If not a super-group, a super-project build-up by Geno Lenardo (ex-Filter guitarist) and modern hard rock icon, singer David Draiman of Disturbed.
It all started when Lenardo reached out to Draiman to collaborate on a song for the “Underworld: Awakening” soundtrack in late 2011. Even though the song they recorded in Chicago and entitled “Hunted” didn’t ultimately make the final soundtrack, they decide to continue write and record tracks and soon they had an entire album ready to served to the audience through Warner Bros. Records.
“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.”
Although they tag it “dark, heavy, melodic, industrial” and mentioning mainly industrial influences such as Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Marilyn Manson, Pigface, KMFDM, Front 242 and Skinny Puppy, Device sounds like a dense and powerful mixture of Godsmack with Disturbed, Fight and Filter.
Focusing on memorable melodies, Device delivers an efficient and powerful mixture of electronics and modern rock with solid roots back to hard rock and heavy metal of the 80’s and 90’s. So, this is not so futuristic as they try to sell it, but sounding familiar and acceptable for larger masses. No other justification I see in the pretty mediocre cover of Lita Ford’s duet with Ozzy Osbourne, “Close My Eyes Forever” from 1988. The track featuring guest appearance of Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, while the album contains some notable featuring such as Serj Tankian of System of A Down and Terry “Geezer” Butler of Black Sabbath in the song “Out Of Line”, Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine in “Opinion”, M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold in “Haze”, respectively Glenn Hughes (ex-Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath) in the closing “Through It All”.
Interesting, listenable, perfect to fill up your mp3 player and shut the rest of the world out of your head, but honestly, quite linear, and after the first 5-6 tracks, pretty predictable and boring.
Tracklist:
01. You Think You Know (3:39)
02. Penance (3:28)
03. Vilify (3:39)
04. Close My Eyes Forever (feat. Lzzy Hale of Halestorm) (Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne cover) (4:36)
05. Out Of Line (feat. Serj Tankian & Terry “Geezer” Butler) (3:40)
06. Hunted (3:53)
07. Opinion (feat. Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine) (3:52)
08. War Of Lies (4:05)
09. Haze (feat. M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold) (4:24)
10. Through It All (feat. Glenn Hughes) (5:04)
Borrow it from a friend and maybe he will not ask it back.
