Zardonic “Far Beyond Bass – The Vulgar Remixes” Album Review

Artists of the dubstep and heavy metal hybridity have been around the block for a few decades now, but there are only a handful of performers who are taking this synergism to the next level, pleasing fans of both genres. South American electronic producer, Zardonic, is pumping out tracks that are quickly becoming a hit with both die-hard EDM kids and metalheads alike. His 2012 chart-topping album, Vulgar Display of Bass, left audiences fist-pumping, raising their metal horns, and wanting more from the electro powerhouse.

Zardonic’s Far Beyond Bass-The Vulgar Remixes is a unique display of the merging genres, showcasing intensely heavy riffs, crazy dubstep with even crazier drops, and a grinding industrial backbone, and as bizarre at is sounds, creating some serious mosh-pit, fist pumping potential. The album features the re-workings of many electronic dynamos, including Black Sun Empire, Delta 9, and State of Mind to name a few. “Revolution (Eye D remix)”, featuring Counterstrike and Gein, opens the record with a bang, hitting the audience head on with the drum & bass influence. The electronic build-up is a little slow at first, but it smoothly culminates into something tremendous, with some incredibly fast breakbeats and a heavy bass line, all overlaid with an eerie robotic voice. “Bring Back the Glory (Counterstrike remix)”, featuring Voicians, is almost head-bang worthy, meshing hardcore sounding verses with electronics. “Kickass (Neonlight remix), featuring Playma, is another fast paced track that is pretty mind-blowing, and will definitely hype up audiences.

My favorite track off the record was the remix of drum and bass heavy hitter Black Sun Empire’s “Hypnotized”, featuring Throtter and Lowbss. As a longtime fan of Black Sun Empire style DnB, Zardonic’s rendition of the song does it justice, simultaneously carrying the signature sound of BSE and marking his own brand of electrostep. On the more dubstep heavy side is “Mechagodzilla (Hectic Mau remix)”, which is all about the rhythm and killer bass lines. I’d like to believe that this is pretty much the sound that Mechagodzilla, transformers, cyborgs, and other bionic monsters make while climaxing (#ExcuseMyUberNerdiness). Moving forwards on the record and “Deathmachine (Delta 9 and Fiend remix)”, brings down the house. The midrange bass and deafening drums create some truly “eargasmic” vibrations, making this heavy and frenetic track a potential for a fan favorite. The album ends with “Sideshow Symphony (Hecq remix)”, featuring Reid Speed, rounding out the record with a mellower, more ambient influenced DnB sound that really meshes well with the entirety of track listing and is a refreshing break from the previous hyper-speed songs.

All in all, this is a really solid display of well-produced electronic tracks. Far Beyond Bass-The Vulgar Remixes reworks tracks from a myriad of DnB masters, adding a little heaviness and a touch of Zardonic electro-magic, creating something wholly unpredictable and crowd pleasing. With an international tour already under his belt, Zardonic is clearly on his way to becoming electro-royalty, and I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the EDM scene. If you’re a fan of Delta 9, Black Sun Empire, Fatboy Slim, Dirtyphonics, Benga, The Crystal Method, JDevil, Borgore, Datsik, State of Mind, and other DnB or heavy dubstep artists, definitely check out Zardonic and pick up a copy of Far Beyond Bass-The Vulgar Remixes, available June 17^th!

Lauren L.