Devildriver Live!
January 23, 2010 at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio
by Chris A.
Staff Writer
Devildriver: New CD, New Tour, Same Ass Kicking Attitude
Ask Dez Fafara, brain trust and vocalist of the heavy metal band Devildriver, what motivates his band to slog it out on tour in the middle of winter and the answer might surprise you. “We’re all about people having fun and we love what we do.” That passion for playing live at a time when most bands are hunkered down waiting out the lousy weather is typical of Devildriver. Not content to sit around and let time pass them by, the band is on the road in support of their fierce new release, Pray For Villains, a clever title based on Dez’s love for “western” movies rather than an endorsement of the criminal elements.
“I love a great western movie where it takes a guy who’s living on the edge of the law to make things right. You just can’t help but root for guys like Eastwood.” As Eastwood did in “High Plains Drifter” Fafara brought his band of living-on-the-edge rock ‘n’ roll drifters to the Alrosa Villa to save Columbus, Ohio and its metal head community from the ravages of a dull, boring, “American Idol” filled winter.
Instead of painting the town red and renaming the city “Hell” ala his hero, Dez’s plan was more straightforward. “I’ve always considered Devildriver to be a rock ‘n’ roll band, a great party band that works hard to deliver a great time to our fans and that’s what we intend to do tonight in Columbus.”
Laid back, confident and very proud of his band and its new record Dez, has stuck to his guns and continues to try to work hard, rock harder and kick as much ass as possible while introducing his music to legions of new fans.
The maturity of Devildriver and its music is very evident when reviewing the body of the band’s work since its inception in 2003. Devildriver’s trademark is its authenticity, doing its own thing and they’ve proved they have the talent, credibility and attitude to stand toe-to-toe with any metal band. “If you listen to our previous disc, The Last Kind Words, you can feel the brutality and intensity we are capable of, we’ve proved that if you want heavy and in your face, we can deliver.”
On the other side of the coin Devildriver isn’t content simply to live off speed and brutality. Pray For Villains continues to showcase the evolution of Devildriver’s music and it’s evident the band is mastering its craft. The technical prowess of the playing is exceptional with blazing guitar riffs, screaming leads, absolutely incredible drumming and of course Dez’s growling vocals. Pray For Villains could be the line in the sand for the band, a departure from the playing heavy just to play heavy merry-go-round that many bands get stuck on.
According to Dez, “We didn’t dial our intensity level down at all but we wanted to not only bring more groove and better hooks into our songs, we wanted to write better songs. So far so good, with the proof positive etched into the individual tracks on Pray For Villains.
In addition, with a positive attitude about what they do and complete devotion to their jobs as musicians, it should be no surprise that the intensity level during a live Devildriver performance is out of this world. These guys know how to put on a show and the sold out Alrosa Villa crowd made certain that Devildriver knew it was appreciated. The 90-minute set was chalk full of Devildriver classics and a solid mix of some of the best of Pray For Villains.
It was an incredible show that had Dez, Mike, Jeff, Jon and John truly connecting with one of the best crowds in rock ‘n’ roll. With a great live performance and a stellar new album, the tie that binds and makes it all work is the people in Devildriver. “You have to love what you do,” Dez concludes. “We love to play together as a band, we love to be onstage, and we love to deliver our music to people live. We’ve always said that’s been part of the mission — and if you’re gonna talk it, you’ve gotta walk it.”
Devildriver is currently in the middle of a winter tour so if you’re able to catch the band live you won’t be disappointed. You can learn more about Devildriver by visiting www.devildriver.com
