Zao - Awake?

Ferret Music
(2009)

Another Zao album. At this point fans of the band should know what to expect: Dan Weyandt's scathing vocals over the heavy grooves of a revolving lineup of musicians. This much Awake? achieves, as there is no shortage of that now classic metalcore breakdown which Zao helped pioneer. Though there are enough subtle nuances to keep things interesting. The bridge of "1,000,000 Outstretched Arms of Nothing" comes to a molasses crawl of bass guitar before Weyandt lays down a few lines of well executed spoken word, while "Reveal" nicely separates the crushing breaks with an ethereally discordant picking sequence. The standout track here is easily "Romance of the Southern Spirit," a remake of an older song, this time infused with a melodic hardcore vibe akin to old Shai Hulud.

So it is unfortunate that Awake? marks the return of sing-songy clean vocals - an element that Weyandt [a] got away from on the excellent The Fear is What Keeps Us Here (thank you Steve Albini) and [b] pockmarked otherwise decent albums in Self-Titled and The Funeral of God. But when it's acknowledged that Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying had a hand it producing this album, speculation over whence the sappy choruses spawned from can commence with accuracy. In the wake of this unsavory inclusion, Awake? is still a solid release from a veteran band who continues to piece together chords with enough of the heavy to keep heads banging.

That should be the end of the review. But it is not. If this album was completely isolated - from the band who wrote it, from their past records - then it would stand as is. But there are circumstances relevant to this release that alter my perception of it.

Before the release of Awake?, Zao announced that they would not tour full-time in support of the album. Anyone who knows anything about the music business understands that this is where most artists earn their living: on the road. This signals that the band is not a means of subsistence for its members. Also, anyone who is familiar with the metal/hardcore scene knows that the community is not very forgiving towards bands who experiment too far outside their already defined perimeter of sound. Zao themselves must have realized this on their 2002 "farewell" tour when they neglected to play a single track off of their then recently released and less-than-metal Parade of Chaos, instead constructing a surefire setlist mainly out of the staples Where Blood & Fire Bring Rest and Liberate Te Ex Inferis. (I was at the Seattle show and am not complaining.)

Without the monetary and critical pressure that comes with being a "full-time" band, the avenue for artistic freedom and creativity becomes much wider. This is theoretically speaking, of course, because Awake? does not represent the ideal. While being a decent Zao record, it still a by-the-numbers Zao record. It fails to do anything drastically different, or better, than previous albums. Yet, the band were in the position for an unorthodox script-flip, and baulked. They cite artists like Neurosis and Queens of the Stone Age as influences; this release would have been the perfect chance to incorporate them.

This is not a call for Zao stop mixing metal and hardcore and put out some totally avant-garde noise shit. But damn. They've been in the game too long to miss the opportunity to mix it up - whether it be in terms of form, style, or production. Maybe next time, dudes.