DEVILDRIVER Frontman Hopes His Kids Won't Follow His Example

Pat Douglas of the Great Falls Tribune recently conducted an interview with DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

On the band's latest offering, "The Last Kind Words":

"I definitely hope that this record right now ... is viewed where it came out in a time when it was way more popular to sell out and do metal appropriate for radio, to make the company happy, to keep your record deal, to make money. We said here's a massive middle finger .... . Here's DEVILDRIVER."

"I hope 10, 20 years from now, people will remember ... what the scene is doing right now and we did something completely opposite."

On overcoming the stigma of being known as the frontman of the successful band COAL CHAMBER in the '90s:

"I'm obviously humbled at the point of even having a second career. I've worked extremely hard, so when you see things come to fruition, it magnifies it even more for you. If there's one message I've always tried to say to anyone, it's if you work hard, it's gonna pay off."

On seeing his latest band getting the credit it deserves:

"It feels like a defining moment. It's almost pulsating through me that I know this is the sound in which my vocals sound best. Now, let's hold on to that sound and keep refining it and make sure through the years as everybody changes to what's popular and what's not, that we don't. That we just forge through it like a tank. It's very important."

On his bandmates:

"These guys are killer. I've surrounded myself with good friends, great musicians and it's a full on democracy in the band. So much so that I give 'em my lyrics before we do it and they tell me what they like and don't like. I think that's the only way art can feed. If everybody's coming in with ideas and then it slams together to make the whole."

On the new album's lyrical direction:

"I'm going deep on religion. I'm going deep on (the motto) 'you should be treated the way you should treat people.' That vengeance is OK. And perseverance is even better. If you're looking for any words of forgiveness on this one, you're not getting it."

On whether he wants his sons to follow him into the world of metal:

"I've got three boys and I'm hoping that they all go to college and don't follow the road that I followed. I support them in anything they want to do (but) I'm an outlaw. I've been on the road for almost 12 years now."