After being in Coal Chamber for most of the 90’s, vocalist Dez Fafara apparently got a swift kick in the coal chamber and put out some heavy-ass music.  I like Coal Chamber and all that, and they did have a certain amount of heaviness to their music…but Dez’s new band, DevilDriver is a whole different animal, and it has a bad case of rabies.   

Opening this disc is “Nothing’s Wrong?”, and is right out of the Hypocrisy riffing and vocals playbook.  Death metal all the way.  “I Could Care Less” has a "plinky" Coal Chamber dreamy guitar riff and kicks right into to grinding guitars and double bass.  This is also the song they did a video for on MTV2’s Headbangers Ball.  Good video with a scene of Dez playing cards with the Grim Reaper or something.  “Die (And Die Now)" is next up is a straight-up black metal song during the verses with Dez screeching his little black heart out.  “Cry For Me Sky” has a nice Anthrax sounding riff that makes you do a little “war dance” in the pit.  We have some good thrash action happening during the break on “What Does It Take” and some scrumptious red meat in the form of “Meet The Wretched” (I like the double-bass on this one). 

But not everything on this release appealed to me.  “I Dreamed I Died” has some decent music, but Dez is doing his rap vocal line.  Same thing with the last song, “Devil’s Son”.  Besides those two glitches, this is a strong debut.  It may have the occasional part where nu-metal influences make their presence known, but this is definitely on the heavier end of the modern metal spectrum.  I just can’t believe I missed them on tour last month with Opeth and Moonspell.  That would have been a good show..

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