Customer Reviews

The Last Kind Words

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Without a doubt the heaviest of the three albums, DevilDriver has really nailed it home with "Last Kind Words". The CD is intense and, for lack of a better term, driving. It truly seems like DD has found their niche, and is quickly becoming the forefront of a new wave of metal to-come. Their combination of melodic, death, and thrash metal is brilliantly refined and fuses seamlessly. After first popping in the CD, you will instantly be blown away by the first track "Not All Who Wander Are Lost". You'll instantly notice the CD kicks off fast, hard, and heavy. The pace WILL create uncontrollable body movements, believe you me, and does a fantastic job of drawing you in.

"Not All Who Wander Are Lost" is DevilDriver's first single of the CD, and with good reason. The lyrics are much more intelligent and well thought-out in comparison to the self-titled album and "The Fury of Our Maker's Hand". You will also notice the band got a little carried away with guitar solos, however, they definitely add a unique flavor to each song. The next of my favorites is "Clouds Over California" which is eargasmic. The track truly displays the band's skill as a whole. "Horn Of Betrayal", "These Fighting Words", and "Head On To Heartache (Let Them Rot)" are also just as equally amazing.

Overall, I am becoming more and more blown away with each album. Long live DevilDriver.

they are back, and it is frikkin awesome! they had their first album, which was great but has been said to be a bit rough around the edges, then their second "sophmore" release, which many bands sometime rise and fall by, and DD clearly progressed and refined their sound, and now we are brought to their third album. the first thing that struck me that there was a definite progression in their music, but yet still retains the same aggression and edge you'd expect from their previous release. as Fury was more polished then their first album, Last Kind Words is still more refined, better riffs, better arrangement, while still grabbing you by the back of the head and slamming your cranium into the wall.

Even Dez's trademark "cookie monster" vocals (which i hate using that term, but don't know how else to describe it) is even further developed on this album.

If you are a DevilDriver fan..........then you're probably not even reading this and already have it...........

if you are a metal fan, this is the epitome of the current state of metal done at its finest.

the best analogy i can give to this album is looking at Metallica's first 3 studio releases, same feeling, same sound, just kept getting better and better.

hands down, a must buy, period

Well, i must say i cheated on this one and bought it on import 3 weeks ago. Why the labels release a cd in the UK a month earlier is beyond me. Especially when trying to combat piracy.. Makes no sense.
Anyway, i thought they would have a tough time following up 'Fury' and i was right! But they succeed in making this CD just as good. What is best about this disc is the furious drumming. Excellent!
The songs are reminiscent of 'Fury' but not a repeat. The awesome 'Clouds over Calif' is great and the track that follows 'Bound by the Moon' is SLAMMIN! will be a pit fav.
'Burning Sermon' and 'Tirades of Truth' are smokin as well.! As a whole this CD holds up well. The production is in your face and the riffs are killer. There are not many 'hooks' per se, but that is made up for by the pure brutality!
One of the best bands around for their Genre, and a definate top 10 in the 'best of' category for 2007! A must have for all headbangers! The question has been answered, DevilDriver is for real.

I'm a huge fan of Devildriver. They are truly one of the best modern metal bands out there today. Their latest album 2007's "The Last Kind Words" is without a doubt the band's meanest, heaviest, and best album thus far, and it's also one of the best metal albums of 2007 that I had the pleasure of purchasing and I don't regret it one bit. I bought this album a couple of months ago, and I just love it, I can't stop listening to it. This album is without question an absolute menacing, thrashing, pure headbanging metal assault on your senses from beginning to end. I also like to consider this album to be the final nail in the coffin of Dez Fafara's nu metal band Coal Chamber as well. Everything on "The Last Kind Words" is just simply awesome, the lyrics, the musicianship, the vocals I mean everything on here is awesome. The production by Jason Suecof is just flawless. Dez Fafara's vocals on here are just absolutely menacing, vicious, visceral, and all out raging throughout. I'll be honest, I've always liked and admired Dez's vocals alot better here in Devildriver than in Coal Chamber. Guitarists Mike Spreitzer and Jeff Kendrick are definately at the top of their game on this album. Their riffs and leads are absolutely ripping and highly technical, and YES they even fire off solos too, and they both do really good at it too. Jon Miller's bass is good, and of course John Boecklin's double bass drumming is just flawless and downright pummeling. Every song on "The Last Kind Words" are just excellent especially the fierce, pummeling opener "Not All Who Wander are Lost" (my favorite song) which features some fast breakneck drums, raging riffs, menacing vocals, and a pair of awesome melodic solos, while the next track "Clouds Over California" has driving riffs and double bass drums, an addicting chorus, as well as another great solo. Other favorite songs on here include "Bound by the Moon", "Horn Of Betrayal", and "These Fighthing Words" which starts off with a slow, mounting energy build up before blasting in with a barrage of headbanging riffs, scorching leads, and killer double bass drums. The chorus is very addicting too, while track six "Head on to Heartache (Let Them Rot)" features an absolute catchy driving drum beat and catchy driving riffs as well as some more awesome solos and another catchy chorus to boot. Another one of my favorites "Burning Sermon" has a bouncy, moshing drum beat with some machine gun like double bass patterns, booming riffs, and some brutal visceral vocals from Dez to boot. "The Axe Shall Fall" is an excellent closing track that features some catchy chugging riffs, a killer melodic solo, some more solid double bass drum patterns, as well as some nice soothing bass and a nice rocking drum beat near the end.
Jeremy's song ratings:
1. Not All Who Wander are Lost - 10/5 My favorite song
2. Clouds Over California - 5/5
3. Bound by the Moon - 5/5
4. Horn of Betrayal - 5/5
5. These Fighting Words - 5/5
6. Head on to Heartache (Let Them Rot) - 5/5
7. Burning Sermon - 5/5
8. Monsters of the Deep - 5/5
9. Tirades of Truth - 5/5
10. When Summoned - 5/5
11. The Axe Shall Fall - 5/5

Bottom Line: I definately recommend this album to any fan of Devildriver, heavy metal, or just good music in general. Guaranteed to be one of the finest metal albums of 2007, believe me, it's that awesome. Buy this album now ASAP!!

LONG LIVE DEVILDRIVER!!

To say that Dez Fafara has come a long ways since debuting with his first band (ill-fated nu-metal act Coal Chamber) would be a vast understatement. It's hard to believe that just ten years ago, Dez Fafara was shamelessly spouting ridiculous dribble (like repeating "me so loco" again and again) over moronically simplistic, Korn-copped riffs. But now, a short decade later, Dez is all growed up, and is in a second band, Devildriver, who have released an unbelievably brutal album which officially shuts the doors on his amateurish nu-metal roots forever. That album is this year's "The Last Kind Words." This is, without question, Devildriver's strongest, meanest and most realized and energetic release yet, and it is also the best piece of music Mr. Fafara has ever attached his name to.

Neither Dez nor his band have ever sounded hungrier than they do now. "TLKW" has a wonderful, raw urgency to it, as if the band recorded the whole thing at gunpoint. But that doesn't mean Devildriver didn't still have a lot of fun making this record. They clearly delight in tearing the listener's head off with an uncompromising avalanche of great, fiery riffs, busy, nimble-fingered leads, deft, pummeling blast beats, and visceral, raging vocals.

Everybody is at the top of his game here. The musicianship is impeccable and almost impossibly tight. Axemen Mike Spreitzer and Jeff Kendrick are particularly awesome - not only are their riffs and leads highly technical, but they have learned how to solo, too! Quite a few lengthy, tastefully clean solos are sprinkled on throughout these eleven cuts, thus giving some melody and harmony to the otherwise chaotic musical arrangements. Jason Suecof is also worthy of special mention for turning in an excellent production job (probably the best and clearest of his career thus far.) As a result, the listener can hear and absorb every second of the onslaught -- including guitar feedback and crashing high hats -- very well.

From front to back, the album never loses any steam -- the intensity level stays in the red for the duration. Plus, these eleven tracks never lose their focus, either, so the album is very consistent. And as a triple threat, it's super catchy, too! Devildriver never forsake catchiness; no matter how heavy or intense a song gets, they always remember to slip in a bunch of memorable hooks and infectious grooves. A case in point is the driving, breakneck set opener, "Not All Who Wonder All Lost," which boasts a deep, Pantera or Lamb of God-worthy groove tattooed with rapid-fire drums. Two very tasty, ripping, and melodic solos also crop up here. Elsewhere, "Bound By The Moon" and "When Summoned" (to name just a couple) are other prime cuts of riff-choked, face-ripping thrash; and Dez's livid, maniacal lyrics and vicious, venomous bellows on "Horn Of Betrayal" will make you think the flesh is being torn off your bones.

But it isn't all the same song, because there's plenty of dynamic to be heard, as well. For example, take "Clouds Over California" and "These Fighting Words": both break up the monotony and give the listener a little room to breathe with slow, mounting energy build-ups. But give it only about half a minute and both of the songs are waist deep in full-on, foaming-at-the-mouth thrash -- the former with pounding, jackhammering blasts, and the latter with excellent, blistering riffage. "Tirades Of Truth" is the only entirely mid-tempo song, and even it has a great, palpable tension and bristles with crunchy guitars and catchy, moshable choruses.

Devildriver aren't set out to reinvent the wheel or disprove anybody who says they're one-dimensional, but those things are almost effortlessly easy to overlook when the album is, overall, this satisfying, contagious, exhilarating, and addictive. "The Last Kind Words" delivers the goods, plain and simple. Who knew that having your butt kicked could be such a blast?!

..that hasn't already been said? A full blown assault of razor sharp solos and twin guitar riffs, galloping drums, topped with a creamy layer of the sickest, most guttural vocals you'll ever hear. This album is the sonic equivalent to intercourse.

Holy sh**! Title of this third Devil Driver CD should have been 'Kiss Your Lilly White *ss Goodbye'. Didn't realize at first that when I saw DD open for Dimmu Borgir a year ago that this was the band that featured former Coal Chamber frontman Dez Fafara. I mean, this disc is freaking H-E-A-V-Y! Know what I'm saying? Tracks that's sure to rob of your hearing possibly for the next day or two are "Not All Who Wander Are Lost", the in-your-face "Horn Of Betrayal", "Burning Sermon" and "Tirades Of Truth". Just caught Devil Driver touring the club circuit on their current U.S. trek and I would highly recommend their live show to any fan of 100% pure metal. Fans of Daath, Lamb Of God, Children Of Bodom, Otep and the previously mentioned Dimmu Borgir should undoubtedly get plenty from 'Last Kind Words'. A must-have.

Devil Driver's Cd's always somehow get even better than the one's before them. This Cd will be very hard to top, but let's enjoy it for the masterpiece it is. They are the best metal band going right now, and actually get increasingly heavy on each CD. If you dig DevilDriver, also check out Skinlab, the new SkinnedAlive live CD is incredibly brutal...Skinned Alive

devildriver is some of the best metal out there these days. if you miss pantera or superjoint ritual or even early 80s metallica then this is for you!

If DevilDriver's previous album The Fury of Our Maker's Hand was a confirmation that DevilDriver was one of the most praiseworthy bands to jump on the American metal scene in years, then The Last Kind Words is DD driving a tank, crushing all in their path to claim their thrones as metal royalty and dropping a nuclear bomb on all those beneath them.

What makes this album so great is two factors. First, instead of following their contemporaries, and coping the endless hordes of bands with "core" at the end of there genre title, they serve up a slab of good ol' American groove metal. Second, every song on this album has a groove metal base, but on many songs they add sprinklings of different genres of metal, so that each track has a unique feel to it. Even with all this variety, no track on this album sound odd or out of place, weak or unmemorable.

Here is how the tracks break down:
"Not All Who Wander Are Lost" - This intro is so brutal, it basically grabs you by the hair and keeps slamming your head against the wall, takes a break during the melodic solo, then gets right back to beating your head in.
"Clouds over California" - I think if I had a dollar for every time that I have listened to this song, then I probably would have enough cash to buy an island. This is my favorite DD track ever.
"Bound by the Moon" - The track has a thrash vibe during the verses, and a melodeth vibe during the chorus. Excellent track
"Horn of Betrayal" - Love the opening guitar/drums and this has my favorite lyrics on the album.
"These Fighting Words" - The melodeath influence gives this track a real epic feel. It sounds like Amon Amarth on steroids.
"Head on to Heartache (Let Them Rot)" - Works up to when Dez growls "Before you lose control," then it becomes a headbanger of neck breaking capacity.
"Burning Sermon" - There is a bouncy riffs throughout this track that can only be described as nu-metal-ish, but sounds like something off their debut, but harder. Love screaming along with the chorus.
"Monsters of the Deep" - This is a personal favorite of mine. It's got a great doom metal vibe, and is just so heavy, which is hard for lots of metal bands to make interesting. It's so heavy it would give Gojira a boner.
"Tirades of Truth" - Another track where the guitar/drums are excellent. Love this song even if I keep thinking Dez is saying "Tirades of truth, blazing aliens."
"When Summoned" - Another brutal track, with a chorus that begs to be screamed.
"The Axe Shall Fall" - Ending the album with a headbanger, that progresses into a soft outro, allowing you time to calm down before having to grab the icepack for your neck.

When I got The Last Kind Words back in '07 I thought that DevilDriver couldn't top their previous album, which was a personal classic to me. To my joy, they dropped an album with excellent vocals/guitars and insane drumming, showcasing more variety and skill. I've probably listened to LKW about as much, if not more, than FooMH. It's one of the many reasons DevilDriver has become one of my favorite bands.