DevilDriver

Canadians are used to the idea that weather can be a hostile, even deadly force. Although they hail from Santa Barbara, CA, melodic death metal pugilists Devildriver have also come to grips with the fact that winter is not just a season of holiday cheer, but a grasping, vicious, bloodthirsty time capable of ravenously devouring life. Winter Kills is their sixth studio album (and first featuring new bassist Chris Towning). The pace of the record — distilled most purely in the drumming — has a slamming, slavering rapacity that seldom permits a moment's respite. "The Appetite" and "Ruthless" most clearly embody the insatiable energy that Devildriver excel at, while the melodies have a muscular sinuousness that entertain as effectively as they squeeze life from lungs. The lyrics are the weakest part of the record though, leading to a few cheesy moments. However, they're delivered with enough howling passion and commitment that it's easy to forgive frontman Dez Fafara. With gale force drive and buffeting rhythms, Winter Kills is as entertaining as it is carnivorous.