DAVID DRAIMAN: The Existence Of DEVICE Does Not Mean The End Of DISTURBED
DISTURBED frontman David Draiman, who last year announced the formation of his new project DEVICE, also featuring former FILTERguitarist Geno Lenardo, has posted the following message online:
"My brothers and sisters, my blood, I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for coming with me on this new journey that is DEVICE.
"I am eternally grateful for the love that you all have for DISTURBED, and I also understand the defensiveness that can come with any thing that could potentially be perceived as a catalyst to some sort of 'breakup theory' that, I assure you, has no base in the first place.
"If you read the DEVICE bio that was posted on the DEVICE Facebookpage, you will learn that the whole project came together quite accidentally, and I'm very glad it did. I think you will be too.
"DISTURBED is still on hiatus. A hiatus is an extended break, not 'breakup.' We have fought long and hard together, all of us, to makeDISTURBED what it has become, and are not just walking away from it. We all needed to just give ourselves some time away from it. The existence of DEVICE does not in any way shape or form mean the end ofDISTURBED. They are two completely separate entities, and I hold them both in the highest regard. You are about to get your first taste this coming week.
"You have all of my love and respect."
DEVICE will play a number of shows this spring and summer in support of its debut album, which is due out April 9. The CD will feature guest appearances from AVENGED SEVENFOLDsingerM. Shadows, SYSTEM OF A DOWN vocalist Serj Tankian, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINEguitarist Tom Morello, HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale, BLACK SABBATHbassist Geezer Butler and ex-DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes.
Lenardo will not be part of the DEVICE touring band due to previous commitments.
Other members of the live lineup include EVANESCENCE drummer Will Hunt and DOPE guitarist Virus.
A 44-second teaser for DEVICE's forthcoming album can be seen below.
The first single from the DEVICE album, called "Vilify", arrives at rock radio on February 19. A video is being produced as well.
DISTURBED Frontman's DEVICE: More Debut Album Details Revealed
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 (ex-FILTER) 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 powerhouseDISTURBED 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 theOzzy 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," Huntexplains. "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. "DEVICEdoes 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 Know
02. Penance
03. Vilify
04. Close My Eyes Forever (Ozzy Osbourne & Lita Ford cover) (feat. Lzzy Hale)
05. Out Of Line (feat. Serj Tankian, Geezer Butler)
06. Hunted
07. Opnion (feat. Tom Morello)
08. War Of Lies
09. Haze (feat. M. Shadows)
10. Through It All (feat. Glenn Hughes)
SLASH On RANDY BLYTHE: 'I Really Don't Think He, In Any Way, Shape Or Form, Is Guilty'
Be In TV conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) before his February 11 performance in Prague, Czech Republic. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTubeclip below.
Asked about LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe's ongoing trial in Prague on manslaughter charges in connection with the death of a fan at a LAMB OF GOD concert in the Czech Republic nearly three years ago,Slash said: "I know as much as I've been told from everybody I know in that camp. It's a strange, unique situation. I think that when he first came over here and put up his bail and they never let him out and they kept paying and they kept paying and paying and paying, and they never let him out. I said, 'What the fuck is going on there?' I mean, that’s' a whole different type of law, to me, where it's just different. And so finally they let him out, and now it's actually going to trial. And I really don't think he, in any way, shape or form, is guilty. So they're gonna let this thing run its course, I suppose. And because the judicial system here is so different, that he was able to stay in jail here so long, who knows what the verdict is gonna end up being?! It's hard to say. And I guess witnesses didn't show up and they had to postpone it. It's a very long and, unfortunately, it's a very expensive process. It's, like, fuck… Really?!"
Slash's second solo album, "Apocalyptic Love", sold around 38,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 4 on The Billboard 200 chart.
Slash's self-titled debut album scored the highest new entry on The Billboard 200 chart in April 2010, with first-week U.S. sales of around 60,000 copies.
Unlike Slash's solo debut, which featured different vocalists on each track and a number of guest musicians, Slash has recorded all of the new CD with his touring band, MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.
