Zombie EP

Inspired by World War Z, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and The Zombie Survival Guide, the Devil Wears Prada's 2010 Zombie EP is a loose concept about -- you guessed it -- zombies. The theme makes for a break from the screamo norm and finds the band in a rare light: having fun with a pet project. However, since a full album of songs about brutalizing the undead might be a tad wearing, singer Mike Hranica wisely chose to keep the running time short, with five songs under the five-minute mark. Keeping in line with the DWP discography, the band continues to progress further into metalcore territory, and this works exceptionally well, considering the setting ("In a sea of stinking rot -- in a place where living humans are no longer the hunters"). Howls and growls perfectly fit with the plotline about blowing clumsy beasts to bits. For "Revive," Hranca takes on the role of a gruff drill sargeant, insisting that "the cure is a shotgun," while second vocalist Jeremy DePoyster sings narrative cleanly from the background, to observe that "All is lost in the flood of the living dead." The Devil Wears Prada's usual sugary-to-brutal template is boosted by Zombie's thick production, which includes computer-glitched thrash riffs, a symphonic action/horror score, and fake radio broadcasts. Everything adds up nicely to make for an entertaining, fear-provoking listen. [Limited copies include a comic book that illustrates the action.] ~ Jason Lymangrover