Album Review: ZARDONIC “Antihero”

Metal meets EDM meets full total body immersion in a post apocalyptic drop your books and jump out of your shoes album sure to find legions of followers. Antihero is the latest from Venezuelan born Zardonic, a double disc format of vocal tracks set against an instrumental set plus remixes.  Antihero blends music and vocals with an outstanding array of genre splicing sound and precision beats.

Making this release even better is that it is a double disc set, and while coupling the vocal tracks on Disc 1 against the instrumental and remixes on Disc 2 may seem a bit of a slight to the latter, this one works so very well. The compliment of Disc 2 is exactly that, the perfect compliment. Disc 2 isn’t just a mirrored stripped down version of its vocalized other side, but another experience in and of itself that really feels more like one of the best encores imaginable.

The entire collection is something you will go full throttle party bang into, but there are some tracks that warrant specific mention. Being relatively new to Zardonic might have been a bad thing for me, but certainly after hearing “Against All Odds” the hook is fully set and turning it off just will not happen once that track kicks in. Seeing Pendulum in concert a couple of years ago brought me to a completely different genre that quickly became a main staple through the speakers. “Against All Odds” hooked me with the Pendulum comfort, then set the hook with metal groove and EDM assault on my senses.

“Crush It”, with its industrial rap and hard as hell beats begs for a cranial air press of epic proportions. After just over six minutes of this cranial attack the next five or so minutes of “Vigilante” will have you running for the cold beverage that is closest at hand. “Vigilante” begins with exactly what will be going on inside your body, a pulsing electronic version that probably represents the industrial future metal version of a medical instrument scan of your heart beating. Every blood cell in your veins will be wide awake and at only the fifth track, you better be in shape for this release.

If you are not in full cardiac distress by the time “Raise Hell” blasts your speakers, better have 911 on the line. Death metal and thrash will catapult you into the EDM mosh pit of no return. The movie Blade only wishes they had this track for its blood crazed vampires.

Disc 1 tones back only a small amount before it crescendos with “Highway 666”, as you can imagine from the title and has the industrial thump and scratch metal vocals to drag your tired ass back into the mosh pit. “Highway 666” is a bonus track after the final track “Antihero (Epilogue)” but feels like being shock paddled back to life just when you thought you could rest a minute.

Disc 2 may haveinstrumental versions of the Disc 1, but what it is not is a repeat of the previous. Instrumental  is only the beginning, for this second set of tracks includes remixes beyond comparison. The futuristic genius of this set of tracks is compelling enough to stand on its own and may be one of the best remix albums ever with its variety. Rusty K, Counterstrike, Evol Intent (love backwards incidentally), Esparta, and Dub Elements are just some of the remix styles for the tracks from Disc 1 along with some extra goodies.

Check out the full album HERE!

Connect with ZARDONIC:
ZARDONIC OFFICIAL
Facebook |Twitter | SoundCloud | YouTube | Instagram

 

Review by Valerie Cason