Review by Felix on September 10, 2019.

Serbia's leading black metal horde The Stone never stood for easy listening black metal, but even in comparison with the further outputs of these dudes, Umro confronts the listener with a massive challenge. A good friend of mine said the album is like an onion with many layers, but with amazingly raw yet beautiful music to discover. I like this analogy, because it fits the multi-facetted result. Nevertheless, I must admit that I miss an iota of catchiness in this "beautiful music", but this does not mean that the full-length from 2009 is disappointing in any way. It just does not have the one kick-starting riff or something else that pulls the audience into the material in a matter of seconds. However, it is definitely a good idea to invest time into the album.

Basically one can say that Umro sounds nihilistic and violent, unorthodox and opaque. I guess The Stone would rather sell their instruments or take a trip to the Vatican than presenting songs with a conventional verse-chorus-verse pattern. This mentality in combination with their affinity for excessive song lengths creates the obstacle the listener has to master. Don't forget the onion, albeit here comes my own analogy: if the album would be a natural phenomenon, it would have the form of an underground cave with bizarre rock formation. And you surely know that these locations are usually dark, cold and slightly spooky, but impressive at the same time. Not to forget the many crooked and trodden stages you have to take in order to get into the cave. But let's get back on the surface.

The first song that I (more or less) understood was "Krvav ceo, nigde nijedne rane" and ironically, this marks the longest track. This fact clearly indicates that The Stone are able to manage complexity. Maybe the awareness of their own strength seduces them a little bit too often to show their skill. In my humble opinion, one or two more straight songs would have increased both the diversity and accessibility of Umro. Nevertheless, I also cherish the clear concept of the dudes. The fact that they know their direction and that they implement it without compromises deserves respect. The production also supports the musical vision due to its dense and powerful appearance. It may sound slightly esoteric, but somehow it mirrors the dedication of the band. By the way, its passion has also left its mark on a visual level. The stylish artwork and the design of the whole package shows that the band and / or its German label Folter Records know how to visualize this kind of music.

So as long as you connect black metal with negativity, misanthropy and recklessness, The Stone and in particular Umro can become your personal sonic paradise. And, no doubt about it, these terms are inseparably linked with this type of metal. Don't take care of old geezers like me who miss a number - or at least some sections - with earworm qualities. The bulky riffs and the menacing nagging of the lead vocalist as well as the resilient basis of the rhythm section and the sinister spirituality lead directly into hell, into the cave or into the onion, who knows? Only one thing is for sure: The Stone do not copy any other genre formation and they embody black metal in a manner which is almost second to none. I take my hat off to them, albeit I give "only" a rating of 73 percent.

Rating: 7.3 out of 10

Review by Allan on February 25, 2003.

Zao are back for one last time. If you thought that their swan song "Parade of Chaos" was going to be the last output from these three remaining metalcore maestros, you were wrong. This time it's not a new album, but a reissue of Zao's debut album, "All Else Failed." Not only that, but it has been re-recorded with the most recent line-up of which only one original member remains, drummer Jesse Smith. So, we can all weep about the passing of Zao, but it's not a bad idea to be thankful for the fact that the new "All Else Failed" is an awesome piece of work.

"All Else Failed" sounds as cutting edge as it did back in 1996 when it was originally released. It might not be as inventive as their last few albums as a band, but there's no question as to whether Zao possess the ferociousness that it takes to hopefully pass as a good metalcore band. "All Else Failed" does exactly that. It releases that energy and the outcome is powerful. Dan Weyandt is surely anything but close to original vocalist Eric Reeder's traditional hardcore yells, but unless you have something against his hellish screams Weyandt is the obvious pick over Reeder. More emotion, conviction, and creativity. Guitarist Scott Melinger was kind enough to stray a bit from his usually thundering distorted guitar for a less warm and more raw sound, although I wish he hadn't. Still, it sounds good, especially for material such as this. The only remaining member, Jesse Smith, surprisingly plays this old material with a lot more passion than that of which he played on Zao's last output, "Parade of Chaos" where something just seemed to be lacking. Maybe it's the actual drum lines, but they sound pretty good here.

It comes down to whether or not the new “All Else Failed” is worth it or not. Absolutely. Not only is it great to hear something else from Zao, but also the band sounds like they’re glad they’re still able to play together. That energy is present. Besides, unless we’re talking about black metal, it’s usually not too bad to have some old material polished up with a nicer performance and better production.

Bottom Line: If you’re a big fan of Zao, than by all means pick this up. If you’re interested in newer Zao and aren’t that into the old line-up, this is also something you might want to check out. “All Else Failed” is a good addition to Zao’s LP arsenal.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 7
Production: 8
Originality: 6
Overall: 7

Rating: 7.2 out of 10