DEVILDRIVER

Groove metal kings Devildriver recently made their triumphant return with the second part of their Dealing With Demons saga. 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.

Devildriver recently travelled across the US on a co-headline tour with Cradle of Filth. Speaking about the experience guitarist Mike Spreitzer said: “It was one of the most relaxing and fun tours I’ve done since I joined this band. It was really nice having Miller back,” he says. “It was always in my mind, have I gotten accustomed to being at home and sleeping in my own bed? Being able to go and surf whenever I want and not having to leave my fiancée and family. Was I going to get out on tour, and it wasn’t going to feel as fun and comfortable as it did pre-pandemic.” Of course, life on the road can be challenging after a long period at home. “I was always like, what is it going to feel like when I’m sleeping in the bus? But, as soon as I got there, immediately, it felt comfortable and felt familiar.”

Devildriver enjoyed life on the road with their touring counterparts. “Everybody in Cradle of Filth was cool. Everyone had a good crew,” he says. “It was just fun, and I easily could have done another three or four weeks out on this run.”

That being said, the band were dipping their toes in the water once again as they re-entered the touring world. “We wanted to make it short, just to see how things went. Because those were our first times back, and then on top, it took a lot of weeks of preparation getting Davier and Alex up to par with all the songs. As well as Miller, who hadn’t been in the band for 13 years. We had a solid six days of rehearsal, being in there for 12 to 14 hours. But it all came together. I was very happy in the long run. I’m very excited about getting out on the road again.”

Devildriver are presently getting ready to release the second part of their Dealing with Demons album. Although the project itself was completed several years prior. “Everything for Dealing with Demons musically was recorded, by September of 2018 including Volume Two. Volume One and Two were recorded all at the same time. We did 20 songs, and Dez finished vocals in February or March of 2019,” explains Mike. “So, from our perspective, this album goes back a long way and almost seems old. I’ve been sitting with the songs for four to five years.”

Despite lockdown introducing logistical challenges with regard to both recording and touring, the Devildriver guitarist was in a fortunate position. “As far as creativity during the pandemic, I am one of those people that I can build for the possibility of a lockdown. I’ve got a recording studio in my house. I can be in here all day every day and not get bored. Everything got shut down. And just from my point of view, it was like, well, this sucks, but life goes on. And I’m grateful that I have a hobby, and a way of life that I could just go into my studio, pick up a guitar and be entertained all day long. It was very easy for me.”

The first volume of the Dealing with Demons double album was released during the pandemic in 2020. But did the band think at any point about holding off on the release until they could go out and promote the album on the road? “The