Groove Metal Icons DEVILDRIVER to Release New Album, Dealing With Demons Vol. II, on May 12, 2023 via Napalm Records
7th March 2023As DEVILDRIVER enter their third decade with nine full-length albums, countless international tours and worldwide renown, they prove more resilient than ever. As the world was upended in 2020, iconic groove metal leaders DEVILDRIVER didnât pause, releasing the highly-acclaimed first instalment of their two-part Dealing With Demons saga, Dealing With Demons I. Now, as society emerges more hardened and determined than before, so does DEVILDRIVERâs 10th full-length, Dealing With Demons Vol. II.
Once again produced and engineered by Steve Evetts with additional engineering from guitarist Mike Spreitzer, Dealing With Demons Vol. II is inarguably heavier and relentlessly harsher than its predecessor. The new album represents not only the most vicious of the two records but also the darkest recesses of celebrated frontman Dez Fafaraâs psyche and the final purging of his demons that have long haunted the bandâs music.
The first example of this new onslaught can be experienced today via the band’s unrelenting first single from Dealing With Demons Vol. II, entitled “Through the Depths”. The undeniably grim burner features black metal-esque passages, deft guitar work and menacing lyricism â proving the evolution of DEVILDRIVER in this new decade. The track is accompanied by a “demonic” new official music video sure to get your head banging!
DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara says about “Through the Depths”:
“‘Through the Depths’ is a conversation between a higher power and humans regarding the power of thinking ideas into existence, but being very careful of being arrogant behind those wants and needs.Â
The first lines give this away: âAttention attention, youâre seeking, you’ve asked for, itâs given” (the higher power says)Â
Then the lines of the chorus are that same higher power speaking to humans, saying: ‘through the depths to the ascension, nothing you wouldnât do for my attention, held to the fire itâs not my crime, you’ve pinned it on me for the last time.’ Meaning – donât blame the Gods (pin it on them) for your fuck ups. Meaning – put it out there and take steps to attain goals and take accountability.
This track is the essence of Dealing With Demons Vol. II, and the conversations within the record get way deeper than even this.
Enjoy.”
International media mainstays like Revolver, Metal Hammer, Kerrang and Consequence lauded Dealing With Demons I, which debuted at #4 on the US Current Hard Music Albums Chart. Blabbermouth stated, âIf the second half of this mammoth endeavour matches the first, this will be remembered as a pivotal moment in the DEVILDRIVER story.â Rest assured, Dealing With Demons Vol. II doubles down on the brutality – and then some!
Track one, âI Have no Pityâ, instantly keeps fans guessing with its contrasting, marching rhythmic groove and Dez Fafaraâs icy, earworm warnings. The albumâs standout production immediately shines, with the trackâs thick riffs, haunting leads, room-filling drums and Fafaraâs vocal prowess leading the way. Eerie, insistent âMantraâ drops a wave of melodic aggression on the listener, instantly inducing headbanging with its breakneck pace and occult lyricism. Dynamic tracks like âNothing Lasts Foreverâ and âSummoningâ cascade with alternating passages of sinister riffage and memorable chants. âBloodbathâ is as brutal as its name suggests, ominously bending and pummeling with immediate aggression, as âItâs a Hard Truthâ continues the onslaught, cautioning against delusion amid balanced melodic leads. Closer anthems âIf Blood is Lifeâ and âThis Relationship, Brokenâ are the blood-soaked cherries atop Dealing With Demons Vol. II, bringing together all of the elements that make DEVILDRIVER the best at their craft.
If there is any question as to whether DEVILDRIVER is slowing down any time soon, Dealing With Demons Vol. II proves that 20 years into their career, even with their demons in tow â they move forward at the forefront of metal.
Dez Fafara adds:
“Dealing With Demons Vol. II is – simply put – a conversation in its entirety about Dealing With âInnerâ Demons. Itâs a conversation in song form between ‘self and a power apart from oneâs self, and trying to bury old entities.'”
Pre-Order Dealing With Demons Vol. II HERE:
1. I Have no Pity
2. Mantra
3. Nothing Lasts Forever
4. Summoning
5. Through the Depths
6. Bloodbath
7. It’s a Hard Truth
8. If Blood is Life
9. This Relationship, Broken
Dealing With Demons Vol. II will be available in the following formats:
– CD Digipak (4 Panels)
– CD Jewelcase (Signed) – Napalm North American mail order only, limited to 1000
-1 LP Gatefold Purple
-1 LP Gatefold Inkspot Splatter Yellow/Purple/Black with Slipmat – Napalm worldwide mail order only, limited to 500
– Music Cassette (Yellow Tape/Black Print) – Napalm worldwide mail order only, limited to 100
– 2x CD Digipak Dealing With Demons I & Dealing With Demons Vol. II – Napalm European mail order only
– CD Digipak (4 Panels) + Notebook + Metal Symbol Bundle – Napalm worldwide mail order only
– Digital Album
DEVILDRIVER will embark on the first leg of their âDouble Trouble Liveâ USA co-headlining tour with labelmates CRADLE OF FILTH tomorrow! Support acts on the tour are Black Satellite and Oni â see below for a complete list of dates.
CRADLE OF FILTH & DEVILDRIVER
“Double Trouble Live” 2023 USA Co-Headline Tour Dates
w/ Black Satellite & Oni
March 8Â – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
March 9Â – San Diego, CA @ Observatory North Park
March 11 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory – SOLD OUT
March 12Â – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
March 14Â – Seattle, WA @ Showbox
March 17Â – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
March 18Â – Colorado Springs, CO @ Sunshine Studios
March 19Â – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
March 21Â – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
March 22Â – Dallas, TX @ Amplified Live
March 23Â – Austin, TX @ Come and Take It Live
March 25 – El Paso, TX @ The Rockhouse
March 26Â – Albuquerque, NM @ Revel
Respected standard bearers for 21st-century metal, DEVILDRIVER, have spent the last two decades pursuing a course of uncompromising artistry and nonsense-free dedication to the road. Led by the prolific Dez Fafara, the Californian crew have earned their reputation as one of the hardest working bands on the planet, while issuing a steady succession of brutal but distinctive albums along the way. Their focus has remained laser-sharp, and never more so than on the monumental double album, Dealing With Demons.Â
DEVILDRIVER is:
Dez Fafara – Vocals
Mike Spreitzer – Guitar
Jon Miller – Bass
Alex Lee – Guitar
Davier PĂ©rez – Drums
DEVILDRIVER online:
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
NAPALM RECORDS
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