There are some tour pairings that look good on paper, and then there are tour pairings that make you stop and go, yeah, that is going to be absolute chaos in the best possible way.
This July, Australian fans are getting one of those nights when DEVILDRIVER return down under alongside the mighty Cradle Of Filth for a massive run of full headline sets. Two very different heavy music beasts, both with their own worlds, their own intensity, and their own fiercely loyal fanbases, coming together for a tour that has already proven itself overseas.
When I caught up with Dez Fafara of DEVILDRIVER, he was fired up about bringing the package to Australia, especially after seeing how well it worked across the United States.
“We took this tour around the United States, and it did incredible,” Dez says. “We had people all over the world going, bring it here, bring it there. The thing is Cradle is so different than DevilDriver, DevilDriver is so different than Cradle, but that’s what makes it work.”
And that really is the magic of this tour. Cradle Of Filth bring that theatrical, blackened, gothic extremity that only they can deliver, while DEVILDRIVER bring the heavy California groove, the pit fuel, the rage, and that unmistakable Dez Fafara bark that has been tearing through heavy music for decades.
“If you’ve never seen Cradle, come on, you’re going to love it,” Dez says. “If you’ve never seen DevilDriver and you’re coming to see Cradle, come on, you’re going to love it. You’re going to have a good time.”
For Australian fans, this one lands at the perfect time. DEVILDRIVER will be here right as their new album Strike and Kill arrives through Napalm Records on July 10, and Dez makes it very clear that the timing is no accident.
“We’ll be just dropping the record when we’re down there,” he says.
The last time DEVILDRIVER released a record while in Australia, Dez remembers the band landing a strong chart position here, and you can tell there is a real excitement about repeating that energy with the Australian metal community. Australia has always had a deep love for both DEVILDRIVER and Coal Chamber, and for Dez himself, that connection goes back years.
He also has huge love for the Soundwave era, calling it a festival he very much misses and acknowledging what it gave him and the band in terms of connecting with Australian crowds.
“I have a great time when I come down under,” Dez says. “Soundwave gave me everything that I have, really, coming down and doing those fests.”
The Australian run will hit some of the country’s great live music rooms, including The Tivoli in Brisbane, The Enmore in Sydney, The Forum in Melbourne, Hindley St Music Hall in Adelaide, and The Astor in Perth. Dez also had a simple warning for fans thinking about waiting around on tickets.
“Tickets are going quick,” he says. “If you want to come, I would not wait. Don’t sleep on this one.”
He is right too. With full headline sets from both bands, this is not just a support package or a quick festival-style run. This is two heavy music institutions bringing their own worlds together for one night.
While the tour is a huge part of this current chapter, DEVILDRIVER are also stepping into a new album cycle with the lead single Dig Your Own Grave, a track that comes flying out of the gate with exactly the kind of violence, groove, and intent fans want from the band.
When asked why this was the right first statement from Strike and Kill, Dez says the band found the direction by looking right back at the core of what DEVILDRIVER is.
“When we started writing, we all kind of said, what’s the direction?” he explains. “And I said, look at the logo, man. The logo will tell you what we need to write.”
That is a killer way to put it. Not overthinking it. Not chasing trends. Not trying to become something else. Just looking at the name, the legacy, the symbol, and asking what a DEVILDRIVER record needs to be in 2026.
For Dez, the first few tracks immediately confirmed that the band was heading in the right direction.
“When I got the first three or four tracks, I was blown away,” he says. “I was like, okay, this is where we want to go.”
The current DEVILDRIVER lineup also plays a huge role in that fire. Dez spoke about having Alex Lee and drummer Davier Pérez around him, original bassist Jon Miller returning after a long absence, and Gabe Mangold not only joining on guitar but also producing the album.
“I feel blessed to have this group of guys around me at this time in my life,” Dez says. “After everything I’ve been through in life, that this is happening.”
That sense of gratitude sits right alongside the aggression of the new material. Strike and Kill is not a small record either. Dez confirmed the album features 13 tracks, and even the label initially suggested they were good with 11.
“I said, okay, these other two songs, you want to leave them off?” Dez laughs. “And they were like, oh, no. I said, well then, there you go. If people are going to spend money, let’s give them their money’s worth.”
That sums up the whole approach. DEVILDRIVER are not coming back with a half step. They are coming back with a full body blow.
Dez says the next single, due in June, leans even more into an old-school DEVILDRIVER feel, almost touching that first or second record energy. The third single is expected around the album release in July, right as the band are in Australia.
“The next single that’s coming is a very old school, almost first second record old school,” he says. “We didn’t decide to like, let’s go back to start. We just said, let’s write something heavy and groovy like what we are. And that’s what came out.”
That is probably the most exciting thing for long-time fans. This does not sound like a band trying to recreate the past. It sounds like a band reconnecting with the instinct that made them dangerous in the first place.
Even the artwork, Dez says, carries that same spirit. He points to the punk rock feel of the album cover, with the leather jacket, the pins, and that rebellious visual punch. One of those pins simply says “haha,” which Dez describes as his little way of saying, “Oh yeah, watch this now, here we come.”
That is the vibe around Strike and Kill. It is aggressive, but it also has personality. It has that grit, that sneer, and that sense of a band fully locked in again.
“I love everything from the artwork to the music that I was given,” Dez says.
There is also a lot of trust in the band around him. Dez says he let the guys choose song arrangements, the album order, and even the setlist direction. At this point in his life, he sees power in listening and letting the team around him step forward.
“You’ve got two ears and one mouth,” Dez says. “Learn to listen more.”
That trust seems to have paid off. Dez only listened to the full album in its entirety recently while driving through the mountains in California with no phone signal, which he jokingly calls a miracle. When the record ended, he found himself wanting more, even after 13 tracks.
“When it was done, I actually said to my wife, that’s it?” he says. “I want more. So that’s a really good thing.”
Australian fans may also be among the first to hear some of this new material live. Dez says the band are already working through the setlist, with obvious fan favourites, some deeper cuts that have not been played in 10 or 15 years, and songs from Strike and Kill that fans overseas may not hear until live videos start appearing online.
“When we come down and see you guys, we’re going to play songs for you guys that no one else is going to hear until videos come out,” he says.
That alone makes this Australian run feel special. DEVILDRIVER are not just coming here to run through the old classics. They are bringing the next chapter with them, right as it drops.
And while the interview naturally moved into deeper territory, including music, mental health, survival, family, and the importance of giving back, it all circled back to the same truth. Dez Fafara is still here, still fired up, still putting his body and spirit into the work, and still finding purpose in heavy music.
For fans, that means Strike and Kill is arriving with the kind of weight you can only get from a band that has lived through everything and still wants to come out swinging.
For Australia, it means July is going to be absolutely massive.
DEVILDRIVER and Cradle Of Filth together. Full headline sets. New DEVILDRIVER album. New songs. Deep cuts. Classics. Two very different heavy worlds colliding on the one night.
Do not sleep on this one.
Cradle Of Filth and DEVILDRIVER Australian Tour 2026
Thursday July 9
Brisbane, The Tivoli
Friday July 10
Sydney, The Enmore
Saturday July 11
Melbourne, The Forum
Tuesday July 14
Adelaide, Hindley St Music Hall
Thursday July 16
Perth, The Astor
Tickets on sale now:
https://thephoenix.au/cradle-of-filth-and-devildriver/
https://metropolistouring.com/cradle-of-filth-and-devildriver/
DEVILDRIVER: Strike and Kill
New album: Strike and Kill
Release date: July 10, 2026
Label: Napalm Records
Lead single: “Dig Your Own Grave” out now
DEVILDRIVER online:
DEVILDRIVER are:
Dez Fafara – Vocals
Davier Ortega Perez – Drums
Jon Miller – Bass
Alex Lee – Guitar
Gabe Mangold – Guitar
