Zao Band

Zao (American band) - Wikipedia

Zao have been around for quite a while and have been through multiple band members, but they almost always put out high quality metal.

They just released a new album and it's fantastic: The Well-Intentioned Virus - Wikipedia

Dan's vocals have never sounded better and the music is top notch as always.

Ranking their albums:

The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here
Liberate te ex Inferis
Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest
Self-Titled
The Funeral of God
Parade of Chaos
The Well-Intended Virus
Awake?
All Else Failed

 

Band is legendary. I saw them on tour with Becoming the Archetype and August Burns Red as openers way back in 2006, and they were legends then. Dan's vocals will always be my favorite. I think I read somewhere that early on his vox were inspired by Carcass, and Jimmy Ryan of Haste the Day's vocals were inspired by Dan. As a fan of all three bands, it's cool to hear the similarities.

Here is an older song from Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest, which is a near perfect album.

 

Need to listen to more of their discography. Funeral of God was the record that clicked with me and I remember loving it. New one is pretty good too.

 

Ravage Ritual is an all time metal favorite of mine, as well as that album.

My favorite tour I saw them with was Misery Signals opening for Zao opening for Every Time I Die opening for Dillinger Escape Plan.

Legendary.

 

If I remember correctly, it was "The Funeral of God" era for Zao, "Hot Damn!" era for ETID, and "Miss Machine" era for DEP.

 

Speaking of Hot Damn, hot damn you saw Mis Sigs and Zao in one night? Two of my all time favorite bands.

 

Yeah, but I didn't know Misery Signals at all at that point. Was back in 2004 or 2005 I believe.

 

Yeah, 10/22/04: Tours: Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, Zao and Misery Signals

 

I was soooooooo bummed to miss that show. It sold out but I went to venue and hung out outside for hours trying to get a ticket. There were probably another 100 people trying to do the same thing.

 

Love these guys but I always...sort of forget they exist...

Your ranking is pretty on point though. Need to give the new album a few more listens.

 

The Fear... is so ferocious. I hope they eventually get back to that sound.

Jeff Gretz is a God.

 

Great band and great new album

 

It took me a bit to get into The Fear. I bought it right when it came out and was shocked at how raw/dirty it sounded. Apparently that's their preference - recording live and through special amps/mics to give it that filthy sound. I appreciate it much more these days.

 

It's crazy to me that Steve Albini reached out to THEM to produce that album.

 

This is my favorite 2016 heavy release. I get some serious Poison the Well vibes throughout. Great stuff.

 

Cool to see this band have its own thread. Absolute legends and their new album is great. My album rankings just because (Weyandt era only):

Liberate te ex Inferis
Funeral of God
Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest
Awake?
Self-Titled
The Fear is What Keeps Us Here
Parade of Chaos
All Else Failed (Remake)

A little too early to put in the new album, but initial reaction is to put it right after Blood and Fire. The big mover for me has been Awake? It didn't grab me until recently, but that album has become really, really good over time. I personally still don't care all that much for the production on Fear. I totally get the decision it just doesn't work for me. I've always enjoyed the cleaner, more precise production of their other albums. Still though, I can listen to all these albums and have a great time revisiting them.

 

I listen to other metal bands more often, but in the end, it all comes back to Zao.

Even got the "Z cross" symbol tattoo on my shoulder.

 

Man, this new album is just unrelentingly brutal. I wish more people listened to it/them.

 

Goodness, how is this band still so good?
ZAO "Hide From The Light" on New Split EP With Yashira

 

Bumping a year old thread just to say where fire and blood makes me want to mosh for jesus

 

that album is perfect