The Devil Wears Prada

Zombie

Rumor has it that the only way to kill a zombie is to remove its head, and The Devil Wears Prada’s listeners should be warned that decapitation may very well be a side-effect of listening to their new release, Zombie EP.

For the occasional heavy music listener, this release may have disappointingly little prettiness dispersed throughout the mayhem. But for the metal fan, this album will gain TDWP more appreciation than any previous release. Vocalist Mike Hranica says that the album is “sinister and bad-ass,” and even if he didn’t have neck tats and a Chuck Norris-caliber mustache, I wouldn’t disagree with the guy.

The band admits that this record clearly pays homage to old school heavy bands like Slayer and Hatebreed, opting for heavy driving riffs and fast rhythms over generic breakdowns. For those who are wondering, yes, the lyrics are literally about Zombies. Not in the allegorical way either. We’re talking about Night of The Living Dead content here, folks.

Lyrics like “Mankind is the losing faction; retreat is eternally hopeless” have replaced the often spiritual messages of previous albums, but not in an offensive way. There is an odd sense of approachability to Zombie, and while I wouldn’t take TDWP seriously if all of their records were about the world being taken over by mythical creatures, this addition fits nicely in their discography. The songs are well written, powerful, and as catchy as any set of metal riffs can be, with a musical uniqueness that their scene is starving for.

Because of the lyrics, this record won’t be what The Devil Wears Prada is remembered for, but it will most definitely be remembered.