The Devil Wears Prada: Zombie Tour North America Stray From The Path, Dying Wish, Granite State
The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada is storming back with their much-anticipated EP release “ZII” landing on May 21, 2021. The band are well-known for their early definitive albums including 2009’s “With Roots Above and Branches Below”, 2010’s “Zombie EP”, and 2011’s “Dead Throne” that spawned a new generation of metalcore, along with their intense live performances including several headlining stints on the Warped Tour and in support of massive groups like Slipknot and Slayer on the Mayhem Festival, as well as tours with A Day to Remember, Parkway Drive, and Bring Me The Horizon. “ZII” sees the band writing a new musical chapter, finding the group redefining an agressive metal sound with intricate guitar work, passionate vocals that evoke a cinematic zombie onslaught, and complex and grooving drumwork that hammers throughout the EP. Says Mike Hrancia on the lyrical inspiration, “Before, there were five songs about how to fend off the apocalypse. Now, there are five songs of hopelessness against the hoard.” The band re-entered the conversation with the release of “The Act” in 2019, realizing a new sonic vision with songs like “Chemical” and “Lines of Your Hands” showcasing both Mike Hranica and Jeremy DePoyster’s vocal range as well as the songwriting abilities of Jonathan Gering and Kyle Sipress. The Devil Wears Prada is singer Mike Hranica, vocalist/guitarist Jeremy DePoyster, guitarist Kyle Sipress, keyboard player Jonathan Gering, bassist Mason Nagy, and drummer Giuseppe Capolupo.
Stray From the Path
“The king equals the elite, the queen equals the government, the bishop equals the church, the knight equals the military, the rook equals the police, and the pawn equals the people,” explains Thomas. “This was the first time the vision and the theme of the album came before the music. We had the artwork first. We wrote this during a pretty dark and reflective time in our lives. In an age where government has failed, they made us feel as small and as insignificant as ever. In this game, all of the attention is turned onto the people: white versus black, Democrat versus Republican, gay versus straight, or Trump versus no Trump. They know the fight is within the community. There can be no fight against the establishment.”
Nevertheless, STRAY FROM THE PATH continue a 16-year tradition of speaking out. This tradition has transformed the group into genre luminaries. Most recently, Rock Sound placed Subliminal Criminals at #17 on its coveted “Top 50 Releases of 2015” list, while its single “First World Problem Child” [feat. Sam Carter] racked up 721K Spotify streams and counting. In support of the record, they hit nearly every corner of the globe with the likes of Architects, The Amity Affliction, Beartooth, Stick To Your Guns, and more in addition to Warped Tour.
In 2017, the boys hit the studio for their fourth straight collaboration with producer Will Putney [The Acacia Strain, Body Count] and first with vocal producer Jesse Barnett. Recording with Craig behind the kit for the first time, they ignited a fresh spark.
“Since Craig joined, the vibe of our band has been electric,” Thomas continues. “Everyone has a brand new fire in them to push us to places we’ve never been. He’s added a chemistry on and off-stage that has changed us for the better, and we’re writing our best material to date because of it. Then, there’s Will. He’s basically a member at this point. He’s our tie breaker. He understands us better than anyone. Also, Jesse brought in something we haven’t had yet on a STRAY FROM THE PATH album.”
They introduced the record with the first single “Goodnight Alt-Right”. A full-blown aural assault, it goes straight for the jugular, confronting and courting controversy head-on.
“When Richard Spencer, a white supremacist, was punched on-camera a few months back, it was great to see that he and his hatred were not being tolerated,” he explains. “We were shocked to see that people were actually defending him though. They said he should have freedom of speech. They’re not wrong. People should be able to exercise free speech. Sometimes, the things you say come with consequences. There is enough hate, misery, and division in this country that we don’t need a televised white supremacist saying, ‘This country belongs to white people.’ Bottom line: if you preach hate, expect hate.”
Elsewhere on the record, Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die and The Damned Things brings pure rock fury to the rousing and rambunctious “Strange Fiction,” and the “insane voice” of Knocked Loose’s Bryan Garris adds another dimension and dynamic to “All Day & Night.” In a rare cameo appearance, hip-hop luminary Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks spits raw truth on “The House Always Wins” between a chaotic, combustible, and catchy hardcore onslaught.
“Vinnie might be the craziest feature we’ve ever had,” Thomas explains. “Jedi Mind Tricks, and Vinnie specifically, is one of the most politically aware and ferocious acts of our generation. I know he doesn’t collaborate much, so to have him do an entire verse was an incredible honor.”
Ultimately, only death is real comes at the right time.
“This is the world we live in,” Thomas leaves off. “It made a heavier and darker version of STRAY FROM THE PATH, and death is the only thing that’s certain.”