The Devil Wears Prada wsg As I Lay Dying, For Today, & The Chariot
The Intersection, Grand Rapids
March 28, 6 p.m.
$20 advance, $24 day of show
All Ages
sectionlive.com, (616) 451-8232
While Harold Camping shot arrows at his Rapture calendar and Dec. 21, 2012 was still a thing, The Devil Wears Prada – a Christian metalcore band from Ohio – had already released an apocalyptic record about a zombie invasion. As the band prepares to record its fifth LP and first as newly signed to Roadrunner Records, it will tour through Grand Rapids on March 28.
The band's recent signing with Roadrunner went hand in hand with the ruthless aggression that it crafted in 2010's Zombie EP and later implemented into its latest album, 2011's Dead Throne.
"I grew up listening to Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson and stuff that was super heavy," said Jeremy DePoyster, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist for TDWP. "We like to be a heavy, fun band and we don't really have any interest in being a pretty-boy, fancy kind of band."
The currently untitled upcoming album has about 14 songs well in the works, one of which the band has been playing at recent shows, titled "Gloom."
"It's probably one of the more menacing, heavy, dark, crazy-kind-of songs, so it felt right to play that for the tour," DePoyster said. "And honestly, I'm shocked at how well it's been going over. So far, people have been going crazy, so I don't know if our light guy's just killing it or what the deal is, but it's hitting people the right way."
And just as the keyboard-heavy breakdown of "Dogs Can Grow Beards All Over" captured longtime fans of the debut album, Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord, DePoyster said the new album will hit fans with the same TDWP-style keyboards after the recent departure of original keyboardist James Baney. For the tour, a fill-in will take keys while For Today's rhythm guitarist Sam Penner will temporarily take TDWP lead guitarist Chris Rubey's spot, who took home leave to care for his newborn until he can tour.
Touring aside, TDWP has infused other bands' members into numerous tracks, including Craig Owens (from Michigan-based Chiodos) in "You Can't Spell 'Crap' Without 'C'" from 2007's Plagues. Dead Throne features tour mates As I Lay Dying's lead vocalist Tim Lambesis on the track "Constance."
In February, TDWP lead vocalist Mike Hranica recently published One & A Half Hearts, which outlines Dead Throne's creation and covers subjects such as anti-idolatry and romance. Its purpose was to provide an alternative perspective on how the band functions, and could offer a viable glimpse at where things could go for the upcoming album.
"I know that we are outspoken as a Christian band and we always will be. That's just something that's always been that way ... but we're always honest and trying to be respectful and everything like that," DePoyster said.
