Zao

Liberate te ex Inferis (Solid State)
by Tim Den

After finally hearing the band everyone’s been fawning over, I can truly say Zao lives up to their reputation. That and more. No one told me they’re equally capable of producing grand concepts and flowing atmosphere. Liberate te ex Inferis (“Save Yourself from Hell”) is not only an original evilcore album with flavorful arrangements and dramatic (effective) climaxes, it’s one that brings the despair and terrifying nature of evilcore into every aspect of the record. The layout is designed to represent the circles of hell and the surrounding areas (from Dante’s Inferno, using Hellraiser-inspired colors and post-apocalyptic looking photography), and if you think the inlay is bone-chilling, it’s no exaggeration to say it fits the music. From “Intro,” you’re force-fed terror as the brooding chords and suicidal/dragging beats rear their ugly heads. You don’t know whether to kill yourself, kill whoever’s next to you, or run away screaming. If emo is supposed to give you the kind of sadness that’s warm with reminisce, Zao gives you sadness the way it exists in physical form: unrelenting, claustrophobic, overwhelming, unforgiving, and obese. This is evilcore at its most brilliant: forever shape-shifting in tempo, mood, and dynamic, yet always abrasive and damaging, Liberate te ex Inferis will have you writhing in seizure. Fabulous concept album that’ll surely reign over the extreme music genre.
(PO Box 12698 Seattle, WA 98111)