The Devil Wears Prada – ZII
Release Date: 21st May 2021
Label: Solid State Records
Pre-Order/Pre-Save
Genre: Metalcore
FFO: The Ghost Inside, Northlane Miss May I, Underoath, For Today, The Word Alive.
Review By: Ryan Shearer
The Devil Wears Prada are here with a throwback! ZII, meaning Zombie 2 (sadly no subtitle à la Electric Boogaloo, This Time it’s Personal etc) is a follow up to their 2010 EP Zombie. Channelling the heavy, they wanted to capture what made Z1 a fan favourite whilst capturing their current sound as a cohesive and experienced band. The theme of ZII is despair and dread, and the album will make you feel that in the best way.
Nightfall doesn’t waste a second to get going; 0 to 60 in record time. Machine-gun drums and chunky guitars attack at a breakneck speed seemingly calling back to the lightning fast riffs of Escape from Zombie. Forlorn follows a similar pattern, with heavy and abrasive breakdown guitar work throughout, with breaks of cleaner and sombre tones. The kick drum trill is a cool flourish to add some fun into the chaos.
Termination has a very nasty bounce, and really interesting alternating vibes as vocalist Mike Hranica screams ‘We’ve met our termination’ at the end of the chorus. There is a real sense of confidence with the techniques on show in regards to screams. ‘These weapons are for the dead’s ending’ at the very climax takes a sudden brutal turn, which works great as a curveball to retain your attention.
Nora feels like a very modern metalcore sound, with progressive elements you’d expect to see on Northlane’s latest album Alien. The dark pulsing bass and space-age synth melodies feel otherworldly. Contagion opens with what, in other circumstances, would be considered a mid-album palette cleanser. It explodes and subsides with a violent intensity and unsettling melody.
There is no doubt this is The Devil Wears Prada wanting to really hone in on heaviness. The ambience and sample growls & gurgles at the end of Nightfall are there to add the thematic atmosphere, and it works to make the entire EP sound darker and more sinister. The subject matter of the album, hopelessness against a zombie hoard, is generally unsettling I think most would agree. The musical choices are well aligned with the theme which helps each track land.
It’s an enjoyable ride. What it may lack in musical diversity it makes up for in flair and experienced song writing. The Devil Wears Prada is a band who have become a staple of the genre and ZII is them making sure you don’t forget that. 
(4 / 5)
