Expectations.
Seemingly, this is the word most associated with the latest studio effort by Zao. In the time following the release of 1998's Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest, a new breed of Zao fan emerged, as the disc created quite a stir with its hybrid of metal, hardcore, and yes, even rock. (if you don't agree, just tell me what you call that catchy riff in oh, "To Think Of You.." at 2:04 for example?) ..all of this topped off with the new snakelike vocal stylings of former Seasons In The Field bassist Daniel Weyandt. In the meanwhile, fans of the old lineup either looked on in disgust and hit play on their copy of The Splinter.. or gave it a chance and fell in love with this different, but by all means superior style.
And here's where the expectations of the new record are either met or fallen short of.
Musical/Technical Expectations: "Wow, that last record was a big leap forward.. imagine what the NEXT one will be like??" Hmm.. Is it different again? Yes. And it's good. It's great even. But if you're expecting technical leaps and bounds, this isn't it. Creative, however, it is. (In an experimental sort of way, and we all know experiments don't always have perfect outcomes. That's why they're experiments.) "But they've got Scott Mellinger from Creation Is Crucifixion!" Oh, you crybaby. Just because he's now part of Zao, don't expect them to become CIC..
Here's the lowdown. The songs are mostly slow/mid-paced, crunching, very dark and depressing sounding material, topped off with the occasional huge groove that is sure to get your head moving, a la "Savannah", "A Ghost Psalm" or "Desire The End", the latter of which is my favorite on the entire cd. Don't mistake me though, it definitely has its faster moments, just not many of them. "Autopsy" is quite a fast and catchy song, and I think if you liked "A Fall Farewell" off their last album, you'll like this as well. The acoustic parts of the cd add nicely to complement everything else. Production-wise, it seems to be "dirtier" in a sense that everything isn't quite as slick and clean sounding as WBAFBR. Consider however that this cd was recorded at Poynter's, the same place. They wanted this sound, no question in my mind. The guitars also seem to have a bit more fuzz and crunch. The low point of this album arrives with the final track. Quite bizarre in its title "Man In Cage Jack Wilson" as well as its repetitiveness, it ever so slowly builds in tempo and intensity until Jesse is wailing on the drums. Somehow the whole feel of it makes me think I'm watching a Quentin Tarantino movie.. for I am left in puzzlement at the point of it all.
Lyrical Expectations: If you could visualize the progression of Zao's last 3 albums from a spiritual standpoint, it would look something like a staircase going from the heights of joyful worship to the depths of despair and grief. If you listened to WBAFBR and were pleased with Dan's dark poetic approach, you'll be pleased again, perhaps except for one major point. This time it's pretty much void of any direct reference to christianity. The closest it gets is also the simplest in content. "Desire The End", which speaks of longing for the old ways of this world to be destroyed and for us to have a new beginning with God, of course, in a very abstract way. Part of me applauds them for having the guts to come out of a christian market & make an album that is so accessible to the non-believer.. The only thing is, it's a little too much so. I know God can use this album, it's just going to take a very discerning listener to pinpoint what Zao is about if they didn't know beforehand. Unless of course.. they read the cover! But there will always be those who don't have access to the cover or liner notes.
At first, Liberate Te Ex Inferis found me among the disappointed, minus a few songs. However, as is the case sometimes, it grew on me and I realized that overall it is quite a solid album. If it weren't for some cool things they left out of songs I'd heard previously, and if some more work was done to make the slightly mediocre songs shine, this would probably have gotten a 9.
8/10
Other Staff Member Ratings
Grindboy: 7.5/10
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Ryan LittleThis disc was recorded way back in 1999, when Zao had a five-member roster. The combination of the riffs, drumming, and lyrical meaning is extremely potent. Classic Zao, no doubt about it. The presence of Rob and Russ seems to provide some musical mobility, but at the same time it's amazing that their musical integrity has both kept its quality and gotten better since this cd. Here we have a disc…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Josh MarihughThe first thing that grabs you about the new Zao disc, other than the huge eye on the front, is the Latin title. Now take a look at the back; the disc is divided into five movements. Has Zao gone all epic on us, a la Saviour Machine? No, although their newest album has taken a decided turn for the darker, compared to their earlier work. Where Zao's first Solid State disc, The Splinter Shards the…The Phantom Tollbooth 2000Reviewed by Matt CildermanThe latest album that Zao has stirred up is a thick and hearty feast for all of you who love Deathcore. The concept behind this album is awesome and quite original. It digs deep into some of the ideas from Dante's Inferno. There are ten songs in five groups; the five groups represent the five circles of hell. These songs are dark and stay right with the theme, while the lyrics are descriptive and…HM Magazine #79Reviewed by David BixlerI am going to admit something. I absolutely love Zao, and they have remained one of my favorite bands, even through various lineup changes and a quite extreme musical progression. And yet, I wasn't sure that this album would deliver like their last release, Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest, did. After listening to this disc several times though, that fear was quashed. This CD sees Zao cover even…Bandoppler 1999Reviewed by John SantGet ready. This may be one of the heaviest albums to come out in the past few years, and it will shock you. ZAO has carried the Blood and Fire sound to a whole new level with Liberate Te Ex Inferis, a refined, brooding approach to metalcore. The album is divided into five circles of Hell (Limbo, The Lustful, The Gluttonous, The Hoarders and The Spendthrifts, The Wrathful) with two songs in each…Exit Zine 1999Reviewed by John SantGet ready. This may be one of the heaviest albums to come out in the past few years. Zao has carried the Blood and Fire sound to a whole new level with Liberate Te Ex Inferis, a refined, brooding approach to metalcore. The album is divided into five circles of Hell (Limbo, The Lustful, The Gluttonous, The Hoarders and The Spendthrifts, The Wrathful) with two songs in each circle. Each song in one…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by ConradI thought I would hate this album considering it's genre - hard core/metal, and considering the vocals - death screaming. But, to me, this album did everything that a band in this style of music should do. First off this album is most embodied by the movie "Event Horizon." There are a few well chosen and well placed clips of the movie, at the beginning, middle and end, making it seem like this…Decapolis 1999Reviewed by Tom BastianI've never really been into this band or their style of music. So with that said I was actually kind of impressed, by the music that is. The vocals are a whole other story. Well I guess I will start out with the vocals. I don't think I understood a single word that was said, screamed, yelped, or forced out. The best analogy I could think of would be, if Cobra Commander from G.I. Joe had a dark…Art for the Ears 1999Reviewed by Marco PovervestThis is the third record from metalcore masters Zao. Their previous album Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest was one of my favorite extreme music albums of 1998. That album featured guitarist Brett Detar who switched over to The Juliana Theory. I regret that because his playing on the Zao album was inspiring. To replace him, the band has now two guitarists. Surprisingly, the sound of Zao hasn't…Dead Zine 1999Reviewed by MuchWhen I first gave this disc a couple of initial spins I was not very thrilled. Not because it sucked, but because it seemed fairly simple and not as harsh as Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest. Now after about 10 solid spins I found Liberate Te Ex Inferis to be nothing less than purely refreshing. I don't know what I was thinking at first. The LP is like nothing I've heard, mature, and powerful. If…Dead Zine 1999Reviewed by FletchFar from The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation. If you liked Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest, prepare yourself. Liberate Te Ex Inferis is the darkest, most evil sounding music I have heard in quite a while. It should go without saying that Jesse's drumming is nothing short of amazing and Dan's vocals are some of the best you will ever hear. However, the guitars are threefold better than…Similar sounding releases
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