California groove metal act DEVILDRIVER will release part two of their “Dealing With Demons” saga, their tenth full-length, “Dealing With Demons Vol. II”, on May 12 via Napalm Records
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 — as proven last month with bludgeoning lead single “Through The Depths“.
Today, DEVILDRIVER dropped another unrelenting track, “If Blood Is Life“, plus an action-packed performance music video featuring exclusive footage from the band’s recent U.S. co-headline tour with labelmates CRADLE OF FILTH. The dynamic anthem grips with an unforgettable hook and lead guitar lines, swaying with an undeniable headbang-worthy groove as it shifts between rhythmic passages.
DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara says about “If Blood is Life“: “Shadows of the future, ghosts of your past walking the floor — why do these things haunt us as humans, when we should be focused on the fact that, like the chorus says, ‘Time, it waits for no one, Time, it’s worth the taking.’ Learn to focus on the now, the here, the present.”
Track one “I Have No Pity” instantly keeps fans guessing with its contrasting, marching rhythmic groove and Fafara’s icy, earworm warnings. The album’s standout production immediately shines, with the track’s thick riffs, haunting leads, room-filling drums and Fafara’s vocal prowess leading the way. Eerie, insistent “Mantra” drops a wave of melodic aggression on the listener, instantly inducing headbanging with its breakneck pace and occult lyricism.
Dynamic tracks like “Nothing Lasts Forever” and “Summoning” cascade with alternating passages of sinister riffage and memorable chants. “Bloodbath” is as brutal as its name suggests, ominously bending and pummeling with immediate aggression, as “It’s A Hard Truth” continues the onslaught, cautioning against delusion amid balanced melodic leads. Closer anthems “If Blood Is Life” and “This Relationship, Broken” 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.
Fafara adds: “‘Dealing With Demons Vol. II‘ is — simply put — a conversation in its entirety about dealing with ‘inner’ demons. It’s a conversation in song form between ‘self and a power apart from one’s self, and trying to bury old entities.'”
DEVILDRIVER “Dealing With Demons Vol. II” track listing:
- I Have No Pity
- Mantra
- Nothing Lasts Forever
- Summoning
- Through The Depths
- Bloodbath
- It’s A Hard Truth
- If Blood Is Life
- This Relationship, Broken
