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DevilDriver - Pray For Villains

Published August 01 2009


*
=Staff's pick

Pray For Villains
Pure Sincerity
Fate Stepped In
Back With A Vengeance
I've Been Sober*
Resurrection Blvd.
Forgiveness Is A Six Gun
Waiting For November*
It's In The Cards
Another Night In London
Bitter Pill*
Teach Me To Whisper*
I See Belief


Genre Melodic Death Metal
Dez Fafara
Vocals
Tracks 13
Mike Spreitzer
Guitar
Runningtime 56 Min.
Jeff Kendrick
Guitar
Label Roadrunner Records
Jon Miller
Bass
Release 14 July 2009
John Boecklin
Drums
Country USA
-
Keyboard
Similar artists ---

The music from DevilDriver is a little bit hard to place. Is it death metal, is it just standard metal or what is it? I personally would like to call it plain metal with a touch of death, but with a lot of groovy parts, almost a little bit like death'n'roll. Either way, they have up to this point always released quality music and this time around, on their fourth full length offering, is no exception.

Pray For Villains continues where they left us the last time with The Last Kind Words (2007) and before that with The Fury Of Our Maker's Hand (2006). The groovy riffing is intact as is vocalist Dez Fafara's suitable voice and their characteristic melodies are still there, interacting with the heavy riffs and are spicing it all up in their own special way.

The difference this time around is that I do not find as many wow-moments as I have in the past. The songs roll along safely in a secure and recognisable DevilDriver way with some peaks, but I am not blown away.

There are not as many killer songs on this album as on the two last ones, but we find a few delicious ones at least (I've Been Sober, Bitter Pill). Instead, this album is more steady straight through with a high lowest level. It feels like they have taken it down a notch this time and are trying to do more "normal" and somewhat streamlined songs instead of taking out the turns with melodies and twists.

I have come to like them the most when they pull off songs like the great and catchy Bitter Pill, and that is how I personally like my DevilDriver. More songs like that is on my wishlist for the next album. Once again a good album, but it is not up to par with the two latest ones.

Performance
Originality
Production
Vocals
Songwriting

7,5

8

7,5

8

6,5

 
Summary



6,5 chalices of 10 - Tommy


Related links:

www.devildriver.com
www.myspace.com/devildriver