History Music / Zao

* ChristianMetal / NotChristianRock: They began their career as an explicitly Christian band. Defining their sound as "Christ-centered hardcore", the majority of their lyrics focused on God and spirituality. After the departure of most of the original roster and the addition of mainstays Dan Weyandt, Russ Cogdell and Scott Mellinger, Zao began moving in a different direction, both musically and lyrically. While many of their lyrics were still noticeably Christian, it was in a darker, more introspective way, and they also focused on other topics such as personal struggles, broken relationships, and social commentary. As of 2015, only one member of the band (Lunn) continues to identify as Christian. Despite all of this, it's unlikely that they will ever totally shake their association with the Christian music scene.

* MohsScaleOfRockAndMetalHardness: Generally a 9, though they can get up to 10. Occasionally they can lower it down to an 8.

* CoverVersion: They've covered "Black Coffee" by BlackFlag

* BlackAndNerdy: Russ, full stop.
* BreakupSong: "5 Year Winter" is a particularly brutal one.
* ChristianMetal / NotChristianRock: They began their career as an explicitly Christian band. Defining their sound as "Christ-centered hardcore", the majority of their lyrics focused on God and spirituality. After the departure of most of the original roster and the addition of mainstays Dan Weyandt and Russ Cogdell, Zao began moving in a different direction, both musically and lyrically. While many of their lyrics were still noticeably Christian, it was in a darker, more introspective way, and they also focused on other topics such as personal struggles, broken relationships, and social commentary. Since the current incarnation of the band includes both Christian and non-Christian members, they prefer to think of themselves as a group of open-minded artists. Despite this, fans still debate on whether they could or should still be considered a Christian band.

* DudeLooksLikeALady: No, that's not a chick on the cover of ''Liberate''. That's Jesse, when he was going through an emo phase.

* NewSoundAlbum: ''Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest'' is the most prominent example, marking their shift from hardcore to metalcore. Most of their albums since then have featured tweaks and changes to their sound, though never crossing over into a different genre. ''(Self Titled)'', for instance, includes electronic and industrial elements, while ''The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here'' has {{Grindcore}} and BlackMetal influences.

* NonIndicativeName: No, ''The Funeral of God'' is not actually about God dying.

* FiveManBand:
** TheLeader: Dan Weyandt, and Jesse Smith before his departure.
** TheLancer: Scott Mellinger
** TheSmartGuy and TheHeart: Russ Cogdell
** TheBigGuy: Jeff Gretz. More in his drumming skills than his actual physical appearance.
** TheChick: Marty Lunn

* ChristianMetal: Kind of. It's complex. See below, under Not Christian Rock.

* NotChristianRock: They began their career as an explicitly Christian band. Defining their sound as "Christ-centered hardcore", the majority of their lyrics focused on God and spirituality. After the departure of most of the original roster and the addition of mainstays Dan Weyandt and Russ Cogdell, Zao began moving in a different direction, both musically and lyrically. While many of their lyrics were still noticeably Christian, it was in a darker, more introspective way, and they also focused on other topics such as personal struggles, broken relationships, and social commentary. Since the current incarnation of the band includes both Christian (Dan, Russ, and Marty) and non-Christian (Scott and Jeff) members, they prefer to think of themselves as a group of open-minded artists. Despite this, fans still debate on whether they could or should still be considered a Christian band.

Zao is an American {{Metalcore}} band formed in 1993. Beginning their career playing hardcore punk, the original lineup almost completely disbanded after their second album. The sole remaining member was drummer Jesse Smith, who kept the name and recruited a new roster. With the new members came new musical influences. Other bands before them had fused elements of hardcore and metal, but Zao's music (particularly the albums ''Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest'' and ''Liberate Te Ex Infernis'') proved to be tremendously influential on modern Metalcore. While they never quite reached the same level of commercial success as many of the bands they influenced, they are often considered one of the [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifiers]] of the Metalcore genre.

Zao is an American MetalCore band formed in 1993. Beginning their career playing hardcore punk, the original lineup almost completely disbanded after their second album. The sole remaining member was drummer Jesse Smith, who kept the name and recruited a new roster. With the new members came new musical influences. Other bands before them had fused elements of hardcore and metal, but Zao's music (particularly the albums ''Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest'' and ''Liberate Te Ex Infernis'') proved to be tremendously influential on modern Metalcore. While they never quite reached the same level of commercial success as many of the bands they influenced, they are often considered one of the [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifiers]] of the Metalcore genre.

Zao is an American MetalCore band formed in 1993. Beginning their career playing hardcore punk, the original lineup almost completely disbanded after their second album. The sole remaining member was drummer Jesse Smith, who kept the name and recruited a new roster. With the new members came new musical influences. Other bands before them had fused elements of hardcore and metal, but Zao's music (particularly the albums ''Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest'' and ''Liberate Te Ex Infernis'') proved to be tremendously influential on modern metalcore. While they never quite reached the same level of commercial success as many of the bands they influenced, they are often considered one of the [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifiers]] of the Metalcore genre.

* ''TBA'' (2014)

Zao is an American MetalCore band formed in 1993. Beginning their career playing hardcore punk, the original lineup almost completely disbanded after their second album. The sole remaining member was drummer Jesse Smith, who kept the name and recruited a new roster. With the new members came new musical influences. While other bands before them had fused elements of hardcore and metal, Zao's music (particularly the albums ''Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest'' and ''Liberate Te Ex Infernis'') proved to be tremendously influential on modern metalcore, to the point where they are often considered one of the [[TropeCodifier Trope Codifiers]] of the genre.

* ProtestSong: "Free the Three" protests the imprisonment of the West Memphis Three, three men who were convicted (many believe falsely) of murder in 1993. After their release from prison in 2011, the song was retired from Zao's life set.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Liberate Te Ex Infernis featured more minimalistic production, more brutal and creepy riffs, and Dan's Music/{{Carcass}} -influenced shrieks, which can at times be genuinely unsettling. The band has later said that the album's sound was heavily inspired by Neurosis.