Awake? [Limited Edition]

Zao (Heavy Metal), Zao | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 5, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Limited Edition
• Label: Ferret
• ASIN: B001W9SYSI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #173,447 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

This record's signature all-out heaviness will sound immediately familiar to anyone who has followed the band's convoluted, controversial, and altogether exciting career. Thunderous, epic, and full of passion, Zao (Greek for "alive") is driven by vocals that exorcise singer Daniel Weyandt's demons as if his life depended on the songs. His words reshape a personal history wrought with tragedy, suicide, and death into beautiful musings that connected with their brutal honesty and naked self-observation. They've toured with Bleeding Through and Dillinger Escape Plan, and next hit the road with In Flames, Trivium, Demon Hunter, and Throwdown.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zao is still the kings of metalcore, June 2, 2009

By 

king beagley "metal maven" (warsaw, in usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Awake? (Audio CD)

where do I start? this is the 3rd Zao album that I have purchased and I have yet to be disappointed. it is still extreme, although they added some clean singing to it. I only have one minor complaint and that is the booklet was not stapled together. this flaw didn't keep me from enjoying the music though. a good five star release.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pre-2000 Anyone?, October 15, 2009

By 

Josiah D. Wilson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Awake? (MP3 Download)

Decent album, but I must admit I miss the pre-2000 Zao. To me it seems they changed their direction too much with the release of their Self-Titled album.

I've been following Zao since the Splinter Shards days, and even started a music venue with the hopes of having Zao, one day, come and play a show (we ended up having them play three times actually). To me, the best albums were Liberate Te Ex Inferis and Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest. Those two albums alone completely changed the way we know hardcore music. But since then, I feel the band has changed direction too much. Is it because of their constant line-up changes? Or maybe it's because Daniel is getting burned out?

I still enjoy every Zao album, and with each upcoming release I get excited in anticipation for them. But, maybe I'm hoping for something that will never return.

But I digress, this is indeed a good album, and it's great to hear Zao is back at it again. However, I would say, fans of Parade of Chaos will enjoy this album, but fans of Liberate and Blood and Fire might not. I would suggest listening to the full album [...] before buying it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's alright, July 6, 2009

By 

Justin (LOS ANGELES, US, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Awake? (Audio CD)

I am fairly big Zao fan and own most of their albums. I would place this one at the same level as The Funeral of God. It has a similar overall sound, so if you liked that album, you will probably like this one as well. The music is fairly good, and the clean vocals are basically like Funeral of God, but I did not really find any of the songs particularly memorable, in a good or bad way.

For whatever reason, the physical release of this album is a limited edition. The linear notes are on separate pieces of thicker paper (not stapled together or folded), with the idea that you can pick your own cover. There are six pages/covers.

Personally, I am still waiting for a return to "Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest," and this album is nowhere near there, but it is not terrible, either.