Zao (US band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Zao | ||
|---|---|---|
 (l-r):Martin Lunn, Dan Weyandt, Jeff Gretz,
and Scott Mellinger |
||
| Background information | ||
| Origin | Parkersburg, West Virginia, USA | |
| Genre(s) | Metalcore | |
| Years active | 1993 – present | |
| Label(s) | Ferret, Solid State, Steadfast, Tooth & Nail |
|
| Website | ZaoOnline.com | |
| Members | ||
| Daniel Weyandt Scott Mellinger Martin Lunn Russ Cogdell Josh Walters |
||
| Former members | ||
| See Personnel | ||
- For other uses of the term "zao," see Zao (disambiguation).
Zao is a metalcore band from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, which is widely considered to have pioneered the boundaries of Christian metal music[citation needed]. Founded in 1993 in Parkersburg, West Virginia, Zao has hosted several musicians and endured numerous roster changes to the point where no original members remain.
Christianity has been a key influence in the band's work; because the founding members claimed to have a strong relationship with God, they were considered a devoted Christian band, which changed as time passed. Jesse Smith slowly changed his vision for the band, preferring it to be not a 100% Christian band. As Dan Weyandt entered the band, the lyrics changed drastically, mostly leaving a message that he is alive because of God, not with the intention of spreading the religion, but to let know how it helped him in his personal struggles. Because only half the band's present members identify themselves as Christians, Zao no longer considers itself a Christian band but rather a group of open-minded artists.[1] [2]
To date, Zao has completed nine full-length albums, three EPs, a two-disc DVD documentary and multiple concert tours, garnering a limited but global fanbase and setting genre standards in the process.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Christian beginnings (1993-1997)
Zao began in the Parkersburg, West Virginia, area as an evangelical group of acquaintances with a passion for aggressive music: vocalist Eric Reeder, guitarist Roy Goudy, bassist Mic Cox, and drummer Jesse Smith. The band's name comes from the Greek word (ζάω), which means "alive" or "to have life". Zao vocalist Eric Reeder has been credited with coming up with the band's name.[3][4] Calling their sound "Christ centered hardcore", they sought to reach an audience that they felt has been pushed away from the organized church.[4] Most of their early songs, which appeared on their first two full-length albums, All Else Failed and The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation, contained explicit references to God and centered on the theme of the peace of God. [1] Reeder left before Zao recorded The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation and was replaced by Shawn Jonas; original bassist Mic Cox left the band, and Kevin Moran took his place. Ron Gray also joined the band as a second guitarist on The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation.
[edit] Reconstruction and a change in style (1998-2001)
After recording a series of demos, two EPs, two full-length albums, and completing a number of tours, all of the band members except for drummer Jesse Smith left the band after the 1997 Cornerstone Festival. Smith, faced with the task of assembling a new lineup, recruited Daniel Weyandt, a vocalist whose talents impressed Smith and gave the band's style a new direction. In addition to Weyandt, guitarists Russ Cogdell and Brett Detar joined the band for Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest and the band's tours for the album. For Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest, Zao went without a bassist; Rob Horner became their new bassist during the tours for that album. Detar played with Zao on Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest and a subsequent split EP with Training For Utopia before leaving to start The Juliana Theory; Scott Mellinger replaced him.
Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest came out just over a year after The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation and showed a nearly complete change in sound. While Splinter was a hardcore album, Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest featured a more metalcore style, along with a piano instrumental, "Violet". Previous vocalist Shawn Jonas used a lower screaming style, similar to death grunting; Weyandt's vocals were higher-pitched screams akin to what one often hears in black metal bands. Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest was also the most overtly Christian album that Zao made after Weyandt joined the band.
Zao released two more albums, Liberate Te Ex Inferis and (Self-Titled), in 1999 and 2001, respectively. Liberate was Zao's first concept album and dealt with five of the circles of Hell depicted in Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy. After Liberate, the band nearly changed its full lineup a second time. Horner left the band in early 2000; Weyandt took over the bass duties. Cogdell also left in summer 2000 to attend film school. Weyandt, Mellinger, and Smith remained for the recording of the highly experimental (Self-Titled). On (Self-Titled), Smith used an electronic drum kit and handled the vocals in several songs; with Smith's vocals, the album showed a new, much more melodic side of Zao, contrasted with Weyandt's black metal screaming.
Though Weyandt has vacated the band on at least three occasions, his guttural and abrasive voice has been considered one of Zao's primary draws in recent years. Weyandt left the band briefly in July 2000, soon after Horner and Cogdell left, which would have left only Smith and Mellinger to record (Self-Titled). Weyandt rejoined the band in time to record (Self-Titled) later that year with Mellinger and Smith, but he was officially released from the band in December 2000. Entrust vocalist Cory Darst replaced him. Weyandt rejoined Zao in early 2002.
[edit] Breakups and Parade of Chaos (2001-2002)
Throughout their consistent, extensive lineup changes, Zao was long subject to breakup rumors. In an interview in the November/December 2000 issue of the HM Magazine, Zao said that they would disband following their tour with the Dillinger Escape Plan if they did not sign with a bigger record label. Century Media and Sanctuary Records were two of the labels whose names frequently came up in rumors; in interviews, Mellinger and Darst confirmed that Zao were negotiating with them. [2] [3] When the band made this announcement, they had already recorded (Self-Titled) and released its track list, which contained a song called "Alive Is Dead", which some interpreted as a reference to the band's name. [4] However, the band did not break up; and they remained with Solid State for about two more years.
In December 2001, Zao abruptly stopped playing at a show in Pittsburgh while on a tour with The Juliana Theory. They were playing "Five Year Winter", with Weyandt as a "guest" vocalist, when Smith walked off the stage and the other band members started arguing with each other. [5] [6] Piebald replaced Zao for the remaining dates of their tour. Solid State reported that Zao had not broken up; Zao released a new album, Parade of Chaos, and re-released All Else Failed with Weyandt on vocals and Mellinger on guitar. Zao played their last show (for the time being) in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on August 12, 2002; the band's lineup at the show was Weyandt, Smith, Mellinger, and Cogdell. [7]
[edit] Reunion and signing with Ferret Records (2003-2007)
Zao reunited for the two Cornerstone Festivals in Illinois and Florida in summer 2003; they were back together by the end of 2003. Weyandt left the band again for several months and was replaced by Society's Finest vocalist Joshua Ashworth. They toured together and recorded two demo songs that would eventually become "The Rising End" and "Praise the War Machine". However, Ashworth never performed the vocals for any of the band's albums; Weyandt rejoined the band before they recorded their second concept album, The Funeral of God, in spring 2004. The reunited Zao also switched record labels for the first time in over seven years, leaving Solid State and signing with the more general-market label Ferret Records.
After Weyandt rejoined the band, Smith left Zao to begin the now defunct band Gods with former Zao member Kevin Moran (guitar). Shawn Koschik and Stephen Peck were brought in on bass and drums respectively. Since Horner and Smith were both based in West Virginia, the band completed its transition to Greensburg, Pennsylvania, when Koschik and Peck joined the band. Smith's departure also meant that Zao no longer had any of their original members. Peck and Koschik remained with Zao until 2005, when they were then replaced by longtime fan and former tour manager Marty Lunn on bass and Jeff Gretz of Conelrad on drums. Before the recording of Zao's second album for Ferret Music (and tenth full-length overall), The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here, Zao parted ways with longtime guitarist Russ Cogdell, who needed knee surgery. The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here, which came out in June 2006, was Zao's first release in which they tried to duplicate their sound in their live shows by tracking all of their instruments live and having Weyandt sing into a hand-held microphone. Eduardo Rivadavia of the All-Music Guide called The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here "the very extreme of what one might still like to categorize as metalcore". [8]
[edit] Zao in the Present (2007)
On January 23, 2007 Zao announced that Russ Cogdell had rejoined the band after an absence due to knee surgery. At the same time the band announced that drummer Jeff Gretz has left the band amicably. Zao have said they will no longer add new members, but Josh Walters, formerly of The Juliana Theory, would perform drums on their records and live shows. Much of the line-up changes stem from the bands new vision which involves less touring in support of their music.
It was also stated that Zao have completed their 2 album deal with Ferret Records. There is no news on whether they intend to resign or seek a new label.[9]
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Current members |
[edit] Former members
|
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums and EPs
| Title | Release date | Notes | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | 1994 | A self-released, eight-song demo tape. | n/a |
| Conflict | 1994 | A self-released, four-song demo tape. | n/a |
| Sustained | 1995 | A self-released, four-song demo tape. | n/a |
| Treadwater EP | 1995 | A split with Through and Through. | Steadfast |
| All Else Failed | 1995 | Steadfast | |
| The Ties That Bind EP | 1996 | A split with Outcast. | Steadfast |
| The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation | 1997-05-20 | Tooth & Nail | |
| Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest | 1998-05-26 | The first album with Daniel Weyandt as vocalist. | Tooth & Nail/Solidstate |
| Split EP | 1998-08-18 | A split with Training for Utopia. | Tooth & Nail/Solidstate |
| Liberate Te Ex Inferis | 1999-09-28 | Solid State | |
| (Self Titled) | 2001-02-27 | The album's title is (Self-Titled) and is not an eponymous release. | Solid State |
| Parade of Chaos | 2002-07-16 | Solid State | |
| All Else Failed | 2003-02-25 | A re-recording of the original with Dan Weyandt singing Shawn Jonas' lyrics. | Solid State |
| The Funeral of God | 2004-07-13 | Ferret Music | |
| The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here | 2006-06-13 | Marty and Jeff's first recording with Zao | Ferret Music |
[edit] Other releases
| Title | Release date | Notes | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legendary | 2004-01-13 | A compilation of songs from previous albums. | Solid State |
| The Lesser Lights of Heaven DVD | 2005-11-15 | A documentary of the band's career. | Ferret Music |
[edit] Videos
- "The Rising End (The First Prophecy)" from The Funeral of God (2004)
- "My Love, My Love (We've Come Back From the Dead)" from The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here (2006)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ ""NEW ALBUM THE FEAR IS WHAT KEEPS US HERE (6/13/06)"", MySpace, 2006-05-15.
- ^ ""BRAND NEW ZAO INTERVIEW WITH LOTS OF NEWS!!!!!!!!! "", MySpace, 2007-01-23.
- ^ Dennis (2004-09-29). Online interview Russ Cogdell, guitarist for Zao. Wise Men Promotions. Retrieved on February 27, 2007.
- ^ a b Reeder, Eric (January/February 2007). "I Have A Dream... (Original Zao)". HM Magazine (123): 22. ISSN 1066-6923.
