is a Metalcore band with Hardcore Punk influences. They came onto the scene in 1993 in Parkersburg, West Virginia , and As Of 2006 they are based in Greensburg, Pennsylvania . Zao pioneered the Christian Hardcore genre. Zao is currently signed with Ferret Records . They were previously signed to Solid State Records .
The word "zao" is Greek (ζάω) for "Alive".
There have been so many lineup changes in the band that there are no original founding members left.
Ferret Records stated, "The lion's share of the credit for crossing faith-based music into a then-politically motivated and secular only hardcore scene lays squarely on Zao's shoulders. Remember a time when a Carcass -inspired hiss or a melodic chorus seemed crazy? That was the time before Zao."
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- Roy Goudy - founding member, guitar - ( 1993 - 1997 )
- Jesse Smith - founding member, drums - ( 1993 - 2004 )
- Eric Reeder - founding member, first lead vocalist ( 1994 - 1995 )
- Mic Cox - founding member, bass - ( 1994 - 1997 )
- Shawn Jonas - vocals - ( 1995 - 1997 )
- Kevin Moran - touring bassist ( 1997 )
- Ron Gray - guitar ( 1997 - 1998 )
- Brett Detar - guitar - ( 1997 - 1999 )
- Rob Horner - bass - ( 1999 - 2004 )
- Corey Darst - touring vocalist - ( 2000 - 2001 )
- Matt Auxier - touring guitarist - ( 2001 - 2002 )
- Joshua Ashworth - touring vocalist ( 2003 - 2004 )
- Shawn Koschik - bass - ( 2004 - 2005 )
- Stephen Peck - drums - ( 2004 - 2005 )
- Russ Cogdell - Guitar- ( 1997 - 2006 )¹
¹Injured and required surgery; may be back in the line-up again
The following is a list of other bands in which Zao members have been involved, and the Zao members who were involved with them (possibly incomplete). Most of these bands were short-lived, so little is known about them, apart from the fact that at least one Zao member played in each.
- Catchpenny (Gretz)
- Conelrad (Gretz) {Link without Title}
- Crank Radio (Gretz)
- Creation Is Crucifixion (Mellinger)
- Entrust (Darst)
- Eyes Upon Separation (Jonas, Darst, Auxier)
- Gods (Smith)
- Grand National Hustler (Weyandt)
- Into The Looking Glass
- Jade Meridian (Cogdell, Mellinger, Koschik, Peck) - melodic hard rock band founded in 1998; still active. Has performed with Zao at Cornerstone Festival s, but has not released any full-length albums.
- Los Capitanos (Cogdell, Weyandt, Peck) - became States of Melba
- Monroe- (Jonas, Goudy, Cox, Smith)- stress relief from ZAO
- Nodar (Koschik, Cogdell) - recorded two songs.
- Pensive (Detar/Lunn)
- Pop Weaver (Koschik)
- Seasons In The Field (Weyandt, Cogdell, Peck) - recorded a split with Pensive
- Society's Finest (Ashworth)
- States of Melba (Cogdell, Peck) - still active as of 2005 ; official website indicates they have released a demo
- Symphony In Peril (Jonas)
- The American Spectator (Smith) - two-drummer project; also featured the Clark brothers from Demon Hunter and Training For Utopia and Sean Ingram and James Dewees of Coalesce , but never released any material.
- The Double Whammy Butt Burrito Brigade (Gretz)
- The Juliana Theory (Detar)
- The Opd (Gretz) {Link without Title}
- The Pretty Weapons (Darst, Auxier)
- The Underwater (Smith) - Smith briefly filled the drummer postion
- They That Kill Their Masters (Weyandt) - Grindcore project active during the time in which Weyandt was briefly not in Zao
- Through the Eyes of Katelyn (Smith) - recorded one album for Takehold Records
- Times After Dusk (Goudy) - Folk Rock acoustic indie album due in late summer of 2006
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