Review by Allan on August 8, 2002.

It takes time for a band to develop a unique sound that represents them, and it takes determination to fight through everything in order to get to that sound. Zao; a band that merely started out as hardcore – have expressed their strength and courage. They’ve never been a band to slump into a reoccurring state of yearly album droppings that showed little or no growth. A band that thinks in this state of mind only strengthen their chances to release an album that is beyond the limits of their proposed genre. That’s what Zao did with “Liberate Te Ex Inferis” and that’s what they’re doing again with their fourth album “Zao”. Not settling for anything less than what they’re capable of, Zao have once again created an album that raises the bar up a notch.

It’s a difficult task to pigeonhole “Zao” and to say what exactly it is. That’s because it isn’t exactly anything. What they’ve done here is create something that is higher than their metal-core brethren. It’s brutally punishing to the ears of the listener but at the same time it radiates with beauty at poetic divinity. If you didn’t already know, an album that comes together in this way is rare.

“Zao” is a maelstrom of chaos and beauty; dark and light; triumph and defeat. It’s an immense album that speaks with conviction. "Zao" thunders down unrelentingly with its mammoth waves of destruction but the sun shines through enough to let life survive. “Zao” transcends all those elements, and that makes it diverse. That’s where Zao often lacked in the past, but their shortcomings are all laid to rest now. There are of course the songs that are in the vein of “Liberate” ('5 Year Winter', 'A Tool To Scream'), but more is brought to the table this time. There are calmer instrumental sections, something the band didn’t fully explore before. Lead singer Dan Weyandt even gives his hand in actually singing on different places during the album, and tossing around some ethereal whispers ('Witchunter', 'FJL') that play into full effect. Zao's newly found sense of melody is also increasingly stronger and that shows in each and every track. Zao blend their musical explorations together perfectly and bring the diversity into each song, instead of just having one song and the next being completely different. The band is always progressing and it shows on “Zao” in more ways than one.

Bottom Line: Quite possibly the bands greatest achievements and a shining moment for the scene. It’s a shame the album will be overlooked and ignored by so many.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

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

Rating: 9.2 out of 10

Review by JD on October 6, 2009.

Death Metal rears its head again like Godzilla rising from the ashes of hell, and takes a bite out of me. I have been hearing so many really good Death bands lately... will the Spain-based Ered keep up with the trend of sheer awesomeness, or will it crash into a ten foot thick concrete wall? Onward we go...

What strikes me first is the acridness of Etreum’s (Vocalist) tone. Each and every growled and spat word hits you like a two ton mallet to the forehead which makes you take notice... yet sends you into that dark world that every word takes you to. With such a vocal talent on board, it is then that the music comes into better focus. That sonic explosion shows the ultimate paradox that most Death Metal bands flirt with.... keeping melody verses having that sheer musical cranium crunch... Ered has found that balance, and perfected it!

Shogoth and Liorenz (Guitars) are both the type of musicians whom can be described as so devilishly melodic but at the same time so intensely bludgeoning all at once... their attack captures the lyrics in its darkened vortex of might and propels them to a standard that few other acts could match with. Abyssal and Draug on Bass and Drums respectively just thunders through it all and round out the black attack so nicely.

Songs such as ‘Bastards Condemnation’ and ‘For the Eternity of Sin’ show the depth of the band’s talent, and expands the thought of just what Death Metal Lyrics are suppose to be all about and raise that bar to even a greater level. It is a breath of fresh air to hear a band such as Ered to knows when to be very simple and basic while being so damned heavy, and then knowing when to explode out and lay waste to the what we thought Death Metal was about.

Clearly, this is a benchmark Death metal album coming from one of the finest unknown Death Metal bands. Clearly, Ered is a band to watch out for in the future... let the metal world open their arms and embrace them.
　
Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8.5
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 8.5
Originality: 8
Overall: 8