"Vilify", the new video from
DEVICE, the industrial-style project featuring
DISTURBED frontman
David Draiman and former
FILTER guitarist
Geno Lenardo, can be seen below. The clip was directed by
P.R. Brown, who has previously collaborated with such artists as
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE,
John Mayer,
Alicia Keys,
Carrie Underwood,
Prince,
AUDIOSLAVE,
MÖTLEY CRÜE and
SIXX: A.M.Experimentation
remains the best catalyst for progression. Rather than sticking to any
pre-existing blueprints or conventions, modern hard rock icon
David Draiman of
DISTURBED and studio collaborator
Geno Lenardo constructed
DEVICE from strands of hard rock, industrial, and electronica. As a result,
DEVICE's self-titled debut album for
Warner Bros. Records is a focused, fierce, and fiery new machine. With the switch turned on, the next chapter commences now.
While the
Grammy Award-nominated multiplatinum powerhouse
DISTURBED was on hiatus,
Lenardo reached out to
Draiman to collaborate on a song for the
"Underworld: Awakening" soundtrack in late 2011. As soon as the singer heard the music, he was both intrigued and inspired. The duo then cut
"Hunted" in Chicago. Even though the track didn't ultimately make the final soundtrack album due to circumstances beyond their control,
Draiman urged that they hold on to it and continue writing music. Soon, they had an entire album's worth of material.
"It started to develop very naturally and organically," recalls the frontman. "
Geno
is a brilliant songwriter in his own right and a tremendously talented
sound designer as far as the electronic palette is concerned. Together,
we made this monster. It's not metal. It's got a dark electronic vibe.
At the same time, these are big, anthemic, and intensely melodic songs.
It's futuristic rock."
Paving the way for that future, the first single
"Vilify" stands emblematic of
DEVICE's
sonic alchemy. A guttural guitar grinds alongside synths and keys as
the vocalist's unmistakable delivery resounds commandingly.
"It has all of the elements that identify this body of work and band," he affirms. "It's an excellent introduction to what
DEVICE
is. From a lyrical standpoint, it talks about how some people love to
make me out to be a horrible guy. They (the haters) brand me as an evil
egomaniac with a chip on his shoulder, but that's not who I am. I'm a
pretty easy-going, mild mannered guy, and I'm also a very strong-willed
and outspoken individual. I'm very passionate about what I believe, and I
don't apologize for standing behind those beliefs."
Quite a few friends stand beside him on the record too. On
"Out Of Line",
BLACK SABBATH bassist
Geezer Butler conjures a staggering bass groove, while
SYSTEM OF A DOWN vocalist
Serj Tankian trades vibrant and visceral vocal melodies with the singer. "
Tom Morello's guitar wizardry," as
Draiman puts it, casts a spell over
"Opinion", and
AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman
M. Shadows dives into the shadowy
"Haze" as his inimitable wail resounds. Iconic
DEEP PURPLE voice
Glenn Hughes also makes a cameo on the record's haunting and hypnotic finale
"Through It All" — a love letter to
Draiman's wife. Meanwhile,
HALESTORM's
Lzzy Hale teams up with
DEVICE for an epic cover of the
Ozzy Osbourne and
Lita Ford classic
"Close My Eyes Forever", which allows both of their voices to reach heavenly heights.
"I took a page from the hip hop guys out there who always have everybody and his mother on their records,"
Draiman laughs. "It's something we'd never done in
DISTURBED,
and I wanted to call on my list of colleagues and friends who are so
ridiculously talented and accomplished. I was honored and humbled beyond
words that everybody was into it. This hasn't been done in our genre of
music, and it's time. It's time for a resurgence of this darker,
heavier sound."
DEVICE undoubtedly stands at the forefront of that resurgence. Upon finishing the record,
Lenardo
opted to remain a studio collaborator in the project so he could remain
free to pursue his other passions/projects, which include film scoring,
and spend time at home with his son rather than tour. So in order to
bring the album to life and solidify a band in the truest sense of the
word,
Draiman enlisted
EVANESCENCE drummer
Will Hunt and
DOPE guitarist
Virus. Both
Hunt and
Virus jumped at the chance to be a part of this powerhouse trio.
"As soon as I heard the music, I thought it was super cutting edge,"
Hunt
explains. "I knew this was something I wanted to be involved in. It's
going to give people goose bumps whether they hear it on their stereo or
live."
Virus echoes that sentiment. "This is an album from start
to finish, and it's meant to be experienced like that. These songs are
all strong, and they'll stay stuck in your head."
In many ways, the group's moniker sums up its ultimate goal. "
DEVICE does several things," reveals
Draiman.
"It implies intelligent design, the utilization of technology, and
explosive nature." Those three statements will most certainly ring true
for listeners as well. "This album is about touching different ends of
the spectrum," he smiles. "Some moments are introspective and
energizing, while others are mellow and pensive. I want everyone to be
taken on an emotional roller coaster. Enjoy the ride."
"Device" track listing:
01.
You Think You Know02.
Penance03.
Vilify04.
Close My Eyes Forever (Ozzy Osbourne & Lita Ford cover) (feat. Lzzy Hale)
05.
Out Of Line (feat. Serj Tankian, Geezer Butler)
06.
Hunted07.
Opinion (feat. Tom Morello)
08.
War Of Lies09.
Haze (feat. M. Shadows)
10.
Through It All (feat. Glenn Hughes)
