DevilDriver - Beast review
| Band: | DevilDriver |
| Album: | Beast |
| Style: | Melodic death metal, Groove thrash metal |
| Release date: | February 22, 2011 |
| A review by: | Troy Killjoy |
01. Dead To Rights
02. Bring The Fight (To The Floor)
03. Hardened
04. Shitlist
05. Talons Out (Teeth Sharpened)
06. You Make Me Sick
07. Coldblooded
08. Blur
09. The Blame Game
10. Black Soul Choir [16 Horsepower cover]
11. Crowns Of Creation
12. Lend Myself To The Night
Special edition bonus tracks:
13. Lost
14. Fortune Favors The Brave
15. Grinfucked [live]
+ You May Know Us From The Stage [Documentary]
Dez Fafara has done just about everything he can with DevilDriver in order to separate his name from Coal Chamber. For those of you who aren't aware, that was his nu metal project that lasted about a decade before meeting its end in 2003, and death metal purists have been riding this guy ever since. Not that this is a death metal band. DevilDriver are a heavily groove-influenced thrash/metalcore-ish outfit. Ya, kinda hard to pigeonhole, but it's easier than trying to come up with some new genre.
Oh, and I know you saw it too. Metalcore. And it's a Roadrunner release. You've gotta be thinking either "oh shit this is gonna rock my world" or "Nickelback labelmates LOL". To be honest, it has a lot of rocking elements for fans of straight-up headbanging. But, typical of most Roadrunner releases, its edges have been sanded down and the suggestions box is covered in cobwebs, making for a very structured, formulaic, generic, boring listen. The songs come and go but don't leave you with anything. It's totally inoffensive.
That being said, the groove factor saves this album from being a total dud. I mean, oftentimes "jump da fuck up" riffs all but destroy a band's sound, but on Beast they're quite literally the only worthwhile aspect of the music. Because of those riffs the listener is able to tap into some sort of aggression, albeit a very limited amount. The mundane drumming doesn't help in any way, Dez screaming and ... growling (if that's the appropriate term) like a ... oh man I'm running out of comparisons. He's getting weaker, let's put it that way. (Bonus points for lyrics enthusiasts.) Quite frankly it's beginning to sound like an old man uploaded some Cannibal Corpse vocal covers on his Youtube account.
It's hard to say what this album is supposed to do. Usually what you look for in a DevilDriver release is fast-paced, aggressive, edgy, alternative thrash metal. Songs like "Clouds Over California" or "Hold Back The Day". Nothing lyrically stunning, nothing pushing boundaries, but something most definitely worth beating your neighbor's door in with a sledgehammer. Beast, however, is the runt of the litter in that respect. This would make for a better soundtrack to The Notebook while I curl up with a nice feather pillow and eat a tub of Ben & Jerry's.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 7 |
| Songwriting: | 4 |
| Originality: | 4 |
| Production: | 5 |
 | Written on 16.11.2011 by I'm total pro; that's what I'm here for. |
Comments
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306  |
Written by [user id=4365] on 16.11.2011 at 20:39 You, the master of all things underground/obscure/experimental/extreme. You continue to surprise me Joe. 
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by Troy Killjoy on 16.11.2011 at 21:07 Truth be told I'm a big nu-metal fan, I grew up with it and frankly don't understand how people don't see the fun in it and all it brings. What I like about DevilDriver is how Dez took that fun element that's found in nu-metal and injected it into a more extreme style that results in that great, danceable and emphatic pseudo-heaviness that's present here.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by [user id=4365] on 16.11.2011 at 21:11 I was on board with all of the above until this. I didn't find this fun at all. This and Pray For Villains are in my opinion incredibly bland albums.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by [user id=4365] on 16.11.2011 at 21:16 Once again we prove to the world that even fans of similar music still disagree on everything.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
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| Slayer666 Posts: 2466  |
You mentioned Nickleback in your review. Again. I'm begging to think you've a serious case closet-fandomness.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by Slayer666 on 16.11.2011 at 21:53 The first time was because of the similarities sound-wise, this time only because I mentioned Roadrunner. 
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675  |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 16.11.2011 at 21:07 It does seem to be a very rare thing to be "what you just said" but also not some elitist who bashes any metal which doesn't fall into those categories. Joe's attitude is definitely very unqiue and refreshing.
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| !J.O.O.E.! Account deleted |
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted Written by Angelic Storm on 16.11.2011 at 22:18 ^_^
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| Yojimbo Posts: 232  |
I have to say I'm not into these guys at all. I saw them live a couple of times because of bands they were touring with and they sucked. At one show the singer was calling the audience pussies because we weren't thrashing about hard enough. I was thinking "fuck you, get off the stage so I can see Danzig already." Oh yeah, and their music blows. It's way too tame and meant for a -dammit, I can't think of that mall store for "edgy" kids- audience.
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| Mattybu Posts: 2589  |
Written by Yojimbo on 17.11.2011 at 02:01 Hot Topic? Watch out for the kids walking out of there. They're tough. Bring Me The Horizon tough.
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| Yojimbo Posts: 232 |
Written by Mattybu on 17.11.2011 at 02:14 Haha, yeah that's it. Thanks
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| Angelic Storm Melodious Posts: 6675 |
Written by [user id=4365] on 16.11.2011 at 23:13 Haha, I just speak as I find. 
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| psykometal A staff guy... Elite Posts: 6101  |
Written by [user id=4365] on 16.11.2011 at 20:39 Agreed Written by [user id=4365] on 16.11.2011 at 21:11 And agreed here too. Nu-metal was the first form of metal I got into, t'was my "gateway drug" into real metal. There is a very youthful fun inducing groove that is inherent in a lot of nu-metal bands (or at least back when I was a nu-kid; I don't even know if nu-metal exists anymore outside of KoRn, lol)...
---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~ 
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| psykometal A staff guy... Elite Posts: 6101 |
Written by [user id=4365] on 16.11.2011 at 20:39 Agreed Written by [user id=4365] on 16.11.2011 at 21:11 And agreed here too. Nu-metal was the first form of metal I got into, t'was my "gateway drug" into real metal. There is a very youthful fun inducing groove that is inherent in a lot of nu-metal bands (or at least back when I was a nu-kid; I don't even know if nu-metal exists anymore outside of KoRn, lol)...
---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by psykometal on 17.11.2011 at 04:30 Limp Bizkit and Sevendust are both active as far as I know.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| bluemobiusx Account deleted |
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by [user id=20536] on 17.11.2011 at 07:44 I just felt like reviewing some popular albums that haven't been reviewed by our Staff already. That way when 2012 rolls around (and the 2011 Awards) people aren't all Y U NO REVIEW DIS BAND WIF 200 VOTES and whatnot.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| BudDa Elite Posts: 887  |
The first time I listened to this. I liked the first half of it. Songs like "Dead To Rights", "Hardened" and "Shitlist" are really good. But all that is followed up with the aptly titled "You Make Me Sick" which conjures up images of P!nk in that flattering bed of roses. And then it gets really boring..really fast. I still find myself continously going back to "Dead To Rights". I love the song. Oh, and "But, typical of most Roadrunner releases, its edges have been sanded down and the suggestions box is covered in cobwebs, making for a very structured, formulaic, generic, boring listen."? Lol
---- Freeze! Step away from the hubris.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by BudDa on 17.11.2011 at 08:38 I've never been a fan of Roadrunner. Earlier today I was at their website looking at their list of "highlighted artists". What a joke roster that is.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| BudDa Elite Posts: 887 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 17.11.2011 at 08:42 Well, Mastodon is on their list..and while I haven't yet listened to their new album, I don't think it would be that bad
---- Freeze! Step away from the hubris.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
Written by BudDa on 17.11.2011 at 08:50 There's an exception to every rule.  PS go listen to it, even I liked it
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| BudDa Elite Posts: 887 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 17.11.2011 at 08:52 Deicide?
---- Freeze! Step away from the hubris.
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| Troy Killjoy perfunctionist Staff Posts: 21306 |
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| BudDa Elite Posts: 887 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 17.11.2011 at 09:04 Shit, they are actually on Century Media. lol. Ok, Mastodon then.
---- Freeze! Step away from the hubris.
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| psykometal A staff guy... Elite Posts: 6101 |
Written by Troy Killjoy on 17.11.2011 at 04:33 3 examples of nu-metal bands that were good but all turned to shit when the nu-metal "revolution" started dieing down; yet they held out because even though they lost a lot of fans like me to real metal they still gained a lot of new teeny boppin' mallrunner fans. I'll still go back and listen to these band's older stuff from 90s and turn of the century but nothing newer than about 2001. Limp Bizkit's Significant Other still gets occasional play on the iPod because of it's nostalgic links to some very fond memories of my past.
---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~
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| psykometal A staff guy... Elite Posts: 6101 |
Written by BudDa on 17.11.2011 at 09:06 Deicide were on Roadrunner like 15 years ago. I'm not a fan of Mastodon at all but there is one song off of the new album I've heard a few times on Onslaught Radio that I thought was really good (can't recall the name) and makes me want to check out The Hunter.
---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~
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