All Killer, No Filler: DevilDriver’s Dez Fafara Speaks on the Band’s New album and Upcoming Tour
Groove metal giants DevilDriver are just about to drop their hotly anticipated eleventh studio album, Strike and Kill. Ahead of their co-headline Australian tour with Cradle of Filth this month, vocalist Dez Fafara opened up about their new record, essential rider items and what fans can expect from their live show.
Interview John Howarth // Image Stephanie Cabral
Your new album, Strike and Kill, lands while you are in Australia. What can fans expect from the album, and can they expect to hear any tunes off it live?
The album Strike and Kill lands while we’re in Australia because it’s a good luck charm for me when I release and I’m down under; that’s just a fact.
What you can expect is a groove, riff-driven and energetic record full of all killer and no filler. This is the one you wanna call your mates over on a Saturday and play it start to finish and pump it loud, trust me on this!
Absolutely you could definitely count on us playing songs from the record for sure. Both singles that are out, and we hope you’ll enjoy them, maybe a surprise.
When you think about Australian crowds, what separates them from audiences anywhere else in the world? What’s the energy you brace yourselves for when you step onstage here?
There is a very special energy in Australia, and with Australian fans, they love their metal and we love them. DevilDriver has a long career in Australia, and we are proud to continue the tradition of bringing down the heavy California groove for everybody. It’ll be great to walk out on stage that first night and hear the roar of the crowd. I’m so excited I could barely sleep.
Every artist has their non‑negotiable, what are the essential rider items you must have to survive a long run across Australia’s cities and climate?
My only non-negotiable is coffee, give me coffee, give me more coffee and obviously water. I’m pretty simple in that way, though the guys in the band like multiple things backstage – some kind of sandwich stuff some kind of soda little bit of candy. Pretty simple.
Co‑headline tours can be creatively electric. How have Cradle of Filth and DevilDriver influenced each other behind the scenes on the recent shows? Any unexpected moments of crossover or collaboration?
No crossover collaboration, but we will definitely push each other as bands do on tour, but I think the crowd is gonna get something very special with these two bands combined. Filth said it best. DevilDriver is the meat and potatoes cradle. Filth is the dessert. Very apropos.
Australia has a reputation for embracing heavy music with real loyalty. How have you seen your fanbases evolve here over the years, and what do you feel keeps that connection so strong?
I feel that bands come down to Australia, they either connect or they don’t. DevilDriver just connected when we first came down. Once that connection is made, it really never gets dropped as long as you come down and you service the markets. We don’t come down often, but when we do, the shows do very well, and people get their money’s worth. What I’m most proud of is the long-term relationship with the Australian fans, and I want to keep that connection.
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Touring Australia means long travel days, unique venues and a different pace compared to Europe or the US. What’s the biggest logistical or personal adjustment you make when touring down under?
Yes, it’s long hours back to the hotel after the show, up early to get to the airport, fly into a hotel, head over to the venue soundtrack. Get some food, play a show, do it again, but you start to get into a groove after a day or two. There is an adjustment. And that’s the first 48 hours. Sometimes you have to suck it up and go without sleep or go with three or four hours of sleep, but you have to get the job done no matter what. People pay good money, and they want to see you at 110%, and they’ll see DevilDriver at 110%.
Both of you have decades of legacy behind your names. When you look at this Australian co‑headline tour, what does it represent for you at this stage of your careers: celebration, evolution, or something entirely different?
It’s certainly a celebration of putting two different metal bands together that shouldn’t work, but it’s worked all over the world, so there’s something special there.
There’s also a friendship within the bands and management that helps to make this thing something special. We’ve both had long story careers, and we both agree that coming down to the Australian fan base is nothing but a pleasure for both of us.
What can your loyal Australian fans expect this time around?
This time around, you can expect co-headlining sets that are fiery and aggressive. People are gonna get their metal. Get ready to get in the pit.
Catch DevilDriver and Cradle of Filth performing at Hindley Street Music Hall on Tuesday 14 July. Tickets on sale now via moshtix.com.au.
