DEVILDRIVER

THE REVIEW

The guys waste no time getting into the fray with ‘Dig Your Own Grave’, which hits with a heavy flurry of blast beats and crunchy riffs. ‘Dead In The Water’ is a guitar-driven track with a super groovy intro that showcases vocalist Dez Fafara’s aggressive vocals. I predict this will become a staple in any live set. ‘Sanctified On Scars’ has a heavy industrial vibe with a nod to classic thrash chug. Another aggressive track that doesn’t let you come up for air. I consider this track one of my personal favourites.

‘Strike And Kill’, the title track, demonstrates how talented this band is. Fantastic riffs mixed with a massive drum performance, punching a superb bass line. This has a darker melodic death vibe, and Dez’s vocals are amazing. I love the darker chug with this, and I am now back-to-back with another personal favourite track. ‘In The Moonlight’ begins with a slower pace, then explodes into a fast-paced, heavy track. A more traditional melodic vocal mixed with a thrashy, speed metal attack and one hell of a guitar solo at the three-minute mark. The song ends as it began with a softer fade-out. ‘Ride Or Die’ is a machine-gun-like track with the drums pounding the listener into total submission. Fast and heavy, which is the direction for this album so far.

‘Headed For The Fall’ and ‘Shut The Silence On’ are both metalcore masterpieces with earth-shattering vocals and guitars. ‘Never Coming Home’ has a razor-sharp guitar sound that cuts right through. A great chorus makes this track very catchy. ‘Summoning Shadows’ is a cool acoustic track that builds up until halfway through, when the song takes off. ‘You’re Just A Ghost’ is a heavy track that begins with a softer intro, which then moves into heavy melodic territory with some death growls that thicken things up. ‘Oath Of Iron’ has a more traditional thrash vibe with some blast beats and heavy riffs that also has a crossover, slightly punk sound. Final song ‘All Bets Are Off’ finishes off the album in DevilDriver style with unrelenting fist-pumping aggression.