
Winter kills but it also tests our mettle (metal?). By now we all know the phrase “winter is coming” as a reminder to brace for whatever life brings. DevilDriver kind of embody this in a metal sense in that album after album they do what they do, nose to the grindstone, take it or leave it. Consistent drive and resolve in the face of time’s march is the hallmark of what makes a lasting metal band (with the odd Cold Lake or Risk in some band’s discographies).
In horror movies you have your low level classics like Ghoulies and you have your engorged Hollywood level Rob Zombie Halloween remakes. If DevilDriver were a horror movie they would be somewhere in between (Maybe a Gremlins 2 : The New Batch?). Pretty well known but still kind of a cult classic. DevilDriver are not as acclaimed or favored with the “street cred” of Lamb of God, if certainly as heavy sometimes. Nonetheless, DevilDriver are one of the biggest bands in metal. Pre-“FREE RANDY”, Dez Fafara had more mainstream crossover name recognition due to his time in Coal Chamber, maybe? I dunno. Despite Coal Chamber’s powerful Download return (watch this pit for “Sway” on Youtube), Nu Metal is still the once loved but still discarded lingerie in the corner no one wants to get caught sniffing anymore (I still say Dark Days was underrated and the best CC album).
Anyway, Winter Kills proves that regardless of past trends, DevilDriver should be judged on their own merit.
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