 | Artist: Zao Album: Awake? Label: Ferret Music Rating: 7 out of 10 |
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Metalcore stalwarts Zao have been at it since 1993, and though they've broken up roughly every two years and changed members more often than Spinal Tap, the band have also managed to churn out nine solid studio albums, each with a unique sound and atmosphere.
Their latest Ferret Music release, Awake?, follows 2006's The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here, a Steve Albini-produced noise-fest that was recorded almost entirely live in studio. Awake?, however, harkens back to two touchstones of Zao's catalog 2004 concept album The Funeral of God and 1999 high-water mark Liberate Te Ex Inferis (roughly translated as "Save Yourself from Hell"). Throughout Awake?, longtime guitarist Scott Mellinger delivers some of his fieriest death metal-inspired riffing since the days of Liberate. Just try not to bang your head to the rapid-fire assaults of "Entropica" and "What Will You Find?" Daniel Weyandt, who has been Zao's front man and primary lyricist 1997, is also in peak form here, putting his trademark demonic roar in service of typically bleak yet poetic lyrics such as, "In the attics and crawlspaces of my mind, there are stowaways and quiet passengers./Theyve been there since I was a child, whispering softly amongst themselves" (from "Quiet Passenger Pt. 2"). However, Awake? shares one weakness with the otherwise flawless Funeral---clean vocals, which crop up on roughly half the songs here. Injecting some melody but not too much into the metallic assault is generally a good thing, but unfortunately, singing is the one thing Zao's members have just never been very good at. While some tracks work just fine with a little melody in the chorus ("The Eyes Behind the Throne," mini-epic "Romance of the Southern Spirit"), both the title track and "Quiet Passenger Pt. 1" follow blistering verses with keyless, largely tuneless choruses that burden Awake? with a forgettable, flabby midsection. Those missteps aside, though, this is Zao's most consistently enjoyable and downright brutal release in several years. While Liberate remains the best entry points for newcomers, Awake? narrowly edges out Funeral as the perfect introduction to Zao most recent incarnation. Lets hope the band can stay together long enough (or break up, then quickly reunite) to put out another record this good. Todd Thatcher |