Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

JFH Music Review




Zao
The Funeral of God



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 11 tracks
Street Date: July 13, 2004

Thought Zao was long gone? You were so wrong…

Many metal bands have come and gone, never lasting even five years. Some of the more fortunate ones might actually make it a decade. Enter Zao, a band with fifteen years of some of the most brutal metal under their belts. They've survived the nu-metal craze and are still cranking out good music. With The Funeral of God being their tenth record, you might expect Zao to experiment with something different. Well, they did.

With a new line up and a new record label, they are harder and heavier than ever. The very first song on the album, "Breath of the Black Muse", is sure to prove to anyone Zao is back and at the top of their game. Fiery hot lyrics and a growling death-metal-styled screaming provided by Dan Weyandt is a combination that is sure to please the toughest fan.

Newcomers Stephen Peck and Shawn Koschik fit right into what has become Zao's strongest line up to date. Peck proves that he can double kick his way through any song while Koschik pumps out some of the strongest bottom end ever heard in a Zao album. Whilst Mellinger and Cogdell's presence is loud and umistakable on this album, and so are Mellinger's back up vocals, which add a new side to Zao. Throughout the entire album, we're tossed and turned into a frenzy of metal riffs. But sometimes it takes the listener somewhere they don't want it to go, like with the track "The Lesser Lights of Heaven". "Lesser" suffers mostly from missing a really good vocal track, which should have been offered, instead, by Mellinger. But Funeral ends on a surprisingly melodic note. "Psalm of the City of the Dead" is a grand finale that takes the listener up and down from heavy distortion to a piano and clean/acoustic guitar playing while a female vocal sings "These Streets are paved with gold… You're my everything… My soul is growing cold". My only problem with the entire album is the ending of "Psalm." An emo-esque guitar with piano and strings come in at the close of the song, and then it roughly fades out.

After all the rumors circulating and after switching from Solid State Records to Ferret Records, I believe that Zao has a great amount of steam left in them to continue putting out strong records. The Funeral Of God is proof.

- Review date: 7/31/04, written by Jon Hamilton



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Purchase Original Art Prints, Drawings, Buttons, Stickers, Bookmarks and more from JFH's own John DiBiase! Save for the holidays with code JFH20 at checkout!

 


. Artist Info: Discography
. Record Label: Ferret Records
. Album length: 11 tracks
. Street Date: July 13, 2004
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Breath of the Black Muse
  2. The Rising End (The First Prophecy)
  3. The Last Revelation (The Last Prophecy)
  4. The Last Song From Zion
  5. Live... From the Funeral of God
  6. The Lesser Lights of Heaven
  7. In Times Gone Past
  8. Praise the War Machine
  9. Truly, Truly, This Is The End
  10. I Lay Sleepless In My Grave
  11. Psalm of the City of the Dead

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 


(JFH Sponsor Spot)

 

 

                 
Purchase Original Art Prints, Drawings, Buttons, Stickers, Bookmarks and more from JFH's own John DiBiase! Save for the holidays with code JFH20 at checkout!

Search JFH




This Tuesday, October 29, 2024
SINGLES
Pipe Bomb Hate Club - Single [The Charon Collective]

This Thursday, October 31, 2024
ALBUMS
Neon Horse Habit of Creature - EP [Velvet Blue Music]

This Friday, November 1, 2024
ALBUMS
AWZY Sinners and Saints - EP [DREAM]
Forrest Frank Child of God (Deluxe) [river house]
Future of Forestry Symphonic Christmas (Live) (independent)
Influence Music It's All About You (independent)
The Kingdom Heirs No Better Time [Sonlite]
Limoblaze Young & Chosen (Power Pack) - EP [Reach]
Paul & Hannah McClure Christmas Morning (Re-Release) [Bethel]
Planetshakers Winning Team: Songs For Church (Live) [Venture3Media]
Skillet Revolution [Atlantic]
Sam's the Hero Charlie Cox - EP [Small Step]
Jim "Soni" Sonefeld Light of Joy - EP [Vere]
Ivan Theva Waiting Here for You - EP [Descendent/Provident]
John Van Deusen Anthem Sprinter [Tooth & Nail]
Phil Wickham Hallelujah! It's Christmas! [Fair Trade]
YWAM Kona Music Missionary Anthem - EP [Integrity]

SINGLES
Ayo Shamir, YP aka Young Paul Aaron Judge - Single (independent)
Gabby Barrett O Come, O Come Emmanuel (feat. The Piano Guys) - Single [Warner Music Nashville]
Brennley Brown Mary, Did You Know? - Single [Provident]
Lauren Daigle Then I Will - Single [Centricity]
Dreamers The Reason - Multi-Single [DREAM]
EJ Swavv I Hate Lucy - Single [Syntax]
Jess Ford This is My Jesus - Single (independent)
FYR FYTR So Simple - Single (independent)
Michael Monroe Pour It Out - Single [Provident]
Seph Schlueter We Sing (Joy To The World) [feat. Leanna Crawford] - Single [Provident]
Skye Peterson, Ben Shive Keep the Feast - Single [Getty]
SNT. VINCENT Confession - Single [Syntax]
Cyndi Thompson Silent Night - Single [County Line]
Thrive Worship Hark - Single [Integrity]
Tauren Wells Making Room - Single [Capitol CMG]

VINYL
Skillet Revolution Vinyl [Atlantic]

Next Friday, November 8, 2024
ALBUMS
Gabby Barrett Carols and Candlelight [Warner Music Nashville]
CXMMXNS CXMMXNS Chapter 1 - EP [Essential Worship]
New Hope Oahu There Is One - EP [DREAM]
Neal Morse & The Resonance No Hill For A Climber [InsideOut]
TAKE Time Bomb [Resuscitation Records]
Lauren Talley A Lauren Talley Christmas [Horizon]

SINGLES
Cory Asbury I Hope You Dance - Single [BEC]
Jordan Kauflin, Laura Story Approach, My Soul - Single [Getty]
Sam Bowman & GLADDEN Misfit Toys - Single [DREAM]
Wavorly Enemies - Single (independent)

VINYL
Michael W. Smith Every Christmas Vinyl [Rocketown]
Stryper To Hell with the Amps Vinyl [Frontiers]
TAKE Time Bomb Vinyl [Resuscitation Records]

DVD
Stryper To Hell with the Amps Blu-Ray [Frontiers]



For all release dates, click here!
 



Check out the new album from Taylor Holland Armstrong!



Listen to the new Single from Second Adam and the New Creations!

Check out depositphotos for royalty free images