DevilDriver Trust No One (2016) Album Review

On May 13th, DevilDriver released their seventh studio album, Trust No One, via Napalm Records. If there’s one thing about this band, it’s that you know what to expect, and I mean that in the best way possible. Seriously! How often are you disappointed by AC/DC or Amon Amarth or Cannibal Corpse? Not often. It’s only when established bands try something different or move in a new direction are the fans disappointed; case in point Metallica or In Flames.

After a short break (the longest span of time between albums for DevilDriver, due in part to frontman Dez Fafara’s return to the resurrected Coal Chamber) the Santa Barbara band is back with long-time producer Mark Lewis (Chimaira, Trivium, The Black Dahlia Murder, and Adrift). Despite some changes in personnel, DevilDriver has maintained their core sound and delivers some fantastically heavy riffage and larynx-shredding vocals. It’s, as said above, exactly what you’d expect and hope for.

However, as with any DevilDriver album, Trust No One does deliver some subtle instrumentation that’s differentiates the album from others. Here you’ll find sounds of the Middle East on “My Night Sky,” and “Above it All.” You might even hear some classical instrumentation on “This Deception,” and overall you’ll hear that nu metal sound fuzed with sporadic elements of NWOBHM, which is very, very subtle.

As you might have guessed from the album’s title and the titles of some tracks, the album has a loose theme of trust. It would be interesting to know where this distrust comes from, but that might ruin the open-ended interpretation that has been offered, and thus what you bring to the music might be affected.

It might be the compression, but I found that the guitars sounded as they should when played alone, but once anything with bass came into play, the guitars sounded drowned out. If compression isn’t responsible, it could be the mixing, and it’s surprising that no one picked up on that before releasing the album.

Nonetheless, the bass, thump, and thud on the album are hallmarks of DevilDriver’s sound and will make for a great live experience.

For me, standout tracks on Trust No One include “My Night Sky,” “Daybreak,” “Trust No One,” “Retribution,” and “For What It’s Worth.”

The Verdict:

Pray For Villains is still my favorite DevilDriver album, but DevilDriver has provided a solid album with Trust No One. It’s heavy, angry, vicious, and exactly what DevilDriver should be. One final thing should be said about the album; it’s one of those albums that you like more with repeat listens. So take your time and let this one settle in.

Rock Hard \m/