Ok, Zao is a band that plays what I could best describe as melodic death. They have influenced many bands in their day, and Howard Jones (of Killswitch Engage) has admitted in several interviews the influence Zao has had on him. Zao (pronounced zay-o, not Zow, as commonly believed) have just released a new album titled "The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here". It is one of their most brutal to date, and is the first time in the bands history that two albums in a row have had the same lineup. Any fans?

Download these songs if you've never heard: Free The Three, Savannah, Physician Heal Thyself, and Skin Like Winter.

Call me a tag whore if you will, but Zao is nowhere near melodic death metal in my book, and my book is all about melodic death metal They play metalcore, period.

Ok, fine metalcore, whatever. I look at it as more than that. I hate the word metalcore, because people automatically assume the band will suck.

No, they play Zao-metal.

Anyways, I was impressed with their newest release, The Fear is What Keeps us Here. At first I was a little disappointed, but I got into it. It is raw as fuck and there isn't any shitty emo singing on it, unlike The Funeral of God. What I really liked about it though was the fact that there weren't any bullshit tracks. All of them are good.

Written by Dangerboner on 25.06.2006 at 06:36

No, they play Zao-metal.

Anyways, I was impressed with their newest release, The Fear is What Keeps us Here. At first I was a little disappointed, but I got into it. It is raw as fuck and there isn't any shitty emo singing on it, unlike The Funeral of God. What I really liked about it though was the fact that there weren't any bullshit tracks. All of them are good.

Exactly. To anyone who doesnt have their new disc: WHAT THE FUCK IS TAKING SO LONG??? BUY IT NOW!!!!

Best Zao album is where blood and fire bring rest and the greatest hits is wicked also titled Legendary.
My fav song is Suspended in Suspension (i think thats what its called) the chorus is like "when the door breaks and u are found suspended high above the ground incased in wires" good stuff!

Written by Angel Deformity on 26.06.2006 at 12:32

Best Zao album is where blood and fire bring rest and the greatest hits is wicked also titled Legendary.
My fav song is Suspended in Suspension (i think thats what its called) the chorus is like "when the door breaks and u are found suspended high above the ground incased in wires" good stuff!

Yeah, I have Legendary, and the two newest albums (The Funeral Of God, The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here), and Legendary may be the best, especially since its got some of the old vocalist on there.

Well, Legendary is awesome, but I think their best regular album is When Blood and Fire Bring Rest. Their self-titled cd and Liberate Te Ex Inferis are good too. I didn't really like All Else Failed and The Funeral of God, and from the few songs I heard, Parade of Chaos is kinda cheesy.

Oh yeah, these guys kick ass live too. I've only seen them once, but they didn't disappoint.

My friend saw them this weekend with Demon Hunter and some other bands. He actually talked to Dan and the drummer. He said he was just standing there, saw Dan, and was like, theres no way...... walked up to him and said youre Dan Weydant, right? Hey said yeah. Then they just hung out til Zao's set. That is awesome.

WOW!!! Haven't heard this band until just now. Just listened to some samples of their songs at their website and was just blown away by those snippets. Definitely, need to go and pick up at least the latest if not the rest..

Written by Guest on 27.06.2006 at 22:23

WOW!!! Haven't heard this band until just now. Just listened to some samples of their songs at their website and was just blown away by those snippets. Definitely, need to go and pick up at least the latest if not the rest..

Yes!!! Thats awesome, man! Enjoy it.

In my interest if this thread not slipping to the second page, Im posting. Please, Zao fans, post here. Anything you wanna say about Zao. Im not talkin to myself here.

Haha, I would talk if I'd know them. So far, I've heard some opinions of them, which weren't too positive. So, fire101, recommend me some stuff and prove them wrong.

Oh shit, you mentioned them in your first post. Me downloads them.

good, lemme me know man. If ya need any other recommnedations, just ask.

I would post more but I never look at the Melodic Metal forum and I forgot about this thread.

Anyways, how did you guys like the recording of the drums on their newest album? I liked how raw and live it sounded.

Written by Guest on 23.06.2006 at 23:59

Call me a tag whore if you will, but Zao is nowhere near melodic death metal in my book, and my book is all about melodic death metal They play metalcore, period.

He said it best.

Check out a live video of Zao playing their song Savannah.

http://uvtv.info/zao.php

Next person who says Zao is Melodic Death is getting a seriously big fuckin kick in the face! Its metalcore...jesus i almost swallowed my icecream stick when i read that!

Anyway....Zao is metalcore and metalcore sucks so yeah

Yeah, this topic should probably be moved to the Extreme or Alternative Metal forum.

Written by Dangerboner on 30.06.2006 at 22:11

Check out a live video of Zao playing their song Savannah.

http://uvtv.info/zao.php

Thanks dude. Thats my favorite Zao song.

Just added another one for "The Last Revelation" - same link:

http://uvtv.info/zao.php

@Richiedude: Thanks, man!

I promised you my opinion, so here it goes:

Am listening to 'Resistance' right now. My first impression, hearing the opening riff was: not bad at all. But than those HORRIBLE vocals kicked in, and I wanted to throw them off right away. But I'm still listening, open-minded he?

No, seriously. Musically it is quite ok, but when you have vocals that make me puke (in a bad way), you do something wrong.

whoa whoa whoa...which version did you hear? They had two vocalists do that song and the original dude sucked.

Oh dear shiot, ZAO is fucking not Melodic Death Metal my friends, they play Metalcore with horrid influences and crappy overtones. I respect few metalcore bands but ZAO made me stop listening to metalcore actually...yeah they're that bad imo.

so anyway..don't support shitty metal...

yeah...the dude knows they're not melo death and he moved them to the alternative metal forum.

Well, there's another true fact in what herz said, this band we're talking about is metalcore, and that genre isn't extreme metal as far as I know. the other cool thing is that not even Mortification, being a death metal band is extreme, I guess when a band has christian lyrics and sings about how jesus is the answer the whole extreme factor dies instantly oh yeah Zao talks about those things in case you didin't notice.

Written by Guest on 30.06.2006 at 22:34

Next person who says Zao is Melodic Death is getting a seriously big fuckin kick in the face! Its metalcore...jesus i almost swallowed my icecream stick when i read that!

Anyway....Zao is metalcore and metalcore sucks so yeah

yeah...like you're really gonna kick someone in the face....go play d@d in your parent's basement some more...dont make me laugh, you're a scrawny ,Greasy,sexually frustrated loser just like most "true metalheads"...anyways...Zao is decent...i havent really listened to ,much ..they did a badass cover of "Black Coffee" on the Black Flag tribute album though

Wow, that was completely uncalled for. I apoligize, Herz, thats his opinion, not mine. If he wishes to be close-minded, let him.

On to the discussion at hand:

Zao, IMO, is still melodic death/metalcore. They have death metal vox and they are more extreme than most metalcore bands.

Zao is Metalcore...but who cares?..Metalcore?...Melodic Death?....if the music Slits your throat...thats all that matters...i've only been a member for a couple days however, i've noticed that people on these forums are soo uptight and have to carefully label everything into 5000 categories .RELAX!!! its Metal,stop arguing over what brand of toilet paper king diamond uses to wipe his' ass.and have some fucking fun with it..because you guys with your rules and snobby "must be mature and serious at all times" convos on these forums are draining the fun out of Metal or all of the independent Music scene for that matter...btw fire101..is your' last comment directed towards me?... if so..i'm a closeminded badguy for putting some elitist prick in his place?...