Coal Chamber front man Dez Fafara's new project after Coal Chamber broke up in early 2003, Devildriver. With the debut of their first album in late 2003, it is obvious that Dez Fafara did not want to continue what he had done with Coal Chamber, instead, he wanted to something completely different. With grinding riffs, hellish vocals, and more profound lyrics, Devildriver couldn’t be more different from Coal Chamber. Devildriver contains much more ferocity, speed, and brutality that Coal Chamber could not deliver, making Devildriver the superior band.
Devildriver's self-titled debut is not an album for people who think In Flames is too heavy or are just looking for another band like Coal Chamber. This album, which is a lot different from Devildriver’s
The Fury Of Our Maker's Hand, which has a lot more Metalcore influence, is pure death with grind influences (with the exception of the tracks
I Could Care Less and
I Dreamed I Died), and doesn’t even take the slightest second to light up.
Dez Fafara uses an extreme range of growls and screams in every song. In the song
I Dreamed I Died he even uses a style of rapcore growls (think early Slipknot, only heavier). In songs like
Cry For Me Sky, Dez Fafara goes into a very ear-blistering scream that would make Corey Taylor flinch. Dez Fafara does, however, return to his roots for about 10 seconds during the intro of
I Could Care Less. Overall, Dez Fafara is a good vocalist and I think he uses a much more unique style on this album then he does on
The Fury Of Our Maker's Hand.
Evan Pitts and Jeffrey Kendrick (the guitarists) are both good guitarists, but they used so much distortion on this album it is impossible to make that conclusion with hearing
The Fury Of Our Maker's Hand first. Jon Miller (the bassist) is extremely hard to hear on this album, in which he is overthrown by the distorted guitars of Evan and Jeffrey. John Boecklin (the drummer) is extremely talented, and I don't think there is a track on this album in which he doesn't prove that fact. All in all, Devildriver’s music on this album is extremely heavy and at some points sound very Death Grind driven.
The CD kicks off with the track
Nothing's Wrong?, which pretty much defines the rest of the album, with heavy, bone-crushing riffs and Dez's hellish vocals.
I Could Care Less is next, beginning with probably the only melodic sound you will hear on this album, and probably the only song melodic enough to make it to
MTV's Headbangers Ball compilation CD. Other songs like
Die (And Die Now),
The Mountain,
What Does It Take (To Be A Man, and
Revelation Machine follow a very similar structure of blasting riffs and heavy drum beats.
Cry For Me Sky is probably the best song on the album, and also probably the heaviest.
I Dreamed I Died and
Swinging The Dead both follow a similar pattern of almost rap-like growls and screaming choruses.
Knee Deep,
Meet The Wretched, and
Devil's Son are probably the weakest tracks on the album, with
Knee Deep beginning with weird ambient noises before Dez Fafara screams into his microphone.
Pros
-- Very catchy beats and riffs
-- Dez Fafara's vocals
-- Cry For Me Sky and I Dreamed I Died
Cons
-- Too much distortion in the music
-- The lyrics are kinda bad on some tracks
-- Die (And Die Now) and Knee Deep
Track Listing:
1. Nothing's Wrong? (3/5)
2. I Could Care Less (4.5/5)
3. Die (And Die Now) (1.5/5)
4. I Dreamed I Died (5/5)
5. Cry For Me Sky (Eulogy Of The Scorned) (5/5)
6. The Mountain (3/5)
7. Knee Deep (2/5)
8. What Does It Take (To Be A Man) (3.5/5)
9. Swinging The Dead (4/5)
10. Revelation Machine (3.5/5)
11. Meet The Wretched (3/5)
12. Devil's Son (3.5/5)
