You can feel the heat radiating off this project from the very first second. Lylantz has dropped an album that acts as a twenty-track inferno, demanding your immediate attention from the jump.
The sheer scale of the project is staggering, offering an intense look into the mind of an artist who refuses to play it safe. “Zero” is heavy, unapologetic, and completely unbothered by traditional genre boundaries. It hits the ear like a sudden adrenaline spike, pulling you into a cinematic universe where every track feels like a high-stakes confrontation.
If you have been waiting for something that actually pushes the envelope, this is the moment to hit play.
Operating out of Chicago, Lylantz, also known as The Midnight Prince, has been building his own lane for over a decade. He calls his sound Post-Modern Gothic, and it is easy to see why.
He pulls from everything: the theatricality of Michael Jackson, the raw edge of Lorna Shore, and the poetic darkness of Edgar Allan Poe. For this ninth solo outing, he brings in a tight crew of collaborators.
His wife, Cassandra Fowler, features heavily, alongside artists like Saint Sedonia, Blayke Rose, Hyfn Alexzander, THE AMBI, Romer, Chi, and Draco Castelviel.
The sound of “Zero” is massive, hitting with the force of a cinematic blockbuster. Lylantz handled all the production, mixing, and mastering himself, and the result is a sonic experience that feels incredibly tactile and immediate.
You can hear the grit in the vocals and the weight of the bass lines, making every track feel like a physical presence in the room. “Sailor’s Tale” takes the rhythmic bounce of a sea shanty and flips it with aggressive rap verses.
“New Order” is a post-apocalyptic anthem that feels designed for a stadium, while “La Llorona” takes a classic Latin American legend and turns it into a Gothic-Drill banger. The instrumentation swings wildly from delicate piano lines to crushing metal breakdowns, keeping the energy unpredictable and entirely engaging.
At its core, this album is about the messy, painful process of starting over. It is about the Phoenix myth: burning everything to the ground so you can rise up stronger. This theme of radical reinvention feels incredibly relevant right now.
It mirrors the chaotic energy of the current digital age, where internet culture constantly demands that we tear down old structures to build new ones. Lylantz taps into that collective anxiety and turns it into a source of power. He is not running from the darkness; he is weaponizing it.
Listening to “Zero” is a physical experience. The pacing of the album is relentless, structured to keep you off balance. Just when you think you have a grasp on the vibe, Lylantz throws a curveball, shifting from a haunting acoustic moment into a full-blown horrorcore assault.
It is the kind of project that requires you to strap in and surrender to the ride. Speaking of rides, the sheer volume of ideas packed into these twenty tracks is staggering, yet it never feels bloated. Every sonic choice serves the larger narrative.
This release cements Lylantz as a force to be reckoned with in the underground scene. He is operating on a completely different frequency than his peers, refusing to compromise his vision for the sake of easy consumption.
“Zero” is a massive swing, and it connects on every level. It is dark, it is theatrical, and it is undeniably alive. The project proves that true innovation comes from those willing to risk everything, tearing down the old to build something entirely new.
The fire has been lit, and the ashes are still hot. Are you ready to step into the flames?
