Dealing With Demons Vol. II

DEVILDRIVER didn’t pause, releasing the highly-acclaimed first installment of their two-part Dealing With Demons saga, Dealing With Demons I. International media mainstays like Revolver, Metal Hammer, Kerrang and Consequence lauded the album, with Blabbermouth adding, “If the second half of this mammoth endeavor matches the first, this will be remembered as a pivotal moment in the DEVILDRIVER story.” And now, as society emerges more hardened and determined than before, so does DEVILDRIVER’s 10th full-length, Dealing With Demons Vol. II. 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. Dealing With Demons Vol. II represents not only the most vicious of the two records, but also the darkest recesses of iconic frontman Dez Fafara’s psyche and the final purging of his demons that have long haunted the band’s music. 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, while extraordinary highlights like devastatingly grim “Through The Depths” – with its black metal-esque passages, deft guitar play and menacing lyricism – showcase the evolution of DEVILDRIVER in the new decade. “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. 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.