And they did, seriously fucking killed it. They have played one show this year and from the looks of clips that have surfaced, if you were there, the chances of you surviving were slim to none. Dan's voice is sicker than ever. How this guy can channel his inner-demons like this is astounding. And his mustache doesn't hurt things, that's for sure. That thing rules.
Check out this clip of "The Rising End" from 2004's Funeral of God and then quit your shitty little band, because you are no longer needed. Thank you very much.
Please play more shows dudes...Heavy music needeth you.
Today is like opening a time capsule of hardcore. Both Earth Crisis and Zao have new records out and I'm heading to my local record shop to buy them. Feels like I'm 17 again, wearing my Snapcase hoodie, long shorts, listening to some Cast Iron Hike...Wait, not much has changed! Earth Crisis is putting out their first original full length since 2000's Slither (which I loved, goofball elitist hardcore d-bags hated) and Zao is back as a four-piece, doing what they do best: Crushing riffs, razor-gargling vocals, poetic lyrics, handlebar mustaches.
The Zao is limited to 8K physical copies and the packaging is supposed to be breathtaking, while Century Media decided to give iTunes an album-only bonus track for Earth Crisis, which is fucked up. Thanks, dudes, who last put an album out before iTunes existed.
Anyway, here's some tunes to wake up with on this fine Cinco de Mayo...
ZAO "Five Year Winter" Live: Earth Crisis "Broken Foundation" Ozzfest Live 1996:
Zao destroys. Forget that they have NO original members. Forget that they used to only play for the Lord. Also forget that they have tried to find (and then toured and recorded) with vocalists that emulated Dan's agonizing growls, only falling ridiculously short. They are the most brutal band I've ever heard. I know there are bands like Bloodbath and Cannibal Corpse and such, that sound like death and dying and cookie monster (although the new Bloodbath EP is super-awesome), but Zao was always (is?) always real and sang/played from the heart.
As with most bands that change singers ad lineups (Van Halen, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Fates Warning, etc), fans are divided into two camps for Zao: Those who go to Cornerstone and are Jesus groupies and those who love Dan Weyandt's voice/lyrics, which have become what the band is and has been focused around since he joined in 1998. He sounds like Heartwork-era Carcass, At The Gates and old In Flames all wrapped into a nice little package. He literally sounds like he gargles with rusty razorblades and gravel. It's intense and amazing and definitely not for everyone.
With every release they get more brutal, making true metal classics like 2000's Self-Titled (which is the name of the LP, not Zao), The Funeral of God, the overly brutal Steve Albini-produced The Fear is What Keeps Us Here and my favorite, the often overlooked Parade of Chaos. They seriously have the power and raw emotion to make other genuine bands look like fakes. I finally got to see them live a few years ago and they opened with "5 Year Winter", a hammering love/break-up letter written to an ex. It even begins "Dear Tiffany...".
I don't know what it is about Jews like myself and some of my other metal friends that love Christian Hardcore and Metal. Maybe having the shit screamed at us works. Who knows and who cares? All I know is that Zao sounds like they could kill you with words and riffs and probably could if given the opportunity.
"My Love, My Love (We've Come Back From The Dead": "The Rising End":
Actually, get "Get Damned", the new LP from The Agony Scene. A good band that may have just become great. I used to think of them as Zao Jr. (and I still kinda do), but this new CD just rips shit apart. I know, it's Metalcore or whatever term you want to call it, but it's a seriously solid record.
They have what I like to call the "Sparta Syndrome". This is when a band makes one record for a label, then switches to another for release #2, then another for release #3...and so on. Clutch has this disease as well. The Agony Scene were bunched into Christian territory on Solid State, then pushed as a Spineshank replacement at Roadrunner, and have now found a proper home at Century Media, a label that supports lifer bands and true metal.
In all honesty, I thought this record would just be decent. The drummer is as solid as they come, the production is stellar, the artwork and packaging are inventive and detailed...and the record simply slays. It's thrash for 2007. Bands like this, Himsa, Demon Hunter and A Life Once Lost (who's new record is unbefuckingleavable) that are taking metal back and not giving a fuck about trends, fashion or mainstream recognition.
Zao Jr...Maybe, but until those dudes get back in the studio, The Agony Scene is more than a seat filler. Way more.
And they did, seriously fucking killed it. They have played one show this year and from the looks of clips that have surfaced, if you were there, the chances of you surviving were slim to none. Dan's voice is sicker than ever. How this guy can channel his inner-demons like this is astounding. And his mustache doesn't hurt things, that's for sure. That thing rules.
