Dropping last Friday, January 23rd, Solunar Records once again proudly presents The Death of Zenith who showcases the fourth world he’s created out of music and fantasy via his brand new EP – You Can Give Your Soul to Jesus, but Your Ass is Mine!

Riding off the shadows of the Overnight Soundtrack‘s dark and haunting industrial metal tones, The Death of Zenith pivoted to a more supportive role for previous release The Antihero vs. The Death of Zenith, delivering a comic-book-style fantasy. This steam-punk dystopian creation drops us into the world of two masked vigilantes trying to tear each other apart with wild genre-blending and some very catchy lyrics. Returning to the world of Overnight (touched by the shadows and their violent nature) The Death of Zenith manifested the Umbra EP utilizing a vicious blend of metal, dark trap, and industrial inspirations to channel his inner darkness and unveil hell unlike any other.

Par for the course of delving into a fantastical world, we are met by the “Mission Control Interlude” – a bass heavy introduction to this dynamic EP. As curiosity kicks in to add definition to overall melody, the song suddenly becomes filled with intrigue and power. It’s reminiscent of old 80’s movies, where our anti-hero slinks down a steam-filled alley, glancing from side to side against unknowns as he tries to cut across town. As shadows unfold, the buzz of the neon lights above flicker, and a new world emerges on the other side. Planeta Vocum has been stirring; a brand new cyberpunk/sci-fi universe created by The Death of Zenith and this song is a mere introduction to the world that now grows around us.

“Leaving the Clouds Behind” is pure string fire! Guitars bludgeon with that classic 80’s tune while blending The Death of Zenith‘s common genre-fluid recipes into the mix. Twisting classic heavy metal foundations with speedy thrash and deathcore tones, it’s an absolute banger. Madness conquers vocal prowess throughout, channeling heightened emotions and range to execute clean verses, and harsh howls seamlessly. Timing it all with a wicked solo, this track captures Straus’ creative influences and puts it on display without hesitation.

“Mine” featuring Seethe and Soca is jazzy, almost dancey in its origins. Heaviness cuts in just after the 1-minute mark but it doesn’t get carried away, letting vocals showcase on this track to perfect the harmony of harsh and clean styles. The rap blend is subtle but perfectly timed, letting verses absolutely play themselves out while catchy repetition allows for head-banging ease. It’s a track, I’ll admit, that started out a bit off for me, but once the melody picked up and that heavy bass line chimed in I was absolutely hooked! This is a track that will definitely get in your head!

“The Ultimatum“, featuring none other than Soca, has our minds locked on intergalactic space exploration. Landing on a desolate planet, we examine the ruins of a fallen world; city streets decorated by the forgotten icons of an era long gone and the flickering remnants of memories beneath our feet. It’s elegant and melodic, decorated with fragile nods to symphonic metal with a heavy foundation that made this track an easy favourite.

Our multi-cast futuristic space opera from The Death of Zenith continues on this new planetary surface. Feeling well-blended, and all too natural, this new era contrasts previous releases like “Portal” and “His Name is Craven Paulson“.

Winding down we’re hit with “One Bad Day” featuring Demo Demon that runs low and slow, blending hip-hop style mood with tranquil vocals that sets an entire vibe. It’s moody and dancey, captivating with its low bass and eager vocal blend to once more round out the genre-fluid mentality.

The final track, “Waking Up” adds the compliments of Skeptik and The Antihero almost like a callback. It’s got trance vibes, melting electronica with metal and a catchy snare. The calm, unsuspecting rhythm begins to shift near the 2 and a half-minute mark, rising on opera-like flare before truly embracing its metal-conditioning. Like a slow-burn, this track’s escalation of catchiness and calm delivers atmospheric tension, like we KNOW something is up, but we’re still in the dark until the beat PLUMMETS and the abyss takes hold. I love the drums halfway through this track, how heavy and vicious they become while vocals screech and howl along. It takes the essence of each track before it and blends it in for this perfect closure to an EP that has only begun to tell a tale.

The six tracks on this EP are a perfect preview of the upcoming album Planeta Vocum, that has yet to be unveiled. Prepare yourselves for take off, because this one is sure to be one hell of a ride!

You can stay up-to-date by following The Death of Zenith and Solunar Records via the links:

Solunar Records
Facebook
Instagram

And don’t forget to stream this EP and other The Death of Zenith releases in their entirety via the Spotify app!