Revolver has teamed with DevilDriver for an exclusive, limited-edition white vinyl variant of their new album Dealing With Demons Part I. It's limited to just 200 copies worldwide, so get yours before they're gone!
Hyperbole aside, 2020 has suuuucked. From political divisiveness to civil unrest to the continued COVID-19 crisis, this year has served up serious challenges. Thankfully, the artists we love have continued to create and share killer music to help us get through the dark days. We know what albums made our Best of 2020 list, but we wanted to find out what the musicians themselves were spinning this year.
With that in mind, we asked Dez Fafara — whose Cali groove-metal band DevilDriver just released their ninth album Dealing With Demons I — to weigh in with his favorite albums from the last 12 months. See his picks below.
AC/DC - Power UP
First time I heard this record I was driving through the desert in a '78 Cadillac Biarritz as the sun was going down. This is pure AC/DC and shows they are still top of the heap if you want jams that are consistent and true to form. I would have liked some faster tunes with more aggression to be honest, but from "Realize" to "Witch's Spell" and "Demon Fire" this fucking record is a killer driving record!
Jinjer - Alive in Melbourne
This band has a special place in my heart — not only because my company Oracle Management manages them, but because I'm responsible for bringing them to the U.S. where they have caught fire! The record showcases the best of Jinjer and shows how strong their live show is: Every musician in this band is in top form and the vocalist Tatiana [Shmayluk] can go against anyone in the scene!
Dio: The Studio Collection: 1996-2004
What's to be said here? If you love Dio like I do you'll fucking play this over and over. I was fortunate to work with Dio, oddly enough on a Xmas record [We Wish You a Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year] and the day I met him we spoke at least 45 minutes. I came away a much bigger fan after meeting him one-on-one in a studio. Go listen to this collection they did a great job! Rest in peace Dio — one of the greatest.
Parkway Drive - Viva the Underdogs
Got turned onto this record through my youngest son who jams it. One day I pulled it up as well and I'll tell you this band fucking kills it. They got their own thing and they do it well. It's modern but has a feel musically of something that's here to stay. I dig it.
The Black Dahlia Murder - Verminous
Dahlia has always brought it. I wasn't very familiar until DevilDriver played a few shows together with them. But after watching it live and meeting the guys who were cool and down to earth I became a fan. Great record and I do believe it's their highest debut as well, so congrats!
Danzig - Danzig Sings Elvis
Danzig was my first big tour and he's been a friend ever since. I think everyone was waiting for him to do this. I know I was. I was fortunate enough to hear some of this record backstage at a DevilDriver show that Danzig attended in L.A. and all I could think was, Fuck yes bro! You gotta give it a spin — it's great hearing him cover his favorite artist Elvis!
