Zao -- Parade of Chaos

9/10

Lo and behold, I finally get into Zao, and then they announce they are breaking up. That was almost 20 years ago, and they are still together now, but the summer of 2002 was a weird time in Zao-land. I even saw the band at Cornerstone that summer at what was supposed to be one of their final shows. It was, to this day, the greatest show I have ever attended. I couldn't walk the next day. Meanwhile, I was listening to their '99 album, Liberate Te Ex Inferis, '01's (Self-Titled), and their newest album, '02's Parade of Chaos, non-stop. In my opinion, Parade of Chaos continues what Zao had been doing over those last few albums: creating a cohesive, cinematic vibe, by utilizing a specific musical and thematic palette without regard for their image or whatever they had done in the past...andwhile maintaining some measure of musical heaviness. 

Parade of Chaos, quite unexpectedly, reimagines Zao as a sort of 70's gritty rock/proto-punk/light thrash band. The drums on (Self-Titled) were electric. Here they're as live-sounding as possible. All of the instruments have a sort of scratchy, fuzzy throwback vibe that is again completely unexpected. What's even more unexpected is that the band combine this with an increased interest in electronic experimentation, somehow finding and using sounds that sound like they came from some 70's/80's electronic music pioneers closet. No other Zao album sounds like this. No other album sounds like this.
Lyrically, there are themes here centering around authoritative oppression, abuse of power, and the exploitation of the weak, most aptly stated in the stunning closer, "How Are the Weak Free," which features some of Dan Weyandt's most thoughtful lyrics--ones there are frighteningly prescient of our current times. Weyandt is great throughout, as he becomes a sort of warrior for justice--track six, "Free the Three," is specifically about the injustice of the West Memphis Three Trial. Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley Jr., and Jason Baldwin were all still wrongfully imprisoned at this time, and I know I'm not the only one whose awareness of this miscarriage of justice was first raised by Zao. This song also led me to read Mara Leveritt's book on the case. It's the perfect instance of a band standing up for the weak and underrepresented, and raising awareness and inciting positive change. 

Overall, Parade of Chaos isn't quite perfect, as I feel Zao's two albums before this to be. It is just a little less cohesive. The unexpected pop-chorus of "Angel Without Wings," the Bowie-esque, bizarre Jesse Smith baladry on "Man in the Womb ( Smith, the band's then drummer and last remaining founder member, makes his final appearance on an album of original Zao material here)," and the total electronic nature of "The Ballad of Buddy Bigsby" don't kill the album's cohesion, but they definitely put some fine cracks in the wall. 

However, as much as the band, or at least the three members involved in recording this album, try to say this was a half-hearted release, I don't think Zao can make one of those, no matter the circumstance (except for the album I'm going to review next). Their creativity, passion, and knack for creating unique, cohesive work are on full display here.

2003 Solid State/Tooth & Nail Records
1. The Buzzing 3:23
2. Suspend/Suspension 5:51
3. Parade of Chaos 2:40
4. Angel Without Wings 3:45
5. Killing Cupid 3:32
6. Free the Three 4:05
7. Man in the Womb 4:14
8. A Pirate's Prayer 4:12
9. The Ballad of Buddy Bigsby 1:48
10. How Are the Weak Free 4:24