DEVILDRIVER Seeks New Label Home

Nick Azinas of Peek From The Pit conducted an interview with vocalist Dez Fafara of California metallers DEVILDRIVER when the band played at The Hangar in New Orleans, Louisiana on March 16. You can now watch the chat below.

When asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for DEVILDRIVER's sixth album, Dez said, "We used to put a record every two years. I don't think it's gonna be [like that this time]. We are free agents right now, which means we're [no longer signed to Roadrunner Records and we're] talking to many record companies. It's gonna be a very critical record for us, when it does come out, and we're gonna take time to write it. I actually heard one track the other night that is incredible. We all started writing vocals to it right when we were sitting in the back [of the bus], so if it's gonna stay on that route, I think it's gonna be an incredible record."

Dez also spoke about the the musical direction of DEVILDRIVER's new material and whether the band will attempt to make the next record even more "brutal" than "Beast". "We continue to make our records diverse, which is cool," he said. "Every record is different with DEVILDRIVER, so I think we're gonna surpass what we've done in the past. And then going into the 'brutal' question, it's like, man, everybody is as brutal as everybody now. So we wanna have some diversity and we wanna have some moments and some clarity within the songs. I think the thing we're really focused on is songwriting. We don't have a producer chosen, we don't have the [studio] time [booked]. We don't even know if we're gonna release a record in 2013, maybe 2014, or maybe fall of 2013; we're not sure. So there's all this stuff up in the air. But what we do know is we're having a good time writing and exchanging feelings on the songs. . . Like I said, it's gonna be a very important record in our career, so we're gonna take time and we're gonna craft it."

As previously reported, DEVILDRIVER bassist Aaron "Bubble" Patrick is sitting out the band's Metal Alliance Tour after being diagnosed with Streptococcus pneumonia, an inflammation and swelling of the lung, caused by an infection with the bacteria. Filling in for Patrick is his former BURY YOUR DEAD bandmate Chris Towning.

The Metal Alliance Tour — which also features THE FACELESS, DYING FETUS, JOB FOR A COWBOY, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, IMPENDING DOOM and WRETCHED — kicked off this past Thursday, March 15 at the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

Patrick joined DEVILDRIVER as the replacement for Jonathan Miller, who quit the band in March 2011, calling it "the most difficult decision of my life" but "something that I needed to do for myself."

DEVILDRIVER recently took part in the European "The Eighth Plague Tour" with MACHINE HEAD, BRING ME THE HORIZON and DARKEST HOUR.

"The Eighth Plague Tour" kicked off on November 1 in Oslo, Norway and wrapped on December 6 in Manchester, England.

"Beast", the fifth album from DEVILDRIVER, sold a little over 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 42 on The Billboard 200 chart.