MCB: What was your initial thought of the free OzzFest idea?

JK: You know, some bands pay to play it and others are paid to play OzzFest, but we saw it a way to get to the maximum amount of fans. You are playing to crowds in upwards of 20,000 per day. Playing OzzFest exposes you to new fans and lets older ones know that you’re still there. But on a business side, we figured it was a good idea because when Sharon Osbourne has put together a tour or idea, it has never failed.

MCB: Devildriver was a late addition to the tour. Were you looking for a way to get on OzzFest, or would you have been content to play headlining gigs all summer?

JK:  We had already been touring Europe on headlining spots, so we were going to do a two week headlining tour originally. But we went to one of the first OzzFest shows in California before we knew we were asked to be on the tour, and we all said to each other “We’ve got to be on this tour.” Things just happened to work out. We are playing to anywhere from three to five thousand people a day on average, so coming to OzzFest is working for us.

MCB: How does OzzFest compare to playing on the initial Sounds of the Underground tour (which the band played in 2005)?

JK: It was great to play that festival. But honestly, playing Sounds versus OzzFest is like comparing the minor leagues to the major leagues. It's like comparing the Pawtucket Red Sox to the Boston Red Sox. Pawtucket is fine, but it's no comparison to the Boston Red Sox. The idea of OzzFest sounded fun, but you have Ozzy Osbourne on there, which puts its at a whole new level.

MCB: There was a major difference between the first album (self-titled release) and second record (“The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand”). What do you think was the biggest factor in that change of sound?

JK: Well, at the end of the recording of the first record, we added Mike (Spritzer- guitarist) and Jon (Miller-bass), but they didn’t have time to have much input on the first record. They went out and toured behind the record, but on the second record is when they started to bring more musical input onto the table. The second record was more of a complete band effort, and it showed with “Fury.”

MCB: Do you feel the massive satellite radio airplay helped the band’s first week initial sales (“Last Kind Words” debuted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart)?

JK: I think it’s been a lot of things actually. Satellite radio has been huge, but sales at big outlets like FYE also helped out a lot. And great reviews have been a big factor as well. With this album, the work ethic and vibe of the album was magical. We wanted to make a great record for the kids to listen to.

Devildriver will be on the second stage at OzzFest, playing around 3:30 each day. OzzFest hits DTE Energy Music Theatre this Sunday, August 26^th. Check www.devildriver.com, or www.ozzfest.com for additional dates.