Zao

    Zao

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania31 reviews across 12 releases

    DiscogsWebsiteBandcampFacebookInstagram

    Zao is a Christian hardcore band formed in West Virginia in 1993 and associated with Pittsburgh in later records. The early material combined straightforward punk attack with metallic guitar work, occasional emo passages, and vocals that reviewers found difficult to compare with other hardcore singers. All Else Failed established a rapidly shifting style: songs moved from slow weight to grindcore speed, while complex riffs retained memorable melodies. By The Splinter Shards The Birth Of Separation, the band had intensified its earlier songs and added a stronger metal element without abandoning hardcore. A near-total lineup change then produced Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest, whose slow breakdowns and thundering metal replaced much of the earlier punkcore velocity. Dan Weyandt's poetic writing also replaced the earlier records' more direct evangelism.

    After the 1997 Cornerstone festival, every member except drummer Jesse Smith left Zao. Smith rebuilt the band with guitarist Brett Detar, guitarist Russ Cogdell, and vocalist Dan Weyandt, but Detar departed in 1999 and Rob Horner and Scott Mellinger joined for the next phase. The band continued through further changes, releasing Parade of Chaos in 2002 before announcing a breakup; Weyandt and Cogdell later returned, and Zao signed with Ferret Records. The 2004 concept album The Funeral of God treated God's departure as a worldwide catastrophe and brought a more stable period of touring. Bassist Shawn Koschick and drummer Stephen Peck subsequently left. Jeff Gretz and Marty Lunn replaced them, while Cogdell departed after a knee injury. The band recorded again with Steve Albini in 2006, then entered a long hiatus before returning to releases in 2015.

    12 releases reviewed