Dave Draiman is back, and it’s as if he’d never been away. The self titled debut album for the new project for Draiman and Gino Lenardo from Filter (read the Device story HERE) has finally arrived, and it’s worth the wait.
At first listen it’s easy to think of this as ‘Disturbed part II’, Draiman’s vocal sound and style is unique and instantly indentifiable, and most riffs and arrangements wouldn’t seem totally out of place on any recent Disturbed album. Choruses in particular have that ‘Disturbed’ vibe all over them. But there’s a lot more happening here than an initial glimpse would reveal. The album has a darker feel, and the plentiful use of samples adds layers of subtle depth to the tracks. The further into the album you go, the more the songs explore musical territory that Disturbed would never touch.
The opening 3 tracks are as good a trio of songs as you’ll find in the industrial/metal genre. Dark, grinding guitars and Draiman seemingly angry at a large part of the world, especially on the single ‘Vilify’. The tone and style of the album is set here, although perhaps the rest of the album just fails to reach the same heights.
A number of guests appear throughout, with ‘Out of Line’ featuring Serj Tankian and Geezer Butler being the highlight. The crunching bass line in particular just screams ‘Geezer’. Tom Morello, M. Shadows , Glen Hughes and Lzzy Hale also contribute, with Lzzy doing a duet on the cover of the old Ozzy/Lita Ford number “Close My Eyes Forever”.
For a project evolved from a collaboration on a single track, the end result is impressive. For (most) Disturbed fans, there’s a lot to draw you in here. If Disturbed have never appealed, it’s hard to see Device win you over.
Photo By P.R. Brown
Device: Device
Released: April 2013
Genre: Industrial, Heavy Metal, Industrial Metal
Producer: David Draiman, Geno Lenardo
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