Band:	DevilDriver
Album:	Dealing With Demons Vol. II
Style:	Melodic death metal, Groove thrash metal
Release date:	May 2023

01. I Have No Pity
02. Mantra
03. Nothing Lasts Forever
04. Summoning
05. Through The Depths
06. Bloodbath
07. It's A Hard Truth
08. If Blood Is Life
09. This Relationship, Broken

Someone should start a tribute act to the band called Lucifer chauffeur.

It seems only like yesterday that DevilDriver were at the forefront of the metal scene, their groove metal sound being a regular feature of live shows large and small, and the band being almost omnipresent in the media. While Dealing With Demons I did see the ship right its course after a questionable couple of releases, it was still navigating its way out of the rocks. Nearly three years later, Dealing With Demons II sees the wind back in the band's sails once more, as they launch off on their latest release.

Clearly reading my review of Dealing With Demons I and taking notes, the album kicks off with "I Have No Pity" and "Mantra", two tracks that take you back to the glory days of The Fury Of Our Maker's Hand and remind you why the band were able to get so big. "Summoning" slows the pace, but will knock you off your feet, thanks to some brutal drums and a sledgehammer swagger. DevilDriver make a strong first impression, one that sticks around to the end.

A lot has changed in the three years since the last album; the return of Miller on bass and the recruitment of a new drummer and guitarist (Pèrez and Bonded By Blood's Lee, respectively) see enthusiasm breathed back into the band's music, while Dez's battle with Covid sees him sing with a level of purpose not heard in over a decade. These elements converge on closing track "This Relationship, Broken", a melodic track that does not pull its punches as it unloads. This new-look DevilDriver gel well and offer a lot of promise going forward, hopefully signalling the end of the creative lull that the band fell into in the last decade.

Evetts does a solid job on ensuring the album sounds as good as it does, balancing the pummelling attack of Pèrez's drums while allowing Lee to throw in some sharp guitar work (especially the opening riff to "I Have No Pity"). Dez is of course given pride of place in the mix, but he does not drown or overshadow anything else out, thanks to a well-balanced mix. While the band don't go for the jugular as directly as they used to, they don't lack for power as they build around the band's piercing attack.

While the band are Dealing With Demons, they haven't quite defeated them yet, as the album does have its drawbacks. "Bloodbath" typifies much of the last decade for DevilDriver, a directionless and unmemorable track that goes nowhere in middling fashion. "It's A Hard Life" follows in much the same order, though not after an intro that hints the song could have gone in a better direction. While being OK tracks, "Through The Depths" and "If Blood Is Life" add to the lull that makes up much of the album's second half.

It feels as if DevilDriver have turned a corner with Dealing With Demons II, producing an album that sounds revitalised and ready to climb back up the mountain, to sit atop heights the band haven't seen in a while.