THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA
THE ZOMBIE EP
FERRET RECORDS
The Devil Wears Prada has taken a lot of heat for their name, rightfully so, it’s a stupid name. That being said I can honestly say they are one of the hardest working bands in heavy music right now. On the heels of a lengthy touring schedule to promote their last album Branches Above And Roots Below TDWP (aka The Devil Wears Prada) has released The Zombie EP, a five-song record about the impending zombie holocaust.
I don’t like metalcore, I never have and I never will. To me it is a boring, mechanical form of extreme music that seems devoid of any emotion other than forced anger. However I do love me some Zombies and TDWP has done some interesting things here.
Firstly they haven’t made it cheesy. The easiest thing to do when attacking something like Zombies (no pun intended) is to go the full cartoony, early eighties metal, slightly cheesy route. Instead TDWP have attacked each song as if it was happening in the moment. The band has tried to make this EP a serious release, coming from a place of fear and terror. I was impressed the material was approached that way seeing as how many pitfalls it can place in front of band.
The next difference is a subtle variation in the band’s standard writing MO. The songs here are meaner, heavier and more aggressive. TDWP, like their metalcore peers, still know nothing about dynamics or how to not over produce everything, but the songs here are a lot more fun to listen to than most of the metalcore out there. Those are the positives but there are some negatives.
As I said before TDWP has zero dynamics on The Zombie EP, everything is the same level, the same speed, the same everything. Oh and before all the kids get mad dynamics does not mean stop playing, start playing or play softer and then faster. Dynamics is about structuring a song with highs and lows, peeks and valleys to give it some drama. TDWP does none of this, even if they alter what they’re playing the production is so streamlined it kills everything.
I’m still in the dark as to why every metalcore band has decided that their best friend in life is mid-range. Guys, some bass, some low end, please. You have a bass player, I assume he enjoys playing bass, how about steering away from this no audible bass or low-end rule.
I also hate the vocals but that isn’t fair because I hate all metalcore vocals. As a performer singer Mike Hranica lays it all out there and screams his head off and you can tell this kid believes in what he’s doing. The whole band seem that way, unlike other metalcore bands who seem to have gotten into it for the free tight t-shirts and hair gel (oh and cool caps, can’t forget those).
The Zombie EP is a really cool idea, executed to the top of the abilities of one of the best metalcore bands in the genre. I wish the band had done a little more experimenting as they do on the final track “Survivor” but maybe that’ll come with their next full length. For fans of The Devil Wears Prada and their genre The Zombie EP is a must have for the collection, it might even force fans to hold other metalcore bands to a higher standard.
CRAVEONLINE RATING: 7 OUT OF 10
