Zao -- The Well-Intentioned Virus

9/10

Zao is back, seemingly energized by a six-year hiatus and the return to the studio of long-time guitarist, Russ Cogdell. Since drummer, and last original founding member, Jesse Smith, left the band sometime around 2003, guitarists Cogdell and Scott Mellinger, along with vocalist, Dan Weyandt, have been the core of the band. However, by The Well-Intentioned Virus' release in 2016, the band have had Jeff Gretz behind the drums and Martin Lunn on bass for a decade. That rhythm section have become just as much core members as the aforementioned trio. Now that the band have found a way to get Cogdell back in the studio with them (he's been living in California, and for the two albums previous this, was unable to write and record with the otherwise East Coast-based band), there's a bit of a feeling that this is final form Zao...and final form Zao is a formidable beast.
Lunn and Gretz were always great on a technical level, but now this band as a five piece--as THIS particular five piece--see Lunn and Gretz now fully melded into the Zao machine so that every part is firing in unison at its full potential. Mellinger also seems invigorated to have his old friend, Cogdell, back at his side. The two seem to feed off of each other's creative energy here. Really, it's not just these two--all five members are old friends, and by this point have excellent chemistry. You get the feeling now that as long of this quintet are able and can find the time, every four or five years we are going to get a stellar Zao album out of them. But what does this version of Zao sound like?
Well, they sound like Zao. That's an intangible I can't exactly describe. I do think that this current incarnation of Zao, who are generally considered to be purveyors of the "metalcore" genre, are a lot more metal than hardcore. Mellinger and Cogdell's riffs verge from delciously discordant, to dark, delicate and beautiful. In a way, this is a sort of forward-thinking dark death metal. Drummer, Gretz, fills in the space around Mellinger and Cogdell's riffs beautifully, really never having an appropriate place to play any kind of punk-esque, fast-paced hardcore drum beat because the guitars are often writhing in circular, labyrinthine motion. This works out beautifully, as Gretz naturally plays a sort of symmetrical, tom-heavy, circular style, which fits the guitar work perfectly, and bassist, Lunn, falls into step, as well. With this basic blueprint, Zao are able to leap from section to stunning section within each song, creating a unique sense of motion that at once feels like Zao, yet as I mentioned, also feels like what I've described as FINAL FORM ZAO.
With this form, there's space for Zao to explore a variety of moods and textures. However, this is also a version of Zao that feels a bit more desolate than previous forms. Vocalist, Dan Weyandt, has really brought his dark poetry to the next level here. His lyrics are more eloquent and evocative than ever, but there's also a certain peace with uncertainty and the unknown that wasn't there before, a transformation of the darkness and violence that's always been there from the visceral to the existential. It's the difference between a person rocking back and forth in the fetal position, and a lonely planet drifting through the void. As far as his voice, though, it's the same--the ferocity and passion are there as much as they've always been. At select moments, Mellinger provides sung vocals, as well, though they're more haunting and atmospheric lights in the fog than melodic life preservers to hold onto in this bleak sea. Indeed, if there's a vibe here, it's not nauticual, but that of a funeral procession through a snowy landscape, sky white, distant skeletral trees dotting forlorn hills, frozen roses blackened with death. That this album can conjure these feelings and visuals without being a depressing downer of an experience is pretty incredible, and a testament to Zao's skill and vision.
What a special band to be able to go through so much change, and yet seldom experience any drop in musical quality.


2016 Observed/Observer
1. The Weeping Vessel 4:10
2. A Well-Intentioned Virus 3:33
3. Broken Pact Blues 3:33
4. Jinba Ittai 2:52
5. Apocalypse 6:46
6. Xenophobe 3:10
7. Haunting Pools 3:12
8. Observed/Observer 3:43
9. The Sun Orbits Around Flat Earth Witch Trials 3:49
10. I Leave You in Peace 7:28