Zao

Item: Liberate Te Ex Inferis
Author: John Sant

Liberate Te Ex Inferis

(1999)

Reviewed by John Sant

Discogs Apple Music Amazon Music Spotify YouTube Music

Label Solid State RecordsBandoppler1999

black metal hardcore metalcore

Get ready. This may be one of the heaviest albums to come out in the past few years, and it will shock you. ZAO has carried the Blood and Fire sound to a whole new level with Liberate Te Ex Inferis, a refined, brooding approach to metalcore. The album is divided into five circles of Hell (Limbo, The Lustful, The Gluttonous, The Hoarders and The Spendthrifts, The Wrathful) with two songs in each circle. Each song in one way or another ties into the circle it is placed in. In the Lustful circle is the song "If These Scars Could Speak," a song about a woman who was raped while on a date. Each circle holds a style of it's own, and even though this is true, I wouldn't classify this as a conceptual album, although it is close. Liberate is as close to perfect as you can get in the metal world, an awesome CD that you should not pass by. ZAO's break from the Solid State tradition of putting out two albums and then calling it quits is a wise decision, because these boys have something incredible.

Musically, ZAO has matured and advanced so far from their Blood and Fire days, when they were still becoming comfortable with the new style, that you will be blown away. Each song has been crafted with beautiful precision; every hook laid down with finesse. The album opens up with an instrumental, starting slowly and calmly, building up to a climax, then fading out to the words of "Hell is just a word, the reality is much, much worse."

This is the first album with newcomers Rob Horner and Scott Mellinger, who have obviously had a part in the direction that ZAO has taken. The music will be eerie one second, then slam into a massive thundering roar, carrying you with it. Speed has been re-introduced into their sound as well, instead of the plodding songs of Blood and Fire. Dan Weyandt has changed his lyrical tone for this album, matching the darkness of the title, but not to the point of despair. He continues with his trademark poetry, often using samples to introduce the topic of the song, as he does with "Dark Cold Sound." The lyrics are very introspective, leaving the listener to interpret what he wants of them, but not leaving them out.

Production quality is first-rate, as it always is with ZAO. Jesse Smith's drums are evenly balanced, with each piece of equipment standing out. They don't overpower the mix, but they will rock the room with their presence. Guitars are perfectly balanced, each one standing out from the other when necessary, and blending together into one monster for some of the heftiest chugs you will hear. Rob Horner's bass is a welcome addition to the ZAO sound; little breakdowns where Jesse and Rob go solo, before slamming into an insane hook, add a desperately needed element to their sound. Weyandt's voice has changed a bit as well. He still does his unique scream, but has added more personality and style to it. He also goes for a deeper, gravelly sound on a few songs, but nothing extremely different, just new, and definitely good.

Barry Poynter and Jason Magnusson once again deserve massive props for doing another perfect job, creating an awesome sounding album for us. For fans of ZAO, this album will put a smile on your face and surprise you. It isn't comparable to Blood and Fire, because it is so far beyond it, and so much more refined. Even 'Skin Like Winter' sounds phenomenally better. This is the best ZAO album to date, don't pass it up, and if you do, you should be punished.