INTERVIEW: DEVILDRIVER IN CONVERSATION WITH DEZ FAFARA

Interview by Cecilia Pattison-Levi

“We are the meat and veg and Cradle are the dessert,” is how Dez Fafara described the co-headlining tour of DevilDriver and Cradle Of Filth that is set to hit Brisbane in July.

DevilDriver is boasting a rejuvenated line-up of guitarists Alex Lee and Gabe Mangold, bassist Jon Miller, drummer Davier Ortega Perez and vocalist and chief growler Dez Fafara. The band’s new album ‘Strike And Kill’ is a 13 track wonder of bruising groove-laden metal, humour and thematic lyricism with some added 1970s guitar riffs.

“It’s great that we are going to be releasing our album (Strike And Kill) at the start of the tour,” stated Dez Fafara. “And Cradle Of Filth and Dani also have out a new album and the work he has done with Tarja. You are so right, Dani has never sounded better, and he is such an English gentleman. One of the best guys you will ever meet. It is an honour for us to play with them”.

DevilDriver is about to drop their new album ‘Strike And Kill’ the day after the tour begins on 10 July 2026 and it really is a wonderful return to form for the band and their signature sound. The album follows a thematic narrative with humour and lyrical depth.

The message is: take risks in life and live your best life “but be careful you don’t f@#k over others” and ‘Dig Your Own Grave’,” joked Dez Fafara. “Seriously, we mean it about life, watch for those wrong turns. Take risks but don’t do any bodily harm to others. I know every scar is a story, but it’s a story you want to survive”.

“We have always been an odd or strange band,” mused Dez Fafara. “We have never followed metal rules or fashion. As a band we really are a square peg in a round hole, we have forged our own path. When we were writing the album our focus was “DevilDriver” – the band’s sound, its logo and its brand. We wanted it to be uniquely DevilDriver and we think we have done that. I have been blessed to be a musician and make albums. I think it might have been easier to be Governor of California, but I went for it. I didn’t want to take the easy path”.

The album does have some amazing songs on it such as the singles ‘Dig Your Own Grave’ and ‘Dead In The Water’ which will make fans smile. But the “gold dust” as stated by Dez Fafara is present in the songs ‘You’re Just A Ghost’, ‘In The Moonlight’ and ‘All Bets Are Off’.

“Those songs were inspired when I went outside of my house and sat under a tree,” explained Dez Fafara. “My wife, her love of animals and watching things like a spider weaving its web, was the inspiration and I just went back inside and wrote them. The album has an edge to it. It lay around for a year and we weren’t sure about it and we knew it might not fit with what’s going on, but we are fine with it”.

“Most of our fans know I am mad for skateboarding, metal bands, James Brown, surfing and I love my new motorbike – it’s a drag bike – anything to have more experiences on this mortal coil,” said Dez Fafara. “The new album has salutes to those influences and fun things in life: you know ‘Ride or Die’. Every day is a bonus. If I wake up breathing and I am still here, it’s a great day. That’s what we are going to bring to Brisbane – that joy in life”.

“We can’t wait until the tour starts,” declared Dez Fafara. ‘‘We just said to Cradle Of Filth – we gotta get back to Australia. Australia is always a home to us – a stronghold. We love the fans. The lifestyle, surf by day and metal shows at night. Australian crowds go off the hook and we can’t wait to play them our new music and old favourites”.

DevilDriver’s new album ‘Strike And Kill’ is out on 10 July 2026 on Napalm Records. The two bands, friends DevilDriver and Cradle Of Filth will co-headline an Australian tour in July 2026 and it looks like it will be a concert of new and old favourites as these two bands rule Australian stages. Tickets are selling fast, so grab yours before FOMO sets in.

Tickets are available now. The tour dates are:

• 9 July – The Tivoli, Brisbane, QLD

• 10 July – Enmore Theatre, Sydney, NSW

• 11 July – The Forum, Melbourne, VIC

• 14 July – Hindley Street Music Hall, SA

• 16 July – Astor Theatre, Perth, WA