A short and sweet ride through modern metal is what you get here with four songs (two each by both bands). Training For Utopia pounds away with a dynamic mix of instrumental jamming with distorted hardcore screaming and melodic vocal phrasing. Zao is not too far off on the musical side, but their vocals marry the shrill screaming/shrieking of black metal. These two bands, which call themselves "best of friends," combine the intensity and emotion of hardcore with the power and tight riffage of metal.
All the songs are good, but the 7 minute 39 second "Police John, Police Red" stands out taller for Training For Utopia with its more dramatic shifts from lightness to screaming intensity with a solid groove. "Walk On By, Walk On Me (The Pianist's Prophecy)" stands out for Zao due to its brilliant lyrics about the terrible consequences our tongues can create for us. Musically, it's slower and more metal than "Skin Like Winter," featuring some really cool guitar trade-off parts and dying vampire vocals.
Even though it's a short listen, having any new music from these amazing bands is a welcome sound.
Other coverage for this album
Dead Zine 1998Reviewed by dEaDsMilEThe only thing I was disappointed with was the fact that there are only four songs. The two Training for Utopia tracks are in my opinion, the band's best material to this date. This sounds nothing like the full length Plastic Soul Impalement. I interviewed Don and he said that the band was not pleased with the vocals on the full length and that they were going back to their original vocal style…Dead Zine 1998Reviewed by FetusI think this 4 song split was done more for fun than anything and fun they had. I would have to say that the TFU sounds almost exactly like stuff on their last release Plastic Soul Impalement. Zao on the other hand has further escaped into the metal realm than even on Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest. Operand and Police John Police Red are characteristic TFU songs, very emotional vocals with…More from Training for Utopia
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2003Legendary
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