Be sure to pray for forgiveness after reading this interview because it may be your last. Vocalist and front man Dez of heavy metallers DevilDriver managed to catch me at missing our schedule appointment earlier that evening out at the second day of the second annual Thrash and Burn Tour. He spoke to me about the band’s musically career to life out on the road, down to what the upcoming plans for the almighty Devils plans to be. You get it all when you sit down and read this rather interesting conversation…
1. So four albums as a band thus far how does it feel?
Dez: It feels amazing and what people need to know about DevilDriver is most bands get 4 or 5 or 6 years before they get a record deal. So they get to really know how to write we had about 6 months before we got our record deal. It was written by one guitar player and so by the time we did our second record, the second record rather we’d only been together for like 2 years or so. I think everything has been an evolution, a real killer progression to this point that I think now I think there is a really defining sound the growth is right there.
2. When you guys started this band, where did you see it going? What were your goals?
Dez: Goals were just to go make music. In this day of downloading and the economy I didn’t really have anything on my mind other than working and doing music. I think the guys around me would think it’d be cool to tour, and I think starting over would be hard and fun and we’ve been on the road now since 2002 I don’t think nobody tours as hard as we do, we always have a good time.
3. Did you ever see yourself being a "professional" musician?
Dez: I don’t know kind of dreamed of it as a kid ya know everybody has their dreams right? I got my first tattoo at 16 and they asked me what are you doing? Don’t worry I’ll be in a band one day. So something observably in the back of my mind but I just did everything I could just go to rehearsals and ya know all that stuff young and being in different bands and find a good way to do it ya know?
4. When and where was the first DevilDriver show? Can you describe the scene?
Dez: It was good a lot of people didn’t know us and it was at the El Rosa.
5. What keeps you guys going?
Dez: Music, love of brotherhood, love of the road, love of doing something different right now, we love the fact that we stand out like a sore thumb, ya know when there is so many thousands of bands sounding the same right now, we don’t which is just totally organically you can’t make that happen so we look at that and that is just great for us and the reason we do it.
6. Has there ever been any major road bumps where you'd consider you'd had enough of the band?
Dez: Ya totally of course but then they’d say the same thing about me and you’d say the same thing about your job or whoever’s reading this or listening this would say the same thing about their girlfriend or boyfriend ya know of course. But in the end family wins over, and you end up talking but most people have it hard road when it’s in band life but we ya know how to get along ya know. We know what exactly pushes each other’s buttons so we don’t do it to each other anyone when you’re first coming up everybody is learning what those buttons are ya know.
7. Over the years you guys have always been with Roadrunner Records. Has there been any interest from any other labels, why do you choose to stand by Roadrunner?
Dez: Right ok well this record we couldn’t put it out anywhere we actually talking it probably 10 different labels when someone would offer more money and all this and more promises but I feel comfortable with a label I’ve been with for 10 years and I know everyone over there then when they honestly got on the phone with me and said hey we’re gonna be behind this record. Then it was just so obviously choice to go with them. They are the best label I think when it comes to metal ya know. Some labels are good from other things hardcore whatever types of music, but this is a metal label so they know what they’re doing.
8. "Pray For Villains," came out a week ago, what can fans expect, can you give a brief description on how it all came together?
Dez: Well we recorded it in a month and to describe the record would be an evolution a defining moment I think in the band’s career and the other part of the question we are totally pleased with what’s going on right now, we couldn’t be happier.
9. Looking back, do you have a favorite album or any particular song, and why?
Dez: Right now “Back with Vengeance” and it was just so fun to play and that one for now.
10. What has been your favorite place to eat while out on the road?
Dez: *Laughs* Aw to eat, anywhere that’s kind of like home cooked and not fast food which is rare a lot of us live off protein stuff and shake mix and crap like that otherwise you end up stopping and eating BS every night.
11. I noticed you guys tend to tour with Lamb of God a lot, among other bands when coming in contact do they ever get tired of seeing you, like "Oh no not these guys again leave us a alone".
Dez: They are great guys really nice guys we’ve been fortune to tour with them ya know, their album came number 2 on Billboard, there a huge band, make no mistake about that Lamb of God is probably the biggest heavy metal band right now next to Metallica and really great guys and amazing players and a band like that who takes another band out a lot knows that they are doing that band a favor by turning them onto other people and that’s what they’re doing for us. I mean we are all for sure; I we are extremely grateful for that.
12. What is the best part about being in this band?
Dez: The best part of being in a band? Is being able to play music I love to take the stage I love all of that and I love the road I do, but I’m the kind of guy that can sit back here and say nothing for 4 hours that’s just me.
13. How long do you see yourselves doing this? What do you want to accomplish with DevilDriver?
Dez: Accomplishment for me I think is in the journey because you don’t know what the destination is and any kind of accomplishment is in the journey and how long I want to do this? I want to do this until my health fails me, which could be 40 but who knows give me 50 years.
14. How does it feel to headline this year’s "Thrash and Burn Tour" and are you guys getting along with everyone? What is expected after this tour?
Dez: Ya Thrash and Burn is good totally diverse bill most bands wouldn’t go on a tour like this because it’s all hardcore bands completely separate genre I mean for us we’re not scared to test the waters and go out with different bands and different people. After this, we are going to Europe with Behemoth for about 6 or 7 weeks and then going with Lamb of God to Austria and then trying to do Japan and Hawaiian by ourselves then we’re gonna start at the end of January net year and we’re already booking to the end of 2010 way into 2011.
15. Any last words?
Dez: Any last words? Never there is no last words.
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