Zao The Funeral of God
Ferret Records July 13th, 2004
By Jason Jordan
Zao have certainly endured their fair share of debacles, including numerous line-up changes, uncountable break-ups, and the industrys presumed lack of interest in their abilities. But the metal behemoth has always persevered. And, year after year, they continue to release albums amidst the chaos (no pun intended).
The Funeral of God is a concept album that relies on the mixture between extremely heavy passages, with sick-in-a-good-way vocals courtesy of Dan Weyandt, and eclectic pathways punctuated with Scott Mellingers clean vocals. The two aforementioned performers combine in order to bring their group to a new level: it works very well.
Breath of the Black Muse is the opening track, and it doesnt spare any punch. Double-bass drumming intertwining with furious guitars creates an atmosphere that Zao fans should be familiar with. About 1:40 min. into the song it mellows out and were treated to Mellingers unique vocalizations. A slight lull follows, and then machine gun-esque musicianship accompanies us for the rest of the piece.
"The Rising End (The First Prophecy) is next in line. Along with the band's excellent utilization of the stop/start technique, they have some of the most foreboding lyrics Ive ever read:
And when the end she comes, rains down on everyone, fire from the sky, and when the end she rides, breathing out suicide, life and death are one
You must listen to get the full feeling, but rest assured that the melodies and rhythms in this anthem will be stuck in your head for days. The Last Revelation (The Last Prophecy) is subsequent and its one of the more driving tunes on the album. It is almost as if these songs want us to find a deeper meaning other than aesthetic enjoyment.
The Last Song from Zion follows. Yeah, they use the word last a lot. The riffage is similar to something that Amon Amarth might coin, circa Versus the World. Skipping a track brings us to one of the more groovy numbers on the release in The Lesser Lights of Heaven. Psalm of the City of the Dead is the closer at number eleven. This eight-minute epic brings the proceedings home to rest in the dreariness where the album began. Only fitting are the haunting, female vocals and the few sung lines of the hopeless city-dwellers. Piano completes the picture by conjuring an unforgettable melody over the rest of the bands playing. It truly is a fitting end to an inspired and well-crafted album.
The Funeral of God wont necessarily dethrone any of their past outputs, but it does successfully carve into Zaos stellar legacy. Perhaps the most humorous thing about this record is that, arguably, its not their darkest album. But, the latter statements dont detract from the fact that the release has much to offer.
9/10
Official Zao website
Official Ferret Records website
Ferret Records July 13th, 2004
By Jason Jordan
Zao have certainly endured their fair share of debacles, including numerous line-up changes, uncountable break-ups, and the industrys presumed lack of interest in their abilities. But the metal behemoth has always persevered. And, year after year, they continue to release albums amidst the chaos (no pun intended).
The Funeral of God is a concept album that relies on the mixture between extremely heavy passages, with sick-in-a-good-way vocals courtesy of Dan Weyandt, and eclectic pathways punctuated with Scott Mellingers clean vocals. The two aforementioned performers combine in order to bring their group to a new level: it works very well.
Breath of the Black Muse is the opening track, and it doesnt spare any punch. Double-bass drumming intertwining with furious guitars creates an atmosphere that Zao fans should be familiar with. About 1:40 min. into the song it mellows out and were treated to Mellingers unique vocalizations. A slight lull follows, and then machine gun-esque musicianship accompanies us for the rest of the piece.
"The Rising End (The First Prophecy) is next in line. Along with the band's excellent utilization of the stop/start technique, they have some of the most foreboding lyrics Ive ever read:
And when the end she comes, rains down on everyone, fire from the sky, and when the end she rides, breathing out suicide, life and death are one
You must listen to get the full feeling, but rest assured that the melodies and rhythms in this anthem will be stuck in your head for days. The Last Revelation (The Last Prophecy) is subsequent and its one of the more driving tunes on the album. It is almost as if these songs want us to find a deeper meaning other than aesthetic enjoyment.
The Last Song from Zion follows. Yeah, they use the word last a lot. The riffage is similar to something that Amon Amarth might coin, circa Versus the World. Skipping a track brings us to one of the more groovy numbers on the release in The Lesser Lights of Heaven. Psalm of the City of the Dead is the closer at number eleven. This eight-minute epic brings the proceedings home to rest in the dreariness where the album began. Only fitting are the haunting, female vocals and the few sung lines of the hopeless city-dwellers. Piano completes the picture by conjuring an unforgettable melody over the rest of the bands playing. It truly is a fitting end to an inspired and well-crafted album.
The Funeral of God wont necessarily dethrone any of their past outputs, but it does successfully carve into Zaos stellar legacy. Perhaps the most humorous thing about this record is that, arguably, its not their darkest album. But, the latter statements dont detract from the fact that the release has much to offer.
9/10
Official Zao website
Official Ferret Records website
