Devil You Know, a metal rock band, will be performing at The Rialto Theatre on July 24. The band features a unique take on classic metal music.
John Sankey, drummer for Devil You Know, said the band features a wide variety of music, holding loosely to their metal roots while allowing a wide range of creativity.
“From day one, we decided we would give ourselves the freedom to try different things and not be restricted to one particular style or genre,” Sankey said. “If we want to write something super heavy and brutal, we will. If we want to play something slow and melodic, we will—there’s no rules!”
Francesco Artusato, on guitar, agrees.
“We all have different musical influences, and each one of us brings a unique element to the table,” Artusato said.
Artusato and Sankey are the band’s main writers, and for Artusato the unrestricted sound of the band provides an exceptional creative canvas.
“After years spent in bands with an already established sound, it’s very refreshing being in a band [with creative freedom],” Artusato said.
Sankey added, “[…] having that diversity and creative control is an awesome feeling.”
For Sankey, the unbridled nature of the band comes as a part of their desire to have an authentic focus on the music.
“We just … write tunes we dig,” he said. “We’re not trying to reinvent music or discover something that’s never been heard before. We just do our thing. At the end of the day, Devil You Know is our time to have fun and do what we love without any rules.”
The organic creative writing process reflects the band’s origins. Devil You Know was started a few years ago by Sankey and Artusato as a side project. The two friends found they had a knack for writing, eventually compiling over a dozen songs.
“We really liked the material and were curious to hear [how it] would sound with vocals,” Sankey said. The band searched for a singer that could balance melody with metal and reached out to Howard Jones, who quickly became a close friend to the duo.
“Sometimes we would talk on the phone for hours and wouldn’t even mention music,” Sankey said. “We got to know each other and became good mates before we even met or hung out.” Jones joined the band, and in 2012 the three flew out to LA to record their first demos.
The band now features what Artusato says is a “pretty heavy and dark sound that also incorporates a very melodic approach.”
The band members are certainly veterans to metal music with plenty of experience under their belts. Jones had played with Killswitch Engage and Blood Has Been Shed, earning two gold records and a Grammy nomination. Sankey played for the Australian band Devolved and worked with Fear Factory and Divine Heresy. Artusato worked as a solo artist on the Francesco Artusato Project and played guitar for Divine Heresy.
Tucson is the first stop in the group’s first tour since last October. The band will be performing with Coal Chamber and Fear Factory.
“This [tour] is definitely special because I was listening to Coal Chamber and Fear Factory back when I was still in school,” Sankey said. “I’ve always been a fan of both bands.”
Sankey has worked with musicians from Fear Factory on past music projects and albums.
Not only does Devil You Know pride themselves on their creative freedom and musical chops, the band also likes to keep things lighthearted on stage.
“Some bands have really serious and dramatic live gigs—which is cool, but that’s definitely not our style, especially with Howard cracking jokes after every song,” Sankey said. “It’s a good time! With Devil You Know, we just like to have fun onstage and leave the audience [with] a loud, sweaty, energetic experience.”
