To start with I am a very huge metalcore fan and I believe that Devildriver is some of metalcore's finest. With Dez's deep and convicting lyrics, Boecklin's amazing drumming and the attack of the dark and heavy riffs it makes a wonderful and somewhat refreshing addition to any metal core fan's collection.
End of the Line-
I had already heard End Of The Line and it is one of the best songs I'd ever heard. This song starts out with a simple picking part that helps to build for the rest of the song, when it comes out of the picking it starts with the drums getting louder and louder and then breaks out. When it does this it starts heavy and then goes a little lower and gives the song a very powerful feeling. It makes a person want to lash out. John Boecklin is amazing on the drums and uses the double bass very effectively. End of The Line sounds almost like an all-star song you might say as it takes several great parts and riffs and puts them into one song. The song has a very catchy chorus and a great bridge with a few bent harmonics. Anyways, End of The Line is a great way to start the album off and is one of my personal favorite songs of all time.
Driving Down the Darkness-
Not as much to say about this one, a quick paced song with a hook and a riff. Again Boecklin's amazing talented and creative drum beats stand out through out this song.
Grinf*cked-
This is more of a slower paced apocolyptic sounding song you might say. Chorus is marked by a held out growl that gives the song its overall feel, the double bass is used very effectively in this song.
Hold Back the Day-
Hold Back The Day starts with an almost haunting slow picking part but quickly transforms to the heavy part. When the heavy part comes in it has some blistering double pumpers. The song does not have as many parts as End of The Line, but is great in its own way and is more of the raw metal attack and offers the same great energy from Dez Fefara's vocals.
Sin & Sacrifice-
This yet again starts with a slow almost haunting picking part which quickly becomes an apparent theme when listening to this album. The song switches between fast, speed metal approaches and slower more basic parts. It has a catchy, and haunting chorus. I hate to use the word haunting so much in this but, it seems to be the one constant between every song on the album.
Ripped Apart-
Now to the halfway point in the album, this starts with a great heavy riff and has a great drum beat to back it up. This is in my opinion the best song on the album beside End Of The Line. This song has an absolutely amazing bridge to it, With great double pumpers going and alternating palm muted guitars. It's a sensational bridge for the song and is what puts this song over the top for me.
Pale Horse Apocolypse-
This is more of a simple speed metal that is gradually seems to build up through the song. About mid-song they start with a decent bridge that leads into a very appropriate solo that shows there talent and really goes with the song. At the end of the solo the heavy part comes back in with the solo still going. The song eventually ends as heavy and violent as ever with Dez screaming F*** You.
Just Run-
Starts with slow intro and then a heavy breakout. This song has a somewhat simple riff that the whole song revolves around and gets a little heavier as the song progresses. The chorus has a simple and seemingly eerie riff in the background.
Impending Disaster-
This song starts with one of the better riffs of the album in my opinion. The chorus almost stops and then builds back into the song. In the middle of the song it has a great bridge that gradually escalates and forms the song. The song gets heavier after this as the song ends slowly and fades away.
Bear Witness Unto-
This song starts heavy and has your traditional riff and hook and catches you very quickly, but the chorus without a doubt is what makes this song. The chorus is incredible with great combination of catchy guitars that hook you and drumming that really seems to fit with the mold. The song closes out much like it started.
Before the Hangman's Noose-
This song follows a mold cast much by the drumming and reminds me alot of some of the stuff on their first release such as I Dreamed I Died. This song is much of a raw metal approach.A powerful chorus of "it's a good day to die". This song just lays it out for you. Plain and simple. In the middle it has yet another haunting bridge and then breaks out back into the chorus. It ends with him saying "this day will be mine" before the final "it's a good day to die" giving it much of the feel that is just laying it out for you.
The Fury of Our Maker's Hand-
Now the title track, The Fury Of Our Maker's Hand. It starts on a speed metal guitar part that keeps your attention and enters a haunting picking part into the verse in which all the elements of the album really come together. This reminds of music that might be playing when the world comes to an end. Apocolyptic haunting music that defines this whole album. I cannot express how great this song is. There is no better way to end this. Dez's lyrics are as convicting as any on the album and is a very deep song. "no one really knows which way the wind blows, o my maker i need a savior". This song is up their with End of the Line for my favorite of the album. The song ends with a slow picking part to end it much the way it started to give the album a more complete feeling.
One of the great things about this album is it's depth. While many albums will turn out much like a batting order with each song progressively getting worse and worse, this album remains strong. This was a great effort on DevilDriver's part. They have created a true metal masterpiece. As you can probably see from my short reviews of each song, many of the songs follow the same format, and have some very pressing themes throughout this album. The haunting apocalyptic sound is so apparent through the album. I wish I could come up with more adjectives but those are the only two I can think of. The shredding guitar parts and great drumming set the foundation for every song. To top it off Dez Fefara just has amazing lyrics and brings a great anger and power to them. This is one of the things I love about metal. While most genre sing about girls or money, most of metal sings about things that matter, such as purpose and the search for truth and what our eternal destiny is. Dez Fefara is on this search and it is very apparent. This record was a refreshing work that has given me as much music for my money as I can ask for over the last several months.
