Zao

Parade of Chaos has been hailed as influential metal-core group Zao's final studio album, and while it may lack the intensity that earlier works from the band have embodied, it is a fitting departure for one of the hardcore scene's most valuable players. Frontman Daniel Weyandt returned to contribute vocals after his previous departure, and his offerings here are quite possibly some of his best. The intensity of Weyandt's conviction shines brilliantly on "Free the Three," a song which deals with the widely publicized West Memphis Three murder case. As always, Zao never avoids disrupting the expected metal-core formula, and electronica, alternative rock, ambient themes, and more infiltrate the decidedly heavy exterior more so than ever on Parade of Chaos. Zao has been considered one of heavy metal's most well-respected and worshipped bands in the '90s, and the levels of recognition they have achieved are phenomenal for a group based around their religious faith. If the band insists on ending their career, Parade of Chaos ushers them out with as much tenacity as they entered with, and while it never manages to recreate the triumphant feats Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest did, it certainly leaves many of their followers in the dust. ~ Jason D. Taylor, All Music Guide