“Devilz Knight” marks Devilz By Definition’s boldest evolution yet — a record born from struggle, unity, and conviction. This interview dives into the album’s concept, emotion, and unstoppable brotherhood.
1. “Devilz
Knight” feels like your most ambitious and emotionally charged record to
date. What inspired the concept and vision behind this album, and how does it
represent the evolution of Devilz By Definition?
It is most definitely an attributed reflection to how far we've come as People
and as Artists. We have always been a band that speaks out against Power and
Corruption. Whether its pointing out
that the system we live in is flawed, or the bitter struggle of simply
existing. The Devilz Knight Is a Warrior for good disguised as a Dark figure
sent to cleanse the earth of evil and wickedness. It can be considered a concept album because
of its recurring themes. The tracks are
all reflective of The great evils and Issues of the world. Money, Power, Greed, Government Over-Reach,
Homelessness, Battles of Mental health and Addiction, Revolution and
Retribution. Through Instrumental intricacies,
and a different vocal approach this is a testament to our evolution as band.
2. The record dives deep into themes of destruction, rebellion, and
redemption — from “Trainwreck” to “Under the Road.” Were there
any personal or global events that influenced these stories and emotions?
We’ve all
had our struggles with Mental Health and Addictions, and we’ve all been victim
to the struggles of living in a society where The cost of living is higher than
what people can afford. Trainwreck is
about living a chaotic life and facing the inevitable crash. Liquid death is written about Couvs battle
with alcoholism. Food fight is directed
at the current state of Food Prices being higher than a liveable standard. Under the road is about living on the streets
below the elite with a call to rise up.
Each song has its own story and reasons.
Each subject is carefully chosen to correlate with the overall image of
the album.
3. You’ve
described the band as “family” rather than just a lineup. How did that sense of
brotherhood influence the recording process, especially after the loss of your
original guitarist, Mat “Alien” Dobbin?
We are a family. Bound together by our love and passion that is metal. We are a Brotherhood and we care deeply about each other. We’ve helped each overcome addiction and mental struggles. but our love doesn’t stop with us. Our fan base is called the Devilz fam. Meaning we are all one big family. We Thrive on building our community of people who love and care for each other. Mat was big part of the creation and even though he was not an active member at the time, he when he passed away in 2023, The world lost an original devil, and we lost a dear brother. It shook us because it was so sudden. Even though he left the band after the devilution due to conflicts with the vocalist we always stayed in touch and never stopped loving him as a brother. At his funeral, We were the Paul bearers, and he got to be lowered to his final resting place by his brothers.
4. The track “Alien” is a touching tribute to Mat. Can you tell us
more about how that song came together and what it means to the band on a
personal level?
November 10th2023 we released the lost days album, featuring old songs dating back to 2010 recordings in his honor. But that wasn’t enough to honor our fallen brother. So couv and bruce sat down and created the track Alien so he can ride with the devilz forever as a ghost in the melody. It ties eerie strings and guitar sounds with a Speech from the ninja turtles movie followed by a poem written by Couv. The Erie setting of the track portrays mats personality perfectly. It ensures he will never be forgotten because without mat, there would be no devilz. He lives on, with us.
5. “Insufficient Funds” stands out as one of the most raw and
realistic songs on the album, tackling economic and moral struggles. What
message were you hoping to convey with this track — and how did the
collaboration with Anthony Giacalone (Among The Rest) come about?
We happen to very good friends with among the rest. We’ve watched them grow for many years into the metalcore Powerhouse they’ve become. When couv decided to ask anthony he was thrilled to be featured on a devilz track. This song in particular is very different than anything else we’ve done. It incorporates bass tapping and clean vocals – 2 things that have never been a big part of the devilz sound. This song is about bringing light to the dysfunction of the money system. How it causes anxiety and Depressing side effects of debt.
6. The album’s sound bridges classic groove metal power with modern
aggression. What was it like working with Erik Gurney “The Wizard” as producer,
and how did he help shape the sonic identity of Devilz Knight?
Erik is part of our family. He has been recording and producing us since the devilution release 2016. Aside from a few demos, everything we’ve done has been through erik. The connection we have with him as an engineer and a producer is timeless. He knows exactly what we want. This particular album, Couv helped produce this album. Adding edits and samples, and working closely at the overall sound amd mixes for this album. When our current bass player John Serio left midway through the recording of the album, it was Erik who suggested couv track the bass parts because we didn’t have time to find and teach a new member at the time. During this time period however, the band met Kulstof and completed the puzzle, however it was to late to go back and rerecord the bass. We love the Wizard more than he could ever understand.
7. The single “Angel Warfare” paints a cinematic image of celestial
chaos — angels and titans clashing in an apocalyptic storm. Do you often
approach songwriting as storytelling or world-building?
This is more of a gruesome topic than our usual approach. Its reverent to The powers beyond battling over good and evil within a dimension un-seeable by man. The war of the God’s occurring as the world is in the midst of undergoing change. The end of days is here. The time for revolution and Retribution is upon us.
8. Devilz By Definition has faced lineup changes, personal loss, and yet
you’ve emerged heavier and tighter than ever. What drives you to keep pushing
forward through all the chaos?
Pure love and passion is what drives us. We just want to bring as many smiles to as many faces as possible. Its always been difficult to replace members who have left. In 2020 teddy temporarily relocated to Toronto, and mailboxx left the band. We almost fell and ended everything, but love, determination and perseverance dug us out of the hole and we pushed forward. Between lineup changes and people passing, the fire is always there. Sometimes it gets dim, but it always reignited stronger than ever. We channel our heartaches and frustrations through writing.
9. You’ve worked with both Earache Records Digital Distribution and
SelfMadeRecords LLC — and teamed with PR and radio promotion agencies. How has
that professional support impacted your reach and visibility compared to your
early DIY days?
We feel like the devilz are finally being represented properly. So much has happened already and its ignited A fuse to a unimaginable future. We have no idea where this will take us. Having The selfmade records team behind us really makes us stands out from all the rest. It shows people we are serious, and we are ready to take everything to the next level. Doing everything ourselves is more conformable, but not as effective. We were gaining serious momentum before finding Erik. seeing his passion, and love for his craft first hand, it was destiny. We knew we were meant to connect. And we are going to shake the earth.
10.
Looking beyond the June 6, 2026 release, what do you hope listeners take away
from “Devilz Knight”? And where do you see the next chapter of Devilz By
Definition heading from here?
We want
people to understand that we see the lies and the corruption of the world. We want people to know that they are not
alone in the fight. We are here. The Devilz are here to be the light in
darkness guiding everyone to revolution wake people out of the zombie like
state the world has so carefully put people in. Our plan is to keep releasing More and more
music. We have an endless supply of
music ready to record at the drop of a hat.
This is the next chapter. after
we release this album and begin our Canadian tour, we plan to play around the
world and let the story guide us to wherever we might end up. Life is a journey, fucking live it!
SelfMadeRecords L.L.C. - Devilz By Definition
Devilz Knight - (Official Trailer)
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