot of elements to create a highly memorable and, above all, distinctive sound. Often there is truth to be found in the belief that many groove metal/metalcore bands sound indistinguishable from their compatriots – DevilDriver are a valiant deviation from the groove metal archetype, with a sound that has their exclusive, recognisable stamp all over it.

‘Fury...’ sees the band achieving a remarkable streamlining of their sound, impressively without losing the feeling of very genuine, sinister mystery that gives them their distinctiveness. Marrying this surprisingly effective talent for atmospherics with a much wider variety of influences than previously shown, and topping off the spectacle with a massive leap forward in terms of violent aggression, ‘Fury...’ is a record that satisfies on all counts.

The variety found in each song has nearly tripled in the two years between records, and this serves to thoroughly engage the listener throughout – DevilDriver wisely avoid dependence on the repetition of ideas and seek to enhance upon them at every turn. Accusations that the songcraft is not as catchy as the debut are, in all honesty, somewhat misleading. ‘End Of The Line’ is possibly the best song the band has yet written, a whirlwind of thrashing, maniacal guitar and drum work, underpinned by one of the best intros in metal today. Lone single ‘Hold Back The Day’ is a chronicle of memorable vocal lines and delightfully punishing lead work, and the chorus to the storming ‘Ripped Apart’ is a testament to just how aggressive this band can get. And these, remember, are just the most choice examples.

The expansion of musical horizons serves DevilDriver exceptionally well, with much of the Pantera-through-a-diluter guitar work of the debut gone in favour of far more consistent and technically concise riffs. Guitarists Mike Spreitzer and Jeff Kendrick lay down some absolutely storming lead parts on this album, overlaying creepy, threatening melodic intros, blistering bridge parts and enrapturing lead work onto delectably brutal riffery. The guitar may not win any prizes for complexity, and the lack of solos is something of a disappointment, but nevertheless the straightforward approach works in DevilDriver’s favour – they pull no punches and add nothing that may undermine their attack.
One major flaw the album carries is the bass; while Jon Miller has before and since proven himself a more than competent player, here his talents go unappreciated simply because it’s impossible to hear the poor bastard, buried beneath the guitars pushed to the fore in the production. A shame, considering that Colin Richardson’s production is otherwise clear and sharp, thankfully avoiding sounding over-polished.
As for Miller’s rhythmic counterpart, John Boecklin gives an exceptional performance, displaying an entirely unique style specialising in complex, unusual drum patterns and pummelling, rolling fills. His drum work is as impressive as it is enjoyable, and one of the key reasons to snap this album straight up.
Fafara himself is another such reason. While the man’s vocals are given a certain degree of layering, this is used sparingly and it remains clear and plain that even without such vocal effects, Fafara has one of the most unique-sounding and powerful voices of modern times. Blending the best aspects of death and black metal vocal stylings, his style is a joy to listen to.

While it is unlikely that DevilDriver may ever shake off the suspicious opinions many hold of them because of Dez’ past associations, at the end of the (line?) day it is the loss of those people, as ‘The Fury Of Our Maker’s Hand’ is a record that boldly challenges modern ‘metal’ acts to a brutal head to head and emerges the bloodstained winner. A record of few frills and honest, raw power, that will leave its mark on the listener long after it stops spinning in the player.

DevilDriver shocked me with their unique style on their debut self-titled effort, but I wasn’t convinced that they were “the next big thing” as some people claimed. Sure the debut was good but it definitely wasn’t great. So I was eagerly waiting to see if this so called next Pantera (Phil Anselmo claimed DevilDriver was the next Pantera in fact) was just a one trick pony or a legit deal. So when the release of “The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand” came I was in the store on day one to pick it up.

To say that DevilDriver changed their style would be wrong. Really this album is just a refinement of their unique blend of Post Thrash and Nu Metal rather than a change of style as some fans claimed it to be. Not near as catchy as their debut, “The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand” placed a greater emphasis on the Metal part rather than the Nu this time around. And right from the get go with the track “End of the Line” listeners can hear just how much the band had matured in two years.

Musically, “The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand” has a greater variety in general but the biggest difference (at least to my ears) was the increased focus and thought that went into the guitars. Rather than the stop and go riffing that was found on the debut, the band has created a wider range of guitar tones and sounds that really opened them up. Losing their original guitarist seemed to actually be a blessing for the band. Melodic intros and sections smoothly meld into vicious Post Thrash riffs and even some differentiating guitar parts. One guitar plays a riff and the other plays a melodic riff over it (although they are not really leads in the classic sense of the word). The leads are actually audible on this album and there are plenty of catchy moments in almost every song.

The bass has finally taken a step back and a step up. The bass is not near the motivating force it was prior but now it helps keep the music in line and really works as a support structure for the guitar parts. Also it seems as though the bassist has stepped up his playing abilities and worked on not being near as sloppy. I think it is very important to mention how monstrous the drums are on the album. This is some of the best drumming I’ve heard from a newer band in years and the drum patterns and playing on this album are superb in every sense of the term. The precision is lacking at times but the variety and technicality of writing make up for it two fold.

Dez actually steps back on this album a bit and pulls away from the variety he used on the first album. He uses his guttural barking almost the entire time on the album (up until one of my favorite tracks “The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand” at the end of the album). And he delivers each track one right after another in his own unique way without ever really touching his Coal Chamber days.

I think, in the end, the band is just working better as a whole. Rather than a “side project” mentality, the band is operating as a machine with each member using the others to crank out a product that is both quality and timely. Everyone in the band has done their part to increase the abilities of the band as a whole – and “The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand” is proof of their work and dedication.

Songs to check out: “End Of The Line”, “Just Run”, “The Fury Of Our Maker’s Hand.”

Like many of the current New Wave of American Metal bands, people love to hate DevilDriver. Particular scorn is reserved for frontman Dez Fafara, mostly due to his nu-metal roots from fronting the band Coal Chamber. Personally, I can't understand what the big problem is; this album kills.

With The Fury of Our Maker's Hand, DevilDriver pretty much completely tear away their nu-metal roots (keeping only the Drop-B downtuned guitars) and make one thrashing good time of an album. Admittedly, it does share a few things in common with the metalcore bands of today (breakdowns aplenty), but this album also boasts several unique elements in its favour. Firstly, the songs on TFoOMH all boast a particularly sinister atmosphere to them, particularly on songs like End of the Line and Hold Back the Day, where subtle, creepy intros give way to scorching guitar riffs. Secondly, Dez Fafara has an interesting, powerful voice that perfectly suits the music and also happens to be very unlike the typical yelling/growling found amongst other current bands. Finally, although this isn't necessarily unique, these guys definitely know how to play. Mike Spreitzer and Jeff Kendrick are an excellent guitar duo that throw tasteful harmonies into the songs, Jon Miller's bass adds an extra layer of heaviness over the already thick riffs, and John Boecklin consistently keeps up an excellent rhythmic attack with tons of double-bass.

Now, admittedly, this album isn't perfect. The songs are all a little similar to eachother, and I really wish the guys had thrown in a few solos amongst the rhythm work. However, this is still a great album for when you're in need of some music that really gives you the drive to kick some ass. Highly recommended.