The Devil Wears Prada was a name I kept seeing time and time again in the metal scene, but never really got around to checking out, so when I came across the short ZII EP, I figured I might as well finally get a taste of this band. I was not prepared to dive into one of the best metalcore records of the year, and get absolutely punched in the face with one of The Devil Wears Prada's best efforts in their entire career.
Nightfall is immediate and then relentless brutality, with low growls that sound like they should be in deathcore territory. The riffs are also violently heavy, downtuned halfway to inaudible and chunky to match. The atmosphere of a zombie apocalypse breakout is just about perfectly written into the song, embodying unimaginable horrors and restless pacing. The terrifying question "Can you make it til dawn?" is brought upon with an inhuman scream, and the chugs are sludgy. Some of the screams in this song are the most ruthless I've ever heard. The tempo changes are perfect for the concept, the sonic dynamics are beautiful.
Forlorn is slightly calmer, like the day after the initial outbreak. The mass deaths have slowed and cities are already in ruins. The bigger presence of clean vocals, laced with a very emotional delivery and occasionally overlayed with pained screams, gives this song the special touch it needs. The lyrical cynicism of humanity parallels a certain pandemic, and it really does hit home for many of us. The bridge past the second verse switches up slightly, shifting view from global to personal loss. The double vocal dynamic in that section felt the most anguished out of the record, and it is heartbreaking.
Termination is just a traditional chunky banger, no complaints here. A lot of zeroes with kick drums, a lot of good old screams, just a classic metalcore formula at its best. The buildup to the breakdown is phenomenally exciting, and the payoff is headbang worthy. Despite that all, I do find it the least interesting song on the EP, and although essential to the EP experience, I wouldn’t listen to it on its own.
Nora is the weirdest song on the EP, in a good way. The song structure, musical choices and general atmosphere is intentionally dissonant, and the brutalist vibes embody the days of a hardened survivor well. The dreary chugs and echoic effects alongside the dissonant vocal dynamic, combined with a relentless drone with no climatic moment, sells the story.
Contagion is my favourite song off the EP, barely beating out Nightfall. It's tinged with a hint of hope beneath angry defiance and prolonged suffering, like the turning tides in a post-apocalyptic world. The soft piano-led intro with sombre vocals going into intense verses, the excellently done double-vocal chorus, the powerfully delivered breakdown callout "Upset the sickness", the monumental soundscape leading into the last section, and the most triumphant sounding breakdown to end it all.
I completely and utterly love the concept presented in this album, and how dutifully they laid it all out in the five songs. It tells a perfect story of a zombie apocalypse, drawing parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing brutally honest pictures of humanity's failures and evils, while injecting hope and counting on humanity's resilience and ability to survive against all odds. As an experience, both emotionally and musically, it is extremely immersive and concise, and there is basically nothing to complain about.
I'm extremely glad I got to hear this EP and have it be my first impression of The Devil Wears Prada, they are a veteran band still going strong and this EP is solid proof of that. Other than A Tear In The Fabric Of Life, I haven't seen any other metal EP that's really worth their weight in gold, and that's saying something. Truly unique and top notch.
Rating: 10/10