Review by Allan on November 24, 2002.

If you haven’t introduced yourself to Zao, you’ve got no clue on how much you’re missing out. Mid-career they released an album that absolutely blew me away, and it continues to till this day. That album is “Liberate Te Ex Inferis”, and as of today it has yet to be matched by many of Zao’s metal-core brethren.

“Liberate Te Ex Inferis” is what you get with “Self-Titled”, without as many light sections. Zao give you fair warning and by the time the intro is up, ‘Savannah’ just completely throw’s itself at you and doesn’t stop until you’ve submitted. The guitar lines themselves are enough to hack you to pieces. They are incredibly savage, yet they remain completely organized. The vocals of Dan Weyandt also intensify the performance, from his excellent throat shredding (indecipherable, intense, yet they still carry emotion) to his haunting whispers.

Zao’s song writing is far ahead of what most bands are capable of. The transitions are absolutely flawless between each section. The segments in a song can have nothing that is deeply rooted in both of them and they will still sound as if they’re somehow related. Each member of Zao also brings something unique to the sound of the band. Zao’s music may cause you to make comparisons between them and other bands, but there isn’t any denying that Zao carry a torch of their own.

Possibly the greatest thing about Zao besides the excellent musicianship and song writing is their ability to expose true emotion or feelings. They’ve got the ability to incite melancholy or anger in you, or to create music that can make you look over your shoulder to make sure you’re safe. You don’t find those this trait in many bands, but Zao have got it and they know exactly how to use it.

Bottom Line: The pinnacle of Zao’s career. If you’ve ever thought for a moment that you liked metal, hardcore, or heavy music, if you don’t give Zao the time of day you could very well be missing out on what could become one of your most favored albums.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 9
Originality: 10
Overall: 10

Rating: 9.6 out of 10