On April 9, former front man of Disturbed David Draiman, and Filter guitarist Geno Lenardo released a new self-titled album from their new band, Device.
The first thing that really stands out about this production is the amount of guest appearances present throughout the album.
With a total of six guests, ranging from Black Sabbath’s drummer Geezer Butler to Rage Against the Machines guitarist Tom Morello, one is guaranteed some variety of sound.
But how much is too much?
The album itself has a heavy industrial sound that gives a vibe of Draiman’s first album with Disturbed, titled “The Sickness.”
To some, this may not be a good thing.
From the strong vocals of Draiman and the industrial sound of the music, this album does sound like a lighter version of Disturbed.
The only things that really make the album differ from a Disturbed album are the guest appearances.
One of the best songs, “Out of Line,” features both Butler and Serj Tankian.
Hearing Draiman and Tankian sing on top of Butler’s drums brings out a good vibe from the song.
In fact, all of the songs with guests have this same feel to them, and they bring a small combination of their styles together.
But is this enough to really make a difference?
All of the songs where Draiman is the only vocalist has that Disturbed feel to them. Even some of his contributions in the collaborations have this feel.
It sounds as though the music was made to fit his singing style, rather than him stepping out from his regular style and trying something a bit different.
It is expected that Draiman would have his style in the band, but one might have expected just a small dose, not an album full.
And it wouldn’t have that Draimam stamp of approval without a cover.
On this album, Lzzy Hale and Draiman do a cover of Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne’s “Close My Eyes Forever.”
This is a really good cover and, like all of his other covers, he gives his own unique spin to the song.
This might be my favorite track off the album.
Hale and Draiman’s back and forth really give justice to the source material on the original recording.
All and all this is a good album, deserving of seven and a half out of 10 stars.
The songs are good and the guest appearances are also solid, even with the similarities to Disturbed. The album sounds solid and, to be honest, the similarities are expected.
I just hoped for a little more.
I recommend this album for anyone who likes Draiman’s singing capabilities, and anyone who likes industrial metal.
But beware if you don’t enjoy the band Disturbed.
In that case, this probably isn’t that album for you.
