DevilDriver Recruits Hank3, John Carter Cash for “Outlaws ‘Til The End” Tribute
As first reported by Saving Country Music in June of 2017, the heavy metal band DevilDriver has been working on an Outlaw country tribute record that will include special guests and a heavy metal influence on Outlaw country. Now we have the details on the project called Outlaws ‘Til The End, including the track list and roster of collaborators ahead of the July 6th release via Napalm Records.
From the country world, Hank Williams III, John Carter Cash, and Ana Christina (Cash) will participate in the project, as will metal and punk luminaries such as Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe, Lee Ving of Fear, Wednesday13, Brock Lindow of 36 Crazyfists, and Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory. Songs covered include “Whiskey River,” “I’m the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised),” “The Man Comes Around,” “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere,” “Copperhead Road,” “The Ride,” and the tribute album starts off with a cover of Hank3’s “Country Heroes” with Hank3 guesting on the track (see the full track list below).
“It was fun trying to use a few different voices for the vocal track on ‘Country Heroes,'” Hank3 says. “I was very impressed with [DevilDriver’s] approach on covering the song.”
Though Rolling Stone posted the misleading headline that Hank3 was doing a collaborative record with DevilDriver, he only appears on the one song. DevilDriver is the band for all the tracks, with certain vocal guests collaborating on some songs.
“I’ve known Hank3 for almost 20 years – in my opinion, he’s one of the true outlaw country artists out there right now going against the grain with all he does, much like his grandfather and father have done in their careers,” says Dez Fafara of DevilDriver.
Dez Fafara also spoke last year about how the connection between Outlaw country and heavy metal runs deep.
“If you go to a metal concert you hear country. So the guys outside my bus that are sitting there having a barbecue before the show, I’m listening to them and they are listening to everything from Black Sabbath to Johnny Cash,” said Dez Fafara. “It’s just a very natural progression. If you go on any tour bus in the United States, a metal tour bus, you are definitely going to hear outlaw country … There is some kind of form of respect that artists that did their thing that weren’t pop country, that did their thing in their own time and branded themselves as heavy artists. Just like heavy metal, blues and punk rock is very underground, those outlaw artists were very underground as well. So there is a very good mutual form of respect there.”
Outlaws ‘Til The End is now available for pre-order. It is the first volume in what DevilDriver hopes is multiple releases behind the concept.
Track List and Collaborators:
1. “Country Heroes”
Written by Hank Williams III
Performed by Hank 3 & Dez Fafara
2. “Whiskey River”
Written by Johnny Bush and Paul Stroud; recorded by Willie Nelson
Performed by Randy Blythe, Mark Morton of Lamb of God & Dez Fafara
3. “Outlaw Man”
Written by David Blue; recorded by the Eagles
Performed by Dez Fafara & Neal Tiemann of DevilDriver
4. “Ghost Riders in the Sky”
Written by Stan Jones
Performed by John Carter Cash, Ana Cristina Cash, Randy Blythe & Dez Fafara
5. “I’m the Only Hell (Mama Ever Raised)”
Written by Bobby Bobby Borchers, Wayne Kemp, Mack Vickery; recorded by Johnny Paycheck
Performed by Dez Fafara & DevilDriver
6. “If Drinking Don’t Kill Me (Her Memory Will)”
Written by Harlan Sanders, Rick Beresford; recorded by George Jones
Performed by Wednesday13 & Dez Fafara
7. “The Man Comes Around”
Written by Johnny Cash
Performed by Lee Ving of Fear & Dez Fafara
8. “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere”
Written by Dwight Yoakam
Performed by Dez Fafara & Neal Tiemann of DevilDriver
9. “Copperhead Road”
Written by Steve Earle
Performed by Brock Lindow of 36 Crazyfists & Dez Fafara
10. “Dad’s Gonna Kill Me”
Written by Richard Thompson
Performed by Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory & Dez Fafara
11. “A Country Boy Can Survive”
Written by Hank Williams Jr.
Performed by Dez Fafara & DevilDriver
12. “The Ride”
Written by J.B. Detterline Jr., Gary Gentry; recorded by David Allan Coe
Performed by Lee Ving of Fear & Dez Fafara
Fuzzy TwoShirts
March 27, 2018 @ 6:29 pm
This looks awesome
Aggc
March 27, 2018 @ 6:42 pm
Just sampled a couple of their albums on Amazon. Unfortunately, nothing surprising…
Barry Cheevers
March 27, 2018 @ 8:08 pm
Love DevilDriver and H3. DD may be too much for many to handle, but I have high hopes for this album and personally cannot effing wait. 🤘🏻
Clyde
March 27, 2018 @ 8:25 pm
Just sampled a few of their songs. Hard to imagine this tribute is gonna swing very much.
I stopped gettin it with metal after the first two black Sabbath albums.
Jack Williams
March 28, 2018 @ 7:59 am
Me, too. Screaming speed metal. For me, a little of that goes a long way and I think the few ’80s Metallica and Megadeth albums that I have are more than enough. And James Hetfield’s a pretty good singer.
I do like the Ozzy years of Black Sabbath quite a bit. Kind of a blues groove metal. And I thought Ozzy was a compelling rock singer.
hoptowntiger94
March 27, 2018 @ 8:36 pm
I’m surprised Cody Jinks didn’t get involved.
Jackie Treehorn
March 27, 2018 @ 8:59 pm
He don’t wanna rock and roll no more…
Marc
March 27, 2018 @ 9:07 pm
Well played….lol.
ShadeGrown
March 28, 2018 @ 1:37 am
Looks interesting. Hopefully this isn’t the last news on Hank3 for a long while – he is missed.
Montanaman
March 28, 2018 @ 4:16 am
As a long time heavy metal fan that got back to my country roots thanks to Hank III and Cross Canadian Ragweed, I am intrigued.
Aggc
March 28, 2018 @ 4:21 am
I find it odd that so many here loudly and routinely protest the bastardization of country music with pop and rap influences but have no issue with infusing it with death metal.
Montanaman
March 28, 2018 @ 4:54 am
I think the difference With this is that Country radio won’t be playing this and pretending that it is Country music.
Montanaman
March 28, 2018 @ 5:08 am
Also, I protest the bastardisation of any genre of music with Pop as thatbuaually means dumbing down the music to make it appealing to the masses. Not to say all Pop-Rock, Country or Metal is terrible, but that is usually the case.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
March 28, 2018 @ 7:16 am
that’s because most types of Metal is serious music by serious musicians and not just a bunch of gorgeous looking clowns using the hippest trendy words to sell the most records.
Lance
March 28, 2018 @ 1:03 pm
Metal is serious music?? lmao…that was good for a chuckle.
the pistolero
March 28, 2018 @ 6:13 pm
Yes, it is. I know people like to point to Poison, Warrant, Slaughter and the like to say that it isn’t serious music, but that’s every bit as stupid and inaccurate as saying country music is just a bunch of brainless party music because of Florida-Georgia Line.
Distorted Culture
March 28, 2018 @ 7:44 am
DD is far from death metal. Even still, there are a lot of ‘outlaw’ similarities between country and metal and they work together quite nicely when done correctly.
Barry Cheevers
March 28, 2018 @ 9:00 am
Here’s what it comes down to for me. I used to be a big time metal head, and at the time I despised “country” because all I knew and heard was what was served to the masses. And it sucked and still sucks. Then one day about 10 years ago a friend put two albums in my hand….Shooter Jennings “Electric Rodeo” and Hank III “Damn Right, Rebel Proud”. Both changed my entire perception on country music and opened a huge door for me. Ever since I’ve constantly been digging into the outlaw/roots/Americana/etc scene(s) of music. I wouldn’t consider myself a hater of genre blending if done tastefully. And I also like pure and traditional styles of music. There are many metal bands and outlaw/roots movement artists who are very antipop, so I can appreciate when they can come together.
With an album like this, it’s either going to be really good, or really bad. I’m excited for it and hope it’s really good.
hoptowntiger94
March 28, 2018 @ 10:03 am
For me, the influence runs the opposite direction. Because of Hank 3, I started listening to bands like Superjoint Ritual and Pantera.
Chris
March 29, 2018 @ 9:15 am
I have been a “hard country” fan for decades.
And DAC’s collaboration with Dimebag Darrell got me listening to Pantera, Texas Hippie Coalition and Hellyeah.
Stringbuzz
March 28, 2018 @ 10:45 am
Angle of Death – Slayer
Living the Dream – Sturgill Simpson
Welcome to the 3rd Floor – Death Angel
Hippies and Cowboys – Cody Jinks
Four Hoursmen – Metallica
Honeky Tonk Flame – Tyler Childers
Swansong for a Raven – Cradle of Filth
I Ain’t Drunk – Whitey Morgan
This was my contribution to the Juke Box last nite at darts..We all pitch in. I have record of this via my jukebox phone app I use.
Actually was talking about this last nite, how things can just go together.
Stringbuzz
March 28, 2018 @ 10:46 am
Angel of Death. LOL
hoptowntiger94
March 28, 2018 @ 7:49 pm
No one is packing up a metal song and trying to sell it as country on country radio. That’s the difference.
hoptowntiger94
March 28, 2018 @ 7:50 pm
Packaging
Bigfoot is Real (now that's country!)
March 28, 2018 @ 6:19 am
Wow, Lee Ving!!! Now there’s a blast from the past.
Sam Cody
March 28, 2018 @ 6:31 am
I think I just pulled my eye rollin’ muscle…
Jack Williams
March 28, 2018 @ 7:36 am
I just noticed that Richard Thompson’s Dad’s Gonna Kill Me in the track list. Not a country song. Dad is actually short for Baghdad and the song lyrics describe the perspective of a U.S. soldier in the Iraq war. As I recall, it’s based on on-line discussions between deployed soldiers that he had read.
Double J
March 28, 2018 @ 11:50 am
Just a FYI Dez was in a Nu Metal band (Coal Chamber) before Devildriver, Nu Metal was the awful phase of rap mixing with Metal. Dez is to metal, what Jason Aldean is to country. Once everyone grew tried of rap in metal he jumped ship, just like Aldean will when Bro country is dead.
Barry Cheevers
March 28, 2018 @ 8:25 pm
I wouldn’t go as far to say “Dez is to metal, what Jason Aldean is to country.” Yes, Coal Chamber was regarded as nu-metal, but compared to larger nu-metal acts such as Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, etc, Coal Chamber’s success was fairly limited and they only had a single or two. As far as I can recall, they were never really in the mainstream, and their music was much heavier and darker than the majority of other popular nu-metal bands. I can’t think of a
If someone like Fred Durst decided to make a country album, then I would think it would be fair to regard him as a Jason Aldean.
Barry Cheevers
March 28, 2018 @ 8:28 pm
Edit:
I wouldn’t go as far to say “Dez is to metal, what Jason Aldean is to country.” Yes, Coal Chamber was regarded as nu-metal, but compared to larger nu-metal acts such as Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, etc, Coal Chamber’s success was fairly limited and they only had a single or two. As far as I can recall, they were never really in the mainstream, and their music was much heavier and darker than the majority of other popular nu-metal bands. I can’t think of a time I ever heard Coal Chamber on the radio. If you dig into Dez, you’ll find he is deeply rooted with punk, country, rockabilly, etc, and is aware of the pop mess currently happening in Nashville.
If someone like Fred Durst decided to make a country album, then I would think it would be fair to regard him as a Jason Aldean.
Ap
March 28, 2018 @ 12:45 pm
Is that KFC Sanders on track6?
tabitha toledo
March 28, 2018 @ 4:24 pm
Although I have no interest in ‘metal’, as I read through the tracklist I was slightly warming to the project,
not least because the ubiquitous, by-the-numbers David Allan Coe cover wasn’t present – that is, until I saw the details of the last song. That was enough for me to be certain I should skip what – frankly – I can guarantee will be a ‘phoned-in, cliched affair, as far as any ‘country’ angle that it posseses.
the pistolero
March 28, 2018 @ 6:14 pm
Really glad to finally get a release date and track list for this. I would have expected “The Only Hell Mama Ever Raised” and “The Man Comes Around,” but all of the other selections were pretty surprising. I am quite interested to see how “The Ride” and “If Drinkin’ Don’t Kill Me (Her Memory Will)” are interpreted; those are two of my favorite songs from their respective artists.
tabitha toledo
March 28, 2018 @ 6:56 pm
‘phoned-in cliches by an outfit paying lip-service to having an interest in country music. merle song? check. DAC song? check. willie song, cash song, george song,
hank jr. song? check. want to appear
to cast a slightly wider net without knowing anything about the genre… – throw in some dwight, steve earle? check. persuade your occasional road buddy hank III to help out? check. running out of possible covers that you’ve heard of? throw in ‘ghost riders in the sky’ & an eagles track & it’s a done
deal! this is 100% f***ing pap, on a par with florida georgia line (if i have the name right). admittedly i haven’t heard it, but if i am wrong i will return and do suitable penance.
tabitha toledo
March 28, 2018 @ 7:11 pm
CORRECTION: a paycheck song as opposed to a merle song. even more cliched!
Aggc
March 28, 2018 @ 7:38 pm
What the hell are you talking about?!
the pistolero
March 29, 2018 @ 8:08 am
this is 100% f***ing pap, on a par with florida georgia line (if i have the name right).
Uh, you’re kidding, right? Please tell me you’re kidding.
Look. It’s a tribute album. They don’t usually have many deep, obscure tracks on them, and if that’s what you’re expecting, then the joke’s kinda on you.
TT
March 29, 2018 @ 11:35 am
the concept of the tribute album is comedic (a “joke”)? wasn’t aware of this new fact.
Aggc
March 28, 2018 @ 6:48 pm
If you can imagine the Cookie Monster from the Muppets singing these songs I think you’re on the right track.
Texican
March 29, 2018 @ 8:21 am
Sesame Street
Aggc
March 29, 2018 @ 8:59 am
Damn. You’re right.
kapam
March 28, 2018 @ 7:02 pm
It won’t be for everyone, but as a metal fan I will be keen to check it out.
Metal is as much on the outer these days as “real” country music so I am quite comfortable in both camps.
Trevor Curtis
March 29, 2018 @ 12:42 pm
Some thoughts on this:
1)Devildriver kill it live, and very few tracks capture the greatness of this band live.
2)Dez can actually sing, unlike most death metal or numetal artists.Cookie monster vocals are not necessarily going to be in play here.
3)That POS Coe did with Pantera was the worst thing Coe ever did, if you don’t count his nephew’s shit project Pimpadelic.
4)This is a fairly mainstream representation of what a casual old school country fan would cover. People who want a harder,better version of what this could be should check out the band Antiseen, who straddle the metal/punk rock divide, have washboard solos live, and cover “Twenty years in Five” by Jones and “Swinging” by Anderson.
5) Also go check out Hank3 ‘s Assjack stuff and Al from Ministry’s Buck Satan and the 666 shooters, and Whiskeydick.
TT
March 29, 2018 @ 5:51 pm
well aware of Antiseen since i got the ‘Drastic’ e.p. through the post back in 85/86. the real deal for sure, but i’d say punk/blues/southern rock rather
than punk/metal. met Jeff Clayton twice and he’s a true country fan with a detailed
knowledge of the genre, as are some
of his associates such as Alan King (Hellstomper), & Phil Irwin (Rancid Vat) – who also wrote a useful book on country albums, the name of which escapes me. pedestrian Antiseen wannabes like this metal outfit with their lip-service to country music are f***ing bores who don’t deserve the time of day. they got their entire
personaliities from the back of a
cornflakes packet. over & out.
Mike
March 29, 2018 @ 6:05 pm
It is just too bad that Seth Putnam is no longer with us. A Hank 3 album with AxCx would have been epic as hell!!
Troy
March 30, 2018 @ 2:39 pm
I’ll add my 2 cents into this since I am a fan of both Hank3 and DevilDriver. I’ll be listening to this album, due to the fact that DevilDriver isn’t even trying to say that this a country album, unlike some folks we know (FGL and Sam Hunt, I’m looking at you two sorry sacks of shit). At least Devildriver I coming from a place of love for the country genre & not glutting with ear cancer like “Body Like a Back Road.”
Until then, I’ll be listening to the Steel Woods. And a quick side note: DevilDriver write and play their own music, unlike most mainstream country bands.
David f james
March 1, 2019 @ 3:17 pm
Whitey morgan should be involved and is way more outlaw than hank 3 will ever be
David f james
March 1, 2019 @ 3:27 pm
Outlaws till the end album and no waylon Jennings cover? Sounds more like a joke