Globally renowned, chart-topping band DevilDriver may be one of the most notable groups in metal, but their personal taste in music reaches far beyond heavy music. Thanks to widely lauded albums like 2005's epoch-shredding The Fury Of Our Maker's Hand, 2011's ante-upping, ultra-brutal Beast and 2016's acclaimed career peak Trust No One, the band - led by iconic vocalist Dez Fafara - are firmly established as one of the most consistent and best loved bands in modern metal. That said, in 2018, all expectations of who and what DevilDriver are will be torched.

Dez joined Jessie David from Metal Wani to discuss Outlaws ‘Til The End. Due to the nature of the album, it has stirred up controversy. Some fans get nervous when they hear the word "country." Dez discussed how he handles the controversy and how it only really becomes a problem when fans think the new album will be country songs in a country direction. He is looking forward to seeing those fans initial reaction when they hear how heavy the new album is. These are covers with a DevilDriver spin. Originally there were 100 songs on the table to choose from, then they just narrowed it down from there. Dez said “If you’re a metal fan you’re going to love this” 

The album will feature a handful of guest ranging from, Burton C. Bell, Randy Blythe, Mark Morton, and John Cash Jr. Johnny Cash was a huge influence for Dez; he wanted John Cash Jr. from the beginning, but he didn’t intend to have so many guests on the album. Word got around and people wanted to get involved. 

The upcoming album, is only volume 1 Dez said “I already have guests for vol. 2 who are massive. This has taken a life of my own.” 

During the interview Dez mentioned that DevilDriver are working on a new album. 3 years in the making. Their goal is to release a new album every single year. Dez said that this new album will be “The record of their career” June and July they will be entering the studio for a double album release. As of now they have 48 songs and they will be narrowing it down to 20-22. He went on to say “This will be the record we will be judged by for the rest of our career, this will be the record that other artists judge us, as well as themselves once they hear this.” This will be a double staggered release so fans will get a new album this year, in 2019 and again in 2020. 

As first teased by Fafara last year, DevilDriver's upcoming full-length album of outlaw country-gone-metal anthems, Outlaws 'Til The End, will finally see its day. The highly-anticipated, monstrous collection of savage metal interpretations will be released via Napalm Records on July 6th, and pre-orders are available now in multiple formats here with more format options coming soon. Merchandise such as t-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, flasks, keychains, and more are available here.

A sample of DevilDriver's cover of Hank3's "Country Heroes", featuring Hank3 himself, can be heard in the teaser below:

Outlaws 'Til The End is both a startling curveball and a ferocious statement of individuality from a band who have been a constant and effective force in the heavy metal world for the best part of two decades now. "I think real music has always gotten to me, whether it's the blues or even real Goth music like Bauhaus and Sisters Of Mercy, as well as outlaw country greats like Johnny Cash, Wayne "The Train" Hancock, and Willie Nelson," Fafara explains. "That stuff has always attracted me, and this is absolutely the real McCoy. The blues and outlaw country are what made rock n' roll. They were around before rock n' roll... and in my head, I've always heard these songs heavy."

From the opening seconds of Hank3's "Country Heroes" onward, Outlaws 'Til The End is simply one of the most invigorating records the band have made yet. More importantly, these evocative, irresistible songs have all been wholly rebuilt from the ground up, powered by the classic DevilDriver sound and embellished with Fafara's unmistakable feral roar. Outlaws 'Til The End was produced, mixed and recorded with Steve Evetts (Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, Sepultura, The Cure), with Devildriver guitarist Mike Sprietzer also lending recording talents. The album was mastered by renowned engineer Alan Douches.

Completing this unprecedented project is a host of metal and country luminaries providing unforgettable cameos: horror metal icon Wednesday 13 lends his incensed rasp to George Jones' "If Drinking Don't Kill Me", 36 Crazyfists frontman Brock Lindow brings fire and soul to Steve Earle's, "Copperhead Road", and Fear Factory's Burton C. Bell helps to turn Richard Thompson's anti-war classic, "Dad's Gonna Kill Me", into a brooding gothic metal extravaganza. Meanwhile, Lamb Of God members Randy Blythe and Mark Morton contribute to an exhilarating decimation of Willie Nelson's "Whiskey River" before Randy makes a second appearance on DevilDriver's version of cowboy standard "Ghost Riders In The Sky"; the latter featuring the son of Johnny Cash himself.

Outlaws 'Til The End tracklisting:

"Country Heroes"
Written by Hank Williams III
Performed by Hank3 & Dez Fafara

"Whiskey River"
Written by Johnny Bush and Paul Stroud; recorded by Willie Nelson
Performed by Randy Blythe, Mark Morton of Lamb of God & Dez Fafara

"Outlaw Man"
Written by David Blue; recorded by the Eagles
Performed by Dez Fafara & Neal Tiemann of DevilDriver

"Ghost Riders in the Sky"
Written by Stan Jones
Performed by John Carter Cash, Ana Cristina Cash, Randy Blythe & Dez Fafara

"I'm the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised)"
Written by Bobby Bobby Borchers, Wayne Kemp, Mack Vickery; recorded by Johnny Paycheck
Performed by Dez Fafara & DevilDriver

"If Drinking Don't Kill Me (Her Memory Will)"
Written by Harlan Sanders, Rick Beresford; recorded by George Jones
Performed by Wednesday13 & Dez Fafara

"The Man Comes Around"
Written by Johnny Cash
Performed by Lee Ving of Fear & Dez Fafara

"A Thousand Miles From Nowhere"
Written by Dwight Yoakam
Performed by Dez Fafara & Neal Tiemann of DevilDriver

"Copperhead Road"
Written by Steve Earle
Performed by Brock Lindow of 36 Crazyfists & Dez Fafara

"Dad's Gonna Kill Me"
Written by Richard Thompson
Performed by Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory & Dez Fafara

"A Country Boy Can Survive"
Written by Hank Williams Jr.
Performed by Dez Fafara & DevilDriver

"The Ride"
Written by J.B. Detterline Jr., Gary Gentry; recorded by David Allan Coe
Performed by Lee Ving of Fear & Dez Fafara

"I knew right away that I wanted to have guests on this record, and the first guest I wanted was John Carter Cash," Fafara recalls. "I didn't want this thing to exist without John, without Hank3 or without Randy [Blythe]. Basically, there were a certain amount of guests that I definitely wanted on it, but as I kept asking people, everyone kept saying yes! Randy and Mark [Morton] are both from the country and they were immediately on board. With John, we wound up talking for two hours when we first met, all about his love of heavy metal and my love of outlaw country and my love of his dad's music. All he wanted to do was talk about metal and all I wanted to do was talk about outlaw country. It was the craziest thing."

Not only just content with a collaboration with John Carter Cash, the album also features the iconic voice of Fear, US punk rock legend Lee Ving. "Lee has a country band called Range War and when he first started in music, his mother gave him her mandolin to play, so he played country music before he ever did punk rock," Fafara notes. "I've been fortunate enough in my career to do songs with Ozzy and some of the greats, but doing a song with Lee Ving? What can I say... he's my ultimate hero in life. I had a Fear shirt on the first time I ran away from home, you know?"

Still charging forward, proudly against the grain and on the form of their lives, DevilDriver have never made a record like Outlaws 'Til The End before. But then, nor has anyone else.The perfect marriage of badass country grit and neck-wrecking groove metal supremacy, it's a pistol-packing game-changer delivered by true heavy metal outlaws.

Stay tuned for more new music and videos coming soon in anticipation of Outlaws 'Til The End.