Zao no longer christian

Kind of interesting that Zao evolved from a spirit-filled metal core band to a band where only one of the members is Christian. I heard their interview on the As the Story Grows podcast and they said their beliefs have changed over the years and detailed how difficult it's been to talk to young Christian fans when they no longer believe in God. Kind of makes you wonder if changing the name of the band would've been appropriate. I still think they are a great band and will continue to listen to the records they put out when I was a teen/early 20's and their new stuff because I like the music. I don't think they are really in the Christian music scene anymore.

I heard something like this a year or two ago. I'm not really much of a fan so I didn't pay much attention to it.

Only one left?  Sad but not surprised.  A few years ago they said that "half" of the band was Christian.  I consider (ironically) The Funeral of God to be their last "Christian" album.  That's when I stopped following them.  I did not hear that podcast.  Did Christian members leave the faith or did Christian members leave the band and were replaced with non-Christians, or both?

At least they're honest about it and not faking like AILD did.

Yes, I think they should have changed their name.  When a band's identity is __________ and that identity is gone the band should change their name.  In this case it's Christianity.

They were heading this way as far back as the late 90's...

eatbugs wrote:
Yes, I think they should have changed their name.  When a band's identity is __________ and that identity is gone the band should change their name.  In this case it's Christianity.

Like "Believer?"

Candlemass wrote:

eatbugs wrote:
Yes, I think they should have changed their name.  When a band's identity is __________ and that identity is gone the band should change their name.  In this case it's Christianity.

Like "Believer?"

Sadly yes


Strangely I have never really got into Zao, I know they are classics of the core genre like Living Sacrifice.
But I have never really listened to them

Its a shame when stuff like this happens

Candlemass wrote:

eatbugs wrote:
Yes, I think they should have changed their name.  When a band's identity is __________ and that identity is gone the band should change their name.  In this case it's Christianity.

Like "Believer?"

In the case of Believer there are STILL members who are Christian.  In fact Jeff King is also in another Christian band called Fountain of Tears I think with them it is more of a they are still Christian but don't wish for the band to be labeled as such so as to not turn off non believers from their message before they even give it a chance.

^^like STRYPER?

Zao is still around?  Well that IS news!

Candlemass wrote:

eatbugs wrote:
Yes, I think they should have changed their name.  When a band's identity is __________ and that identity is gone the band should change their name.  In this case it's Christianity.

Like "Believer?"

Yep.

This has been going on with Zao for a long time.  They wanted to drop the Christian band label back in the 90's.  Read an interview with Jesse Smith back in the day and you'll get the picture.

I never saw what people liked about this band....I guess that is beside the point.....

Throne of thorns wrote:I never saw what people liked about this band....I guess that is beside the point.....

Ditto. I had a friend back in the late 90s who was a fan. I never cared for them myself. Different strokes for different blokes.

RavenWolf wrote:

Throne of thorns wrote:I never saw what people liked about this band....I guess that is beside the point.....

Ditto. I had a friend back in the late 90s who was a fan. I never cared for them myself. Different strokes for different blokes.

I didn't for the longest time, until I checked out a live sho at C-Stone around 03, then I picked up the remake of "All Else Failed" and was blown away!

lhversaw wrote:

Candlemass wrote:

eatbugs wrote:
Yes, I think they should have changed their name.  When a band's identity is __________ and that identity is gone the band should change their name.  In this case it's Christianity.

Like "Believer?"

In the case of Believer there are STILL members who are Christian.  In fact Jeff King is also in another Christian band called Fountain of Tears I think with them it is more of a they are still Christian but don't wish for the band to be labeled as such so as to not turn off non believers from their message before they even give it a chance.

What exactly has been their message on the last two lp's?

KaramKaram wrote:^^like STRYPER?

No, Stryper still has a Christian message that's impossible to miss, Believer has some message that's possible to miss...

That podcast is in my queue, can't wait to listen to it.

I didn't even realize they were still together, since it's been 6 years since their last album.  But Wikipedia says they just released 2 new songs in July, so I'm off to find that....and a new album expected out any time now.

Liberate te ex Inferis and Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest are two of the most original heavy albums ever recorded IMHO.  The latter pretty much introduced black/death metal vocals to metalcore and influenced a million bands.  Didn't care for much of the 2000s output, but looks like 3 of the dudes from the late 90s are back/still in the band so I'm stoked.

New songs are sick!  Now I'm really looking forward to this.

Liberate and where blood and fire bring rest are great albums.

To me bands are dynamic and make dynamic decisions because the individuals who comprise bands are also dynamic. I wouldn't be upset or shocked really with a 'secular' band like Kreator when they changed their lyrical themes from venom inspired, occult/satan type stuff to more radical political and anarchist themes if I was alive in the mid 1980s probably, so I can't really say I'm at all fased by Zaos situation or other Christian bands who choose to do similar things with their lives and art they create.

For me Christian, Secular, Straight edge, etc type bands in front of a movement have always come down to the music for me. I happen to really enjoy Zaos late 90s era and the lyrics and music from the albums I mentioned above, and them being or not being Christians or Christian centered band will never effect how those albums make me feel or felt back then. "I have different personal beliefs now then I did back then, why can't they?" Is how I see it.

 If I listened to music or watched film or read books based purely off what the directors, producers, musicians and authors that created that particular media did in their personal lives that conflicted mildly with my own beliefs, I wouldn't be able to consume any entertainment ever, haha. Obviously there are exceptions, but generally we care way too much about what other people do with themselves.

Totally.  Same here.

Stender wrote:Liberate and where blood and fire bring rest are great albums.

To me bands are dynamic and make dynamic decisions because the individuals who comprise bands are also dynamic. I wouldn't be upset or shocked really with a 'secular' band like Kreator when they changed their lyrical themes from venom inspired, occult/satan type stuff to more radical political and anarchist themes if I was alive in the mid 1980s probably, so I can't really say I'm at all fased by Zaos situation or other Christian bands who choose to do similar things with their lives and art they create.

For me Christian, Secular, Straight edge, etc type bands in front of a movement have always come down to the music for me. I happen to really enjoy Zaos late 90s era and the lyrics and music from the albums I mentioned above, and them being or not being Christians or Christian centered band will never effect how those albums make me feel or felt back then. "I have different personal beliefs now then I did back then, why can't they?" Is how I see it.

 If I listened to music or watched film or read books based purely off what the directors, producers, musicians and authors that created that particular media did in their personal lives that conflicted mildly with my own beliefs, I wouldn't be able to consume any entertainment ever, haha. Obviously there are exceptions, but generally we care way too much about what other people do with themselves.

That's very true!   For me I am all about the music. Regardless of my personal beliefs. Bands should be able to have the freedom to believe how they want too. Without me getting my panties in a wad about it.


In the case of Zao, I've never cared for their music. It was never about the message from them for me. I don't really care that they no longer sing about Christianity. Same with Believer (only I AM a fan of Believer). I actually like Believer's latest lyrical content just as much or maybe even moreso than when they sang Christianese. Besides ... even though I am a Christian, I don't prefer when bands have preachy lyrics. I like intelligent lyrics and sometimes I actually prefer the lyrics of secular bands over that of Christian bands - even though I am a Christian.

I always like the first few Zao albums, but I can't say that they ever inspired me in my faith at all. I've always seen them as a secular that touched on " spiritual " things from time to time.

Well, I hope the their secular-music-cred goes WAY up after this.


1 John 2:19
¹⁹ They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

Stender wrote:..but generally we care way too much about what other people do with themselves.

Sure, but i'm more concerned with what they do with Christ, myself.

I only care about how musicians do their art to the extent that it affects me as a Christian and the " renewing of my mind " Romans 12:2

sentient 6 wrote:

Stender wrote:..but generally we care way too much about what other people do with themselves.

Sure, but i'm more concerned with what they do with Christ, myself.

I only care about how musicians do their art to the extent that it affects me as a Christian and the " renewing of my mind " Romans 12:2

Alright, well that's your theological based opinion. 

Zao should have changed their name back when Jesse smith moved on. Let's face it: if all of stryper's members moved on and were replaced, would we call them stryper?  No, of course not. 

I have no comment on the band themselves because they're core and I'm a metal snob.