Zardonic has fired the opening shot from his fifth studio album, DIGICIDE, and he hasn’t come alone. Lead single ‘Godhead Interface’ features Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares alongside Protopig vocalist Daniel “Kaio” Soto, and it’s out now ahead of the album’s release on 12 March 2027 via Phobos/MMC.
For more than two decades, the masked producer, born in Venezuela and now based in Germany, has been smashing drum and bass and heavy metal together under the banner of Metal & Bass. DIGICIDE pushes that philosophy further, taking aim at algorithmic control, surveillance capitalism, online manipulation and the slow erosion of human identity.
“This album is easily the most difficult body of work I’ve ever put together,” says Zardonic. “It stems from deeply traumatic personal experiences that forced me to see the darkest corners of our system. After months of reading and research into how these systems actually work, I had a moment like Roddy Piper’s character Nada putting on the glasses in They Live, and to this day I can’t take them off.”
Few musicians are better suited to a record about the rise of the machine than Dino, whose work with Fear Factory has been sounding that alarm for decades. The pair go way back, with Zardonic contributing to Fear Factory’s Recoded and adding synths to some of the band’s new material.
“He’s always understood the connection between crushing metal riffs and the aggression of electronic music,” says Dino. “The track is a collision of heavy guitars, industrial electronics, and pure sonic aggression. I think fans of both Fear Factory and Zardonic are going to dig this one!”
Protopig, who has known Zardonic since their early days in the Venezuelan metal scene of the 2000s, adds: “In this modern era of algorithmic manipulation, the story behind DIGICIDE feels more urgent than ever, and I’m glad to be part of it!”
The guest list doesn’t stop there. Mayhem’s Attila Csihar and Charles “Ghul” Hedger join forces on ‘Dehumanize’, while drum and bass MC Coppa, Atlanta rapper Sinizter, Neuroklast, Liv Sin and Danny Saber also feature.
We love seeing Zardonic keep tearing down the wall between the rave and the pit, and teaming up with Dino feels like a perfect fit. If ‘Godhead Interface’ is the first transmission, DIGICIDE could be his heaviest work yet.
Catch up on our chat with Dino Cazares at Download Festival.
DIGICIDE tracklist
- ‘Samsara’ (ft. Melek-Tha)
- ‘Ready For War’ (ft. Sinizter)
- ‘Put To Death’ (ft. Redpill)
- ‘Lose Control’ (ft. Coppa)
- ‘From The Ashes’ (ft. Neuroklast & Liv Sin)
- ‘Salvation’ (ft. Danny Saber)
- ‘I Am The Weapon’ (ft. Enduser)
- ‘Dehumanize’ (ft. Attila Csihar & Charles “Ghul” Hedger)
- ‘Godhead Interface’ (ft. Dino Cazares & Protopig)
- ‘DIGICIDE’ (ft. Hallway Omega)
- ‘Set Me Free’ (ft. Triangular Ascension)
