It will probably sound familiar: the first albums by certain bands really managed to impress you, but eventually you lost track of them as the years go by because the newer records simply have less of an impact. I could easily name dozens of bands in this category, and for me, the American DevilDriver, led by Dez Fafara (Coal Chamber), is one of them. During the nearly 25 years that the band has existed, the group has released ten full-length albums and has regularly undergone lineup changes. Despite this unstable foundation, DevilDriver is now releasing Strike And Kill “just like that” via Napalm Records. Is album number eleven in the discography another forgettable effort, or is this time genuinely different?
The intensity and hunger of the groove metal on opening track Dig Your Own Grave immediately sets the right tone, and yes, DevilDriver manages to maintain that momentum quite impressively throughout the album. At times, the song even brings back memories of the band’s early days or the era of Coal Chamber. The choruses and verses, for example, stick in your mind with ease. You can recognize them after just a single listen, while the grooving break halfway through provides a welcome change of pace. The following Dead In The Water and the brutal stomper Sanctified In Scars are equally satisfying, built around the same formula, while the charismatic Dez delivers the vocal lines in his own distinctive way, growling and roaring over the riffs. With a generous running time of over fifty minutes, there is plenty to discover, and especially the breakdowns and crushing guitar riffs in strong, varied tracks such as Ride Or Die, Headed For The Fall and Shut The Silence On hit the mark. Moreover, the quintet manages to keep the urgency high towards the end of the record with tracks like Oath Of Iron and the slightly less memorable, but certainly not mediocre, You’re Just A Ghost.
Speaking of memorable: DevilDriver’s music does not exactly break new ground of course. Nevertheless, fans — including those who have been there since the beginning — will certainly not be disappointed with what they get to hear on this Strike And Kill. The album is entertaining and although the filler track Summoning Shadows was not necessarily needed, it is especially the venom present in almost every song that proves to be the real dealmaker this time around. The record contains a couple excellent highlights, including Dig Your Own Grave, Sanctified In Scars and Ride Or Die, while the rest of the material delivers a consistently solid level of groove metal. Time for another show in our Low Countries? The last time they played here was already a few years ago, and with this material in their arsenal, the band should absolutely bring the house down live!
Score:
81/100
Label:
Napalm Records, 2026
Tracklisting:
- Dig Your Own Grave
- Dead In The Water
- Sanctified In Scars
- Strike And Kill
- In The Moonlight
- Ride Or Die
- Headed For The Fail
- Shut The Silence On
- Never Coming Home
- Summoning Shadows
- You’re Just A Ghost
- Oath Of Iron
- All Bets Are Off
Line-up:
- Dez Fafara – Vocals
- Davier Ortega Perez – Drums
- Jon Miller – Bass guitar
- Alex Lee – Guitar
- Gabe Mangold – Guitar
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