My feelings on DevilDriver have been well documented on this site, so I’ll leave a lot of the background information out of this one. I will say that it has been interesting not only watching the band evolve, but also the public’s opinion of them right along with it. Many of those who sneered at their self-titled debut and wrote them off as a bunch of washed-up nu-metallers did an about face upon the release of The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand, citing its more intense vocals and much-improved riffs and songwriting. The pattern seems to be continuing with The Last Kind Words, building on the early buzz surrounding the first single, “Not All Who Wander Are Lost,” a pounding aural assault that could have made Slayer blush. Even I as a long-time fan had to admit that it kicked the living crap out of everything else they had recorded previously, and this was just the beginning. Needless to say, I was frothing at the mouth waiting for the full-length to arrive. When it finally did, it was evident after only a few tracks that DevilDriver had put together an album that would not only silence the critics and convert the naysayers, but serve as the defining moment of their career so far.
Musically, The Last Kind Words is just played with a much bigger fire burning beneath: John Boecklin hits the drums harder, the riffing of guitarists Jeffrey Kendrick and Michael Spreitzer is sharper, and bassist Jon Miller keeps the rhythms tighter. Not to be outdone, frontman Dez Fafara is angrier than ever, likely fueled as much by the hate sent his way over time as the current crop of awful bands polluting the world. I get the feeling he would just like the beat the crap out of Fall Out Boy (and who wouldn’t) to the tune of “Head on to Heartache (Let Them Rot)” or “The Axe Shall Fall.” His enemies would be up next, except they’d fall one by one to “These Fighting Words” or “Horn of Betrayal.” Then like any good pillager, he’d steal their rum.
To many this may represent DevilDriver finally earning their metal stripes, but to me, in the end, it’s just another great DevilDriver album, albeit their best yet. All the same elements are in place, but the difference is in the execution, whether ripping through “Clouds Over California” or trudging along with “Monsters of the Deep,” they are not politely asking for your respect–they are putting their collective boot to your throat and demanding it, and The Last Kind Words is more than deserving. You can expect to see this on many Top 10 lists when the year draws to a close – mine will be one of them.
