Of the bands who rose from the pit of the mid-2000s New Wave of American Heavy Metal, Devildriver were unique in their embrace of the dark. Instead of just leaning on Dio worship and the fleur de lis, the band, led by ex-Coal Chamber frontman Dez Fafara, played killer death-oriented metalcore and draped themselves in pentagrams. Now, the band have dropped a single from their upcoming new album, and it definitely hearkens back to their good ol’ days.
The song’s called “Nest of Vipers,” and features much of what we love about Devildriver — steamroller double bass drumming, a thick yet wily main riff, and Dez’s patented guttural barking. The video for the song is also the band to a T, choked with Tarot cards, skulls, menacing witchcraft imagery, and of course a shitload of snakes.
“This is my first co-written lyric on any Devildriver track with another band member, penned with our guitarist Neal Tiemann,” says Dez. “Working with Neal is a good time. We always want what’s best for the song. Lyrically, the chorus says it all – The kings sworn men make perfect liars. This is the cold, hard truth, as people’s loyalties are often bought and sold. The lyric “she sleeps with bones beside her” refers to another theme touched upon in this track – a woman laying in misery next to her ‘bones’ of contention, harboring guilt as her loyalties are also bought and sold…It’s all a sad state of affairs once you get into that bought and sold mentality, whether it’s with your work or friendships.”
Check out “Nest of Vipers” below:
“Nest of Vipers” comes from Devildriver’s upcoming new album Dealing With Demons I, which drops October 9th via Napalm Records and is available for preorder. Check out the full tracklisting and cover art below:
1. Keep Away From Me
2. Vengeance Is Clear
3. Nest Of Vipers
4. Iona
5. Wishing
6. You Give Me A Reason To Drink (feat. Simon Blade Fafara)
7. Witches
8. Dealing With Demons
9. The Damned Don’t Cry
10. Scars Me Forever
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Words by Chris Krovatin
