DEVILDRIVER Shares New Single 'If Blood Is Life'

California groove metallers DEVILDRIVER will release part two of their "Dealing With Demons" saga, their tenth full-length, "Dealing With Demons Vol. II", on May 12 via Napalm Records. Once again produced and engineered by Steve Evetts with additional engineering from guitarist Mike Spreitzer, 'Dealing With Demons Vol. II' is inarguably heavier and relentlessly harsher than its predecessor — as proven last month with bludgeoning lead single "Through The Depths".

Today, DEVILDRIVER dropped another unrelenting track, "If Blood Is Life", plus an action-packed performance music video featuring exclusive footage from the band's recent U.S. co-headline tour with labelmates CRADLE OF FILTH. The dynamic anthem grips with an unforgettable hook and lead guitar lines, swaying with an undeniable headbang-worthy groove as it shifts between rhythmic passages.

DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara says about "If Blood is Life": "Shadows of the future, ghosts of your past walking the floor — why do these things haunt us as humans, when we should be focused on the fact that, like the chorus says, 'Time, it waits for no one, Time, it's worth the taking.' Learn to focus on the now, the here, the present."

International media mainstays like Revolver, Metal Hammer, Kerrang! and Consequence lauded "Dealing With Demons I", which debuted at No. 4 on the U.S. Current Hard Music Albums chart. BLABBERMOUTH.NET stated, "If the second half of this mammoth endeavor matches the first, this will be remembered as a pivotal moment in the DEVILDRIVER story." Rest assured, "Dealing With Demons Vol. II" doubles down on the brutality — and then some!

Track one "I Have No Pity" instantly keeps fans guessing with its contrasting, marching rhythmic groove and Fafara's icy, earworm warnings. The album's standout production immediately shines, with the track's thick riffs, haunting leads, room-filling drums and Fafara's vocal prowess leading the way. Eerie, insistent "Mantra" drops a wave of melodic aggression on the listener, instantly inducing headbanging with its breakneck pace and occult lyricism. Dynamic tracks like "Nothing Lasts Forever" and "Summoning" cascade with alternating passages of sinister riffage and memorable chants. "Bloodbath" is as brutal as its name suggests, ominously bending and pummeling with immediate aggression, as "It's A Hard Truth" continues the onslaught, cautioning against delusion amid balanced melodic leads. Closer anthems "If Blood Is Life" and "This Relationship, Broken" are the blood-soaked cherries atop "Dealing With Demons Vol. II", bringing together all of the elements that make DEVILDRIVER the best at their craft.

Fafara adds: "'Dealing With Demons Vol. II' is — simply put — a conversation in its entirety about dealing with 'inner' demons. It's a conversation in song form between 'self and a power apart from one's self, and trying to bury old entities.'"

"Dealing With Demons Vol. II" track listing:

01. I Have No Pity
02. Mantra
03. Nothing Lasts Forever
04. Summoning
05. Through The Depths
06. Bloodbath
07. It's A Hard Truth
08. If Blood Is Life
09. This Relationship, Broken

Last December, DEVILDRIVER parted ways with drummer Austin D'Amond and replaced him with Davier Pérez.

D'Amond joined DEVILDRIVER in 2015 as the replacement for original drummer John Boecklin.

In July 2022, DEVILDRIVER announced the return of original bassist Jon Miller after more than a decade-long absence from the scene. In addition to epic reunion, DEVILDRIVER added guitarist Alex Lee (HOLY GRAIL) to the lineup, replacing Neal Tiemann.

Ibarra joined DEVILDRIVER in 2016 as the replacement for former BURY YOUR DEAD guitarist Chris Towning, who appeared on the Fafara-fronted band's 2013 album "Winter Kills".

In October 2021, DEVILDRIVER parted ways with Tiemann. Neal, formerly of BURN HALO, joined the band in 2015 as the replacement for Jeff Kendrick, who left DEVILDRIVER in October 2014.

DEVILDRIVER 2023 is:

Dez Fafara - Vocals
Mike Spreitzer - Guitar
Jon Miller - Bass
Alex Lee - Guitar
Davier Pérez - Drums

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer