What could be more intense than thousands of blood thirsty, brain craving zombies? The Devil Wears Prada’s new “Zombie EP.”
Sprouting from frontman Mike Hranica’s obsession with zombie pop culture, it follows a lone survivor in his journey to fend for his life in a worldwide outbreak.
Track one, “Escape,” sets the stage for a fast, hard-hitting, and technical metalcore journey through hordes of pesky brain gobblers with Hranica screaming, “Now is when you exert all your energy.” Opening with claps of thunder and synthesized strings from keyboardist James Baney, “Escape” is more of an experience than a song, thanks to various sound clips of security alarms and a breakdown opened by the cocking and firing of every survivor’s weapon of choice: the shotgun. This same immersion is maintained through the entire album, forcing listeners to imagine battling for their survival while enjoying some impressive musical chops.
Lasting just over 22 minutes, this relentless EP is the perfect piece of hardcore to make that boring bus ride from Gorham to Portland inarguably and indefinitely intense. For anyone looking for a cohesive and intriguing story to bite into along with the progressive metalcore genre, pick up the “Zombie EP” and feast your brains out.