And while all of those records expanded my understanding of heavy music, I would be lying if I didn’t include another album by Zao in my top 15 albums that have changed my life.

In the later years of high school, Zao was my favorite band and I eagerly awaited the release of this album. For months I religiously checked their record label, Solid State Records, website in hopes of a release date or sample mp3s (I think, this may have come out before mp3s previews were commonplace) to no avail. And then, one day, my friend and bandmate Chris gives me a cd he burned of a leaked copy of the album about 2 months before it came out!

I was as excited as the proverbial birthday boy who pukes all over his gifts in ecstatic joy. I could have kissed Chris! I immediately listened to the record and was astounded by Zao’s departure from Liberate te ex Inferis.  Electronic drums, keyboards, samples instrumental passages, and vocalist Daniel Weyandt’s scream sounded like three men and some kind of animal combined. Truly monstrous.

Around this time a lot of the band’s drama came to light. I blame the Internet. All the details about drummer Jesse Smith’s dissatisfaction with Solid State Records and the group being pegged as a “Christian band” could be read anywhere. The troubles the band experienced on previous tours with members getting angry and quitting just to rejoin again hours later. The departure of long-time guitarist Russ Cogdell (for school, graphic design I believe) and bassist Rob Horner (who rejoined the band after (Self-Titled) was recorded) and the uncertainty of Dan remaining the voice of Zao given his many side projects (opening a tattoo parlor and his rockabilly band primarily.) A lot of these gritty details were also discussed in an article published by HM Magazine shortly after the album was released.

Anyway, about the record itself. Beginning with the vicious post break-up but not at all emo “5 Year Winter,” the album immediately punches you in the face. Instead of a crawling, almost liturgical intro like what is found at the start of Liberate… or a rhythmic build up found in Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest, all you have are four bars of “clean” guitar to prepare yourself. The song begins with a pummeling breakdown and the immortal words “Dear Tiffany, you’ve made me nauseous for the last time!” Zao would eventually feature this track as the opening song on successive tours and the mosh pit would explode. “5 Year Winter” was followed by what was in essence the album’s titled track, the instrumental “Alive Is Dead” (“Zao” is a Greek word means which means “alive” and “Alive Is Dead” is both a reference to how close the band was to breaking up, plus it was the original title of the album.)

Other notable songs are the anti-abortion song “A Tool to Scream,” the murder ballad “The End of His World,” the melodic, cleanly sung, nearly Deftones’ acoustic b-side “FJL” and my personal favorite, the album ending statement of purpose, that Zao will not die without first killing a giant, the chaotic “At Zero (Simon Simmons).” Compared to 1999′s rough and raw Liberate…, (Self-Titled) is sterile, distinct and played with a surgeon’s precision. The use of electronics, keys and looped drums convey a mechanical feel as though Zao themselves are tired of their robotic nature and the unfeeling way they have dealt with their label, their fans and themselves.

The overall sound of the record also adds to the feelings of alienation and isolation in the lyrics. From bitter anger with an ex, to regret over the death a loved one, to speaking out towards harsh judgment and criticism the whole record is a study is estrangement. I identified with this on a superficial, mostly boy-girl relational level during my junior year of high school. Liking girls. Being rejected by them. Doing some rejection myself. Several of the songs became anthems to get me through those emotional times. But on a deeper level I found communion whether consciously or not with feeling different from my parents, peers and community. I was the only one of my friend who liked this extreme, rather angry sounding music. I could not quantify to my parents why I identified with a dude bitterly screaming or why I might want to wear all black and dye my hair and paint my fingers the same color. The music helped establish my identity as separate and mine. It was the inevitable rebellion against my parents as I understand it now and Dan’s lyrics helped me work through that.

Musically, Scott Mellinger’s playing was more melodic and tonal. Overall, given the production was much cleaner and I could actually understand what Scott was playing, I was able to figure out a few of his chord formations and riffs. Being that he was the lone guitarist in the band, Scott’s playing was predominantly rhythmic without too many overdubs other than doubling. While there weren’t any musical epiphanies that profoundly effected my guitar playing like the last two records, a lot of what was learned from them was reinforced. I experimented more with lower tunings since Zao played dropped D a whole step down (“dropped C”.)

Representing a turning point in my musical development, it confirmed that I was now a “metalhead.” I could listen to other bands and not have to take a lot of time to adjust to the harsh screaming. I could handle stranger, non-melodic scales and chord patterns. I also began to fall in love with the rhythmic breakdown, but we run into a few records next that take that idea to the extreme. So, until next time.

(Self-Titled) on La La
Zao’s MySpace