Groove metal kings DEVILDRIVER recently made their triumphant return with part two of their Dealing With Demons saga, their 10th full-length, Dealing With Demons Vol. II, out May 12, 2023 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 debut single, “Through the Depths”.
Today, DEVILDRIVER have dropped another unrelenting track, entitled “If Blood is Life”, plus an action-packed performance music video featuring exclusive footage from their recent US 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.”
As 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 didn’t pause, releasing the highly-acclaimed first installment of their two-part Dealing With Demons saga, Dealing With Demons I. Now, as society emerges more hardened and determined than before, so does Dealing With Demons Vol. II. The new album represents celebrated frontman Dez Fafara’s psyche and the final purging of his demons that have long haunted the band’s music.
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, “If the second half of this mammoth endeavor matches the first, this will be remembered as a pivotal moment in the DEVILDRIVER story.” Dealing With Demons Vol. II doubles down on the brutality – and then some!
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 – they move forward at the forefront of metal.
Pre-Order Dealing With Demons Vol. II
Track one, “I Have no Pity”, instantly keeps fans guessing with its contrasting, marching rhythmic groove and Dez 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.
Dealing With Demons Vol. IItrack listing:
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
