Being a DEVILDRIVER fan has yielded mixed rewards these past few years. On the one hand, the Californians have always delivered an exceptional live show and never fail to tear shit up onstage. On the other, the past few records haven't been the strongest and from 2007 onwards, it has felt like a long wait for something as good as their classic second and third albums. 2013's "Winter Kills" came close but trailed off in the latter half and since then, line-up changes and a COAL CHAMBER reunion have cast doubts over whether they'd be the same again. It's an absolute joy then to be able to say that "Trust No One" is easily their best release since "The Last Kind Words." Taking time off to sing "Loco" again has revitalised main man DEZ FAFARA and these fresh cuts seethe with anger. It's a pissed off, antagonistic monster with plenty of tracks that'll slot nicely into their set-lists, but it retains the well-placed melody that defined their early work and is going to make a lot of head-bangers very happy.

That said, it doesn't get off to the strongest start. Opener "Testimony of Truth" is an odd choice for an introduction and while it's by no means a bad track, it never really gets out of second gear and lacks the punch you'd expect. With "Bad Deeds" though business really picks up; this one is an incendiary pit-igniter and DEZ sounds so furious it wouldn't be surprising if he vandalised the studio after recording it. This is the first moment to reaffirm the faith and it's not the only one, the next few tracks are just as impressive.

"My Night Sky" dials back the speed for a more methodical stomp that contrasts nicely with the berserker fury of the previous song. DEVILDRIVER have always been good at working variety into their music even if they still stick to one overall formula and this is further evidenced with "This Deception." This one is essentially "Clouds over California Part 2" with a big, chant along roar at the finale and it's followed by two more barnstormers in "Above It All" and "Daybreak."

The colossal title track only escalates things further and it's not until the unusually titled "Feeling Un-god-ly" that the quality dips. Again, there's nothing wrong with here, but it doesn't fire up the blood enough and it may have worked better as a bonus track on the special edition. It's the only blip on the radar however as the rest of the album rages like a thundering Minotaur, especially in the excellent "This House Divided" and the melancholy melodeath of "For What It's Worth." DEVILDRIVER fans can breathe a sigh of relief therefore and given DEZ's recent comments about COAL CHAMBER, it's clear where his heart really is. They've had a few off-years but any doubts over whether they could still cut it just got a resounding kick in the nads. Two slightly lacklustre songs and the dodgy artwork aside, "Trust No One" fucking rules.