DevilDriver recently announced their highly-anticipated full-length album of outlaw country-gone-metal anthems, Outlaws ‘Til The End. The collection of savage metal interpretations will be released via Napalm Records on 6th July and can be pre-ordered now. Now the wait is over for new music as the band just dropped their haunting rendition of Hank3’s “Country Heroes” featuring Hank3 himself on vocals, together with DevilDriver frontman, Dez Fafara. The track kicks in with a classic outlaw country intro, instantly careening into a heavy assault accented by Hank3’s Ozzy Osbourne-influenced vocal line.
“This record would not have meant as much to me without having Hank3 on board,” says DevilDriver vocalist Dez Fafara. “He is one of the most authentic and real outlaw country artists out there right now. ‘I’m drinking some George Jones and little bit a Coe…’ etc., that is genius writing from Hank3 and should be recognized as such. I’ve heard this song as ‘heavy’ in my head for a very long time, so to re-track it and have Hank3 appear only to sing almost Ozzy-ish is just an over the top treat to the ears! Enjoy!”
Recently DevilDriver revealed the first of several segments of a new video interview series supporting the release of Outlaws ‘Til The End. The initial part, titled “Intro to Outlaw Country”, features the members of DevilDriver as well as album guests Randy Blythe of Lamb of God, Wednesday 13, Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory, Lee Ving of Fear, Hank3 and Brock Lindow of 36 Crazyfists discussing their personal introductions to the outlaw country genre and how it has influenced them as musicians. Check out the ‘Intro to Outlaw Country’ video.
Completing the project are 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 John Carter Cash Jr, the son of Johnny Cash himself. The album also features the iconic voice of Fear, US punk rock legend Lee Ving, on Johnny Cash’s “The Man Comes Around” and David Allan Coe’s “The Ride”.
Still charging forward 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.
DevilDriver are set to play Derbyshire’s Bloodstock on 9th August.
Header image by Ben Hoffman
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Outlaws ‘Til The End track listing:
1. Country Heroes
- Written by Hank Williams III, Performed by Hank3 & Dez Fafara
2. 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
3. Outlaw Man
- Written by David Blue; recorded by the Eagles
- Performed by Dez Fafara & Neal Tiemann of DevilDriver
4. Ghost Riders in the Sky
- Written by Stan Jones
- Performed by John Carter Cash, Ana Cristina Cash, Randy Blythe & Dez Fafara
5. 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
6. If Drinking Don’t Kill Me (Her Memory Will)
- Written by Harlan Sanders, Rick Beresford; recorded by George Jones
- Performed by Wednesday 13 & Dez Fafara
7. The Man Comes Around
- Written by Johnny Cash
- Performed by Lee Ving of Fear & Dez Fafara
8. A Thousand Miles From Nowhere
- Written by Dwight Yoakam
- Performed by Dez Fafara & Neal Tiemann of DevilDriver
9. Copperhead Road
- Written by Steve Earle
- Performed by Brock Lindow of 36 Crazyfists & Dez Fafara
10. Dad’s Gonna Kill Me
- Written by Richard Thompson
- Performed by Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory & Dez Fafara
11. A Country Boy Can Survive
- Written by Hank Williams Jr.
- Performed by Dez Fafara & DevilDriver
12. The Ride
- Written by J.B. Detterline Jr., Gary Gentry; recorded by David Allan Coe
- Performed by Lee Ving of Fear & Dez Fafara
