The Devil Wears Prada – ‘ZII’

It goes without saying that The Devil Wears Prada are one of the most important bands within the modern metalcore landscape. Storming into the airwaves way back in 2006 with their breakthrough record ‘Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord’, they quickly established themselves as an integral part of the genre’s growth, continuously obliterating boundaries with every single thing they released. That’s still true today, their last album ‘The Act’ featuring their first ever radio single ‘Chemical’ alongside sharp-tongued bruisers like ‘The Thread’ and ‘Switchblade’.

One of the most-loved releases of their back catalogue, widely adored by their fans and the metal community alike, is 2010’s ‘Zombie’ EP – a concept record about fighting and resisting the undead that set a perilously high bar for all their peers to leap over. Eleven years on, and taking everyone completely by surprise, they’re revisiting the concept with ‘ZII’ and tipping that bar even higher, picking up where they left off both musically and lyrically. This one isn’t about fighting back, though. This one is about hopelessness against the overwhelming presence of the horde, and you can feel the gloom from the moment that you press play.

‘Nightfall’ wastes no time thrusting you right into the apocalypse, with vocalist Mike Hranica leading the charge with a piercing scream as the crunch of the guitars methodically march forwards. The catchy riffs, bludgeoning breakdowns and overbearing darkness all wonderfully set the tone for what’s to follow – a bleak journey through a devastated landscape where hope and optimism is scarce. ‘Forlorn’ toys with that notion, featuring a stripped back chorus where Hranica and fellow vocalist and guitarist Jeremy DePoyster blend their vocals in a section that reeks of despair and defeat. It’s not all stripped back though. When you hear the line “we’ve lost control, like we ever had it,” make sure you’re sat down for what follows it. Trust me.

First single ‘Termination’ is a full frontal assault, the dual guitar assault of DePoyster and Kyle Sipress swings like a pendulum through a barren wasteland. Pained cries of “we all did our best” echo out over the landscape, highlighting the looming realisation that victory might not be possible. ‘Nora’ features a diverse spread of influences, including industrial synth and bass-led verses, and a hardcore middle eight that make the metallic verses sound even more distressed and urgent.

It all masterfully leads to the album closer ‘Contagion’, bringing proceedings to a grandiose and harrowing conclusion. Pulsing ominous verses, soaring shadowy choruses and the ultimate mosh call “upset the sickness” bringing in a gargantuan breakdown, it ends the EP on a heartbreaking note with the final flickers of hope being extinguished as the music comes to an immediate and impactful halt.

‘ZII’ is the heaviest collection of songs they’ve released in years, without a doubt. The sheer ferocity and ruthlessness is brutally persistent, posing as an aural representation of the undead horde itself. Their recent full length records showcase the band’s penchant for growth and experimentation, forever finding new territory to venture into and new ideas to explore, and revisiting the ‘Zombie’ concept sees them extend that to the darker side of their sound. Their brand of heaviness has never sounded more mature than it does here, and it is breathtaking.

The songwriting throughout this EP is masterful, toying with suspense and dynamics throughout so that you’re never really sure what’s coming next. It doesn’t need any additional gimmicks to set the scene for you – they paint a picture so you can see it. It lacks the cinematic characteristics that its predecessor possessed such as the frantic breathing, chainsaw-whirring and ambient thunderous weather, but this all feels far more immersive. It’s cinematic without needing to borrow soundbites, and it’s because they’ve spent the last eleven years honing their craft that they’re able to tell stories far more vividly. When Hranica screams “we’re in a panic,” you believe him.

For all the naysayers barking up the “they’ve gone soft” tree, this is an EP that will see them all proven very, very wrong. It’s a perfectly executed callback to one of their career favourites that’s on track to earn them the same accolade, showing their maturity as musicians to make something that’s so much more than simply a series of heavy songs. The Devil Wears Prada are the horde and there is nothing that you can do to stop them.

DAVE STEWART