Biography
VileDriver is a three-piece band (guitar, vocal and drums) based out of Mississauga/Georgetown, Ontario, Canada. Fronted by Vocalist Dustin Patkai, VileDriver features two members (guitarist Chris Sokoloski and drummer Aaron Pozzer) from the Canadian tech metal outfit Starring Janet Leigh, which was signed to Ironclad/Metalblade in 2009, being the first Canadian band signed to Trevor Phipps’ (Unearth) subsidiary label. Unfortunately only one album was released before the band members went their separate ways, and VileDriver was born.
VileDriver has been categorized as technical death metal, or deathcore, or progressive grind… but what truly sets this band apart from your typical brand-name arty tech metal band is the focus on heavy riffage – minus all the bleedily-doo fingertapping wankage made trendy by most of metal’s top acts of late. There are odd-time-signature guitar riffs that actually remain catchy and memorable, with a balance struck between dissonance and melodic flow throughout. The drumming is not your typical death metal noise; each line is intricately constructed to propel the riff, and is a highlight unto itself for drummers the world over to marvel at. You’ll find everything vocally intact, with plenty of low-growls and metal-claw summoning high-shrieks, which sit “up front” in a genre where less accomplished singers end up taking a back seat in the mix. Topping it off, the band utilizes digital audio samples and backing vocals in many songs, which add to the depth and sonic unpredictability of the music.
Guitarist Chris Sokoloski speaks of VileDriver’s backstory: “Our music in VileDriver has been ever-developing over 11 years, taking influence from our old Tech Metal band, Starring Janet Leigh, but with knife-edge delivery full of Thrash and Hardcore influence. Like the previous album Primary, we are still utilizing a linear songwriting style, but focused on being chock full of kick-ass riffs and range-defying, rapid-fire vocals. It’s for people like us who are always searching for a recognizable and distinct sounding band… creating that feeling of excitement people used to get all the time when hearing a brand-new band, before the market became super-saturated with like-sounding bands whose style is a result of cannibalizing from the same scene. We tread with the wave of ever-evolving metal, and frequently break away to learn from different genres, to bring new influences to VileDriver’s music. The music we write is a direct result of the unique people we are, and we have a wealth of experience to draw upon to make sure the music has a poignant emotion and vibe to each section, and to each song. We have worked very hard and we believe it shows, and it is our ultimate pleasure to have the opportunity to contribute our works to the vast pond of extreme metal available to metal heads today. Definitely more to come!”
VileDriver’s second album, The Rest Are Prey, comes out March 31st, 2023.
