Review Summary: Perhaps, after having appreciated this album, you'll have the same epiphany as me, and wake up to one of the most impressive bands of the modern day. Perhaps they will surprise you too.
Devildriver are one of those bands I have difficulty liking. In the past, they have released several decent albums, a fact I cannot deny. But it is important to note the word 'decent'. Not stunning. Not classics. Just decent, easy-going albums with no real dynamic but a solid enough sound to please the fanboys. I see their older efforts as run-of-the-mill, template groove metal, churned off of the conveyor belt to rapturous applause from those who like them- and by absolute apathy from those that don't. Listening to some of these works, it is difficult not to support this statement. 'Pray For Villains' to me is too similar all the way through, with not enough experimentation present to distance it from the chaff, and 'The Last Kind Words' seems to be a sheath for one or two inspired songs at the expense of sacrificing the remainder of what had the potential to be an amazing album; if only a little less filler had been employed, it could have been more than a damp squib. And so, based on these prior judgements, I approached 'Beast' with a sense of minor distaste. Could this be just as monotonous as the group's other albums? Or would it be something engaging, something fresh, something inspiring? Would it be a chip off of the old block, or a whole new block entirely? After a few listens, I am happy to say it is the latter. Very firmly the latter indeed.
The first thing one notices when diving into 'Beast' is how varied it actually is. There are songs that bludgeon relentlessly, there are songs with a more technical edge, there are songs that incorporate other genres to great effect... The list of virtues on this front is endless. There are no two songs that sound alike. Every one of them carves it's own distinct niche in the album's fabric. That is not to say there are no shortcomings- 'Lost' proves quite indecisive and forgettable, for instance- but one can say there are very few. The tracks are also far more well-written. They are enjoyable to listen to rather than a strain on the ears. The riffs are sharper, but incorporate originality as well as technical proficiency, the vocals are more intense than those exhibited on former works (the self-titled album springs to mind, what with it's clearly forced half-screams from Dez Fafara- all that time spent in Coal Chamber can't have been pleasant on the lungs, what with the soot...) and the drums are tight and focused. It seems to me as if the band have turned up the heat, pressurising themselves into a higher standard of performance. Such a change is pretty good for them, clearly, for although the bass is still inaudible on nearly every outing, the musicmanship on display is undeniable.
As the album winds throughout it's running time, it is quite stunning how much of a different band Devildriver sound like on this record. Gone are the uninventive chugs of 'The Last Kind Words', gone are the virtuoso yet unnescessary melodic histrionics that blighted 'Pray For Villains'. This is straight-up modern metal at it's finest. Everything is refined, cut back into a shape that maximises edge and yet also capitalises on cleverly worked time signatures and gear shifts to spice up the ensemble. The effort throughout is to be praised here also, as with other Devildriver records you simply got a jacket of filler for one or two stunning tracks. Here, you get good tracks overall rather than a disjointed-sounding album. Everything... works. The songs complement each other rather than detract. I found myself quite impressed at how far the band had matured.
Of course, where would a review be without outlining the negatives as well as the positives? The cover of 'Black Soul Choir' is tedious at best, and would be better replaced with another standard track. 'The Blame Game' twists and turns irritatingly, whilst 'Lost' proves to be the standout poorest track on the album. Finally, the lack of bass on most tracks- covered seemingly by the relentless whirl of the lead guitars- does grate. Perhaps if that was too incorporated into this album it would be a classic rather than merely excellent. Still, I'm not one to split hairs. Such minor things cannot damn the album at all. Neither can they really stunt it's brilliance to any real degree- it's just too likeable for such a thing.
To conclude, as ever, I'd like to summise on what I've learnt from listening to this album. I've learnt that: it is possible to be pleasantly surprised by a band you once hated, it is possible for a band to mature into something amazing and it is possible for a little creativity to turn a bland formula into an altogether more impressive beast (if you will pardon the pun). To be blunt, I liked this album a lot. Enough, in fact, to buy tickets to see them in December. Perhaps, after having appreciated this album, you'll have the same epiphany as me, and wake up to one of the most impressive bands of the modern day. Perhaps they will surprise you too.
Note: Anyone who got the Coal Chamber joke, you are just as far gone as me. Welcome to the poor puns club and all that. I'll even send you a membership card!
