Zao (Christian)
Style: Metalcore
Members: Dan Weyandt—vocals
Jesse Smith—drums
Scott Mellinger—guitar
Rob Horner—bass
Albums: Allelsefailed
The Splinter Shards The Birth Of Separation (owned by Jason and Matt)
Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest (owned by Matt)
Liberate Te Ex Infernis (Save Yourself From Hell) (owned by Matt and Jason)
Self-titled (owned by Jason)
Parade Of Chaos
Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest: 10 out of 10
Amazing lyrics, great music, and typical but nice Zao vocals.
Personal favorites:
Matt—Lies Of Serpents, A River Of Tears; To Think Of You Is To Treasure An Absent Memory; Ember; Ravage Ritual; The Latter Rain
———
Liberate Te Ex Infernis (Save Yourself From Hell): 9 out of 10
This is my first OWNED Zao album. The mixing isn't great, but if you try, it's not hard to overlook. Once you get over that, you find incredible lyrics and music that borderlines on chaotic. The word "metalcore" brings to mind bands such as Living Sacrifice and Luti-Kriss, but Zao's flavor is a faster, more energetic, machinelike, pumping hardcore metal. This album brings to mind a mixture of Coexist, TFU, and occasionally old Embodyment. This album is for fans of music which is hard, fast, and screamy.
Personal favorites:
Matt—Savannah, Autopsy, If These Scars Could Speak, Skin Like Winter
———
Self-titled: 10 out of 10
Um...wow? I've heard not a lot of praise for this album, but after hearing it for myself, it is absolutely awesome and, in my opinion, Zao's finest recording yet. The electronic drums sound great, the guitars are very technical and impressive, and as for the vocals I CANNOT GET ENOUGH of Dan's death metal growls! Why are there not more of these as seen on "A Tool To Scream", "The Race Of Standing Still", and "At Zero"? Anyway, the album is also pretty varied...not just straight metal. It's great, check it out.
Personal favorites:
Matt—5 Year Winter, A Tool To Scream, Witchunter, Trashcanhands, The Race Of Standing Still, The End Of His World, The Dreams That Don't Come True, At Zero
Lyrics to Where Blood And Fire Bring Rest
1. LIES OF SERPENTS, A RIVER OF TEARS
Your eyes search for me so long I’ve wanted to come home held back by lies of serpents
and tongues of brothers
Turning a child into an enemy turning open arms into closed
fists
I could see the reflection in the tears that made their way down your face onto
the ground I kneel upon they form a river that overtakes me compassion envelops me I
forgive and release
Forgiven released
2. TO THINK OF YOU IS TO TREASURE AN ABSENT MEMORY
When you shut your eyes and fell asleep dark clouds descended on the souls of the ones
who held you close to their hearts
(And the rain that came gently met your tears they became one and seeped into the earth I
watched from a distance and...)
My heart broke open
(As if to tell them...)
The beauty of an embrace a place to lay down the pain where blood and fire bring rest and
peace
I sit away in a secret place the shadow of wings
I think of you and my heart breaks open
3. A FALL FAREWELL
In a time of quietness I reflect on childhood memories caught wisping through my mind
falling leaves create the stage words spoken were not cherished
On the last day of our friendship and those words were possibly the last what were your
thoughts
As a dreaming child I awaken to a nightmare after a gentle nudge I find that you are
gone
The machines that kept you alive were careless did you ask Him to forgive you before you
passed on
You slipped away into the ground...you broke the vanity...you brought the silence...(I
hope you are with Jesus.)
4. MARCH
My strength fades away slowly with the setting sun the night brought its darkness and its
storms and the floods that came reflected a dull moon violet winds raged beneath the stars
that didn’t shine
Emptied of myself I fell to the ground
Slowly through the destruction
Came a single quiet voice and the breath of His words consumed the night and brought
strength I have never felt on my own
And He held me up until I could walk again and promised to stay by my side forever
5. EMBER
My sight finally returns only to see my hands covered with the innocent blood of those I
stand before as an example and I hold this ember in my heart it’s the only warmth I
know
Ember of Your faithfulness ember of Your still small voice ember of embracing arms
ember of rebirth
To You my King I offer up this ember for the wind of Your Spirit to consume by fire to
purge their blood from my hands
6. RAVAGE RITUAL
Turned away by a misrepresentation stained glass and white washed tombs the hearts of
those who spoke to you were never homes to the God they tried to show you they spoke
out of prejudice and ritualism they themselves were lost
Angels fold their wings and weep along with us watching you shun Christ’s sacrifice
7. FIFTEEN RHEMA
My heart is deceived by my eyes my actions in the name of beauty I’m sickened and
strangled
By myself that I would allow an unyielded desire to lead me astray put to shame by my
lack of trust I confess my faults with tears
Manifestations of Your grace fill me revelations of forgiveness wounds healed by wounds
the Father’s mercy peace beyond understanding love from You that I don’t deserve
I shut my eyes I still my feelings
Listening with closed eyes I rest in Your guidance trusting You sensing You I listen and
hear...
Abide in Me
8. FOR A FAIR DESIRE
Let me not exist for a fair desire sweet and fresh are my expectations of this inner strength
that yearns passionately for the endowment of the Father I show in tears that I later I shall
reap in joy each drop that I show will be a time of breaking
Come Holy Spirit empower your creation through times of breaking come Holy Spirit
empower your creation through times of breaking
The planting of tears as I am broken your presence grows stronger and I feel You with me
upholding me through it all.
9. THE LATTER RAIN
A ring of haze encircles the enshrouded truth within another seal is broken as the heavens
prepare to break forth in fulfillment
A blanket of deception is layered on sacred writings which contain the thoughts of the One
who is Almighty God
A sword unsheathed is drawn bringing legions of demons to their knees by the knowledge
of a covenant prepared before the earth itself still so many choose to warm themselves
beneath deceptions
As the end draws near and history closes I pray the winds and the rain of that which is
latter will bring clarity and understanding of Your infallible Word let the lack of
knowledge be lifted off Your people
10. VIOLET
[instrumental]
Lyrics to Liberate Te Ex Infernis (Save Yourself From Hell)
1. INTRO
[instrumental]
2. SAVANNAH
A day not to forget
The machine collapsed under the program it’s been given
Look inside the broken shell
Look inside the broken shell
To see the broken heart
They can’t believe the machine was alive but we saw it bleed
We saw it bleed
The machine it falls apart and when it’s cut it bleeds
The machine bleeds
She was alive
3. AUTOPSY
And what shall I do
I try to speak and words stop short of my tongue
They make their way back to my thoughts
Still crafted by a still soul
I move my eyes around trying to find a place to rest
I can’t see it but I feel the light
Someone tell us we are loved
Someone take the pain away
Someone fill up the void
Someone fix my broken heart
Are you that someone?
4. IF THESE SCARS COULD SPEAK
Breathe
Come out of your stare
Touch the ground with your prayers
Breathe out the lies
Breathe
His words were sharpened hooks beneath your skin
You left them in
As he shone into the eyes around him
Cradled by a cold floor
Isolation shows his true motivation
Her pedals are slowly torn away
Scarlet adorns the snow
Scarlet
5. THE GHOST PSALM
Realization comes through reaping
Reality contained in quite
My companions are walking corpses
I am buried with your words
Turned their backs to me
Scared to see the ghost
Time to go one last look, one last touch. A ghost to those I love
Time to go one last look, one last touch. Goodbye to those I love
So close
So close to separation
A ghost without a grave
A ghost without a name
So close
6. DESIRE THE END
I desire the end
The touch of armageddon
This world encased in flames...
Bodies lie beneath fallen kingdoms...
...I walk on fallen kingdoms...
...I desire the end
...I desire the new beginning
7. DARK COLD SOUND
A dark cold sound...
A dark cold sound tears the life I’m given
Ignite the vision
The vision that brought cold wind against my childhood soul.
The root of unspoken fear
The root grows deep in my heart
A dark cold sound tears at my life
Over and over...
The time when rest is as distant as childhood
When I knew peace
The time when I was happy
The time when I knew peace
Before it came after me
It’s coming after me
A dark cold sound
8. SKIN LIKE WINTER
Ashes to ashes dust to dust
Beautiful child turning to stone
With your eyes so dim I shudder
Bitterness runs through your soul
Like small children
Confusion dances in the dusk of your mind
Exchange your blessings for deceptions good night kiss
Skin like winter
Cherished one fading away
I can see your breath begging to resurrect into death
Hiding scars back laced with splinters
Audience of a congregation make your way to the front
Close your eyes and grieve
You played your part so well
9. KATHLEEN BARBRA
Mother I have gift for you
It’s the only thing I can offer
All you know is entropy
Still you shine as the sunrise
But inside I can hear your spirit die
Your spirit dies from the inside
Your spirit dies from the inside
10. MAN IN CAGE JACK WILSON
[instrumental]
Lyrics to Self-titled
1. 5 YEAR WINTER
Dear Tiffany
You’ve made me nauseous for the last time
Everything I’ve said to you
I will form into a spike (to drive through my throat)
In order to stop my words
This time I’ll put them in the ground
Along with my memories and my feelings
I’ll burn it down and walk away
Let the fire warm my back
I wish you would say you hate me
It would make it so much easier
Burn it down and walk away
Love, Daniel
2. ALIVE IS DEAD
[instrumental]
3. A TOOL TO SCREAM
Goodbye, they breath but can not scream
They have no tools to build voices
They wait in fetal position
Martyrs on altars of mistakes
The martyr
They have not the tools to scream
They are just the ones upon altars of mistake
There is no safe place
The martyr
4. WITCHUNTER
I watch as my dreams bleed
Which one of you hunters got me
She’s waiting and watching
Will she be there for me
Who’s got me who loves me
I’ve lost my turn
This world
This world I’ve created
It makes me and breaks me
All alone
5. TRASHCANHANDS
You think because
You bought the record
You read a list of thanks
You can judge our lives (You’ve identified)
You think because
You bought the record
You read a list of thanks
You’ve identified (You can judge our lives)
A favor we provide
Little forum boys
With your polished cyber toys
I read your bucket comment
Your three piece bulletin
Pout pout
Booo hooo
Talk talk
Pout boo hooo hooo
How is our identity
Working out for you?
It’s funny how you justify me (us) on opinion
An idea that I do this for you
Dxcboy
Firekid
You know who you are (and what you do) we wrote this song for you
6. THE RACE OF STANDING STILL
I’m racing racing towards it
Like when I was a small boy
Cutting through a waving field
Decorated by summer sunlight
Unable to remember
Unable to forget
Unable yet at peace
Unable yet scared
I’m racing racing towards it
With fear and excitement
They seem unseperable
They seem so far apart
They are my close friends
They are my very ghosts
I’m racing towards it
Holding perfectly still
In the race of standing still
7. FJL
[instrumental]
8. THE END OF HIS WORLD
The sky’s as dark as murders hearts
Waiting...stalking
She didn’t know he was gonna die
The earth it screams
As bullets fire upon the innocent
She didn’t know he was gonna die
The end of his world is here
The seas as red as the young mans blood
Dripping from his forehead
The winds as cold as his widows eyes
When she finds out her lover won’t be coming home
9. THE DREAMS THAT DON’T COME TRUE
I tried again I fell again
To find out for myself
It hurts
For a lifetime
Your picture rests there for a lifetime
And for a lifetime I will dream of you
I prepare the mantle inside of my heart
With your photograph to sooth the scars
Unable to be erased unable to be forgotten
As I grow older
I will dream
10. AT ZERO (SIMEON SIMMONS)
I’m at zero
Release the controls
Preparation for the ending
The end is soon
I’m at zero
I will not die at zero
