Review Summary: An average metalcore album with interesting vocals
As a child, I would often find myself admiring people or jobs that seemed larger than life. My first dream was to become an astronaut. The concept of 'outer space' was one I could not comprehend. I was to stubborn to accept that the universe could just gone on forever, I would have to see it to before I'd believe it. Later on, I became especially interested in sports, mainly baseball, and my goal in life was to become a professional baseball player. Roger Clemens was my favorite player and I remember wanting to be able to pitch the way he did. Gradually, however, my baseball fantasies diminished and I started realized that, well... I sucked. A steady interest in music finally caught up with me and I bought my first bass guitar. Led Zeppelin was easily accessible at my house and my new idol became John Paul Jones. My tastes in music were always progressing and changing, sometimes daily. While all of my friends were completely content in listening to classic rock and what was on the radio at the time, I felt some sort of obligation to listen to different types of music. At some point I recall my friends, who also all played instruments, saying things like, "I wish I could play like Jimmy Page," or "Hendrix is so good, why can't I play like him?" I thought to myself that the world doesn't need a new Page or Hendrix, it needs something new.
To this day I still consider originality the most important aspect of any band, no matter the genre. I am always searching for some sort of advancement in a certain sound or a new sound completely. I find it extremely frustrating and difficult to listen to music that has been done before and was done better. Mediocrity, I believe, should be a musicians worst nightmare the very thing that a musician should be completely afraid of. This is where Zao's
The Fear is What Keeps Us Here falters. Immersed in it's generic sound, this album is only distinguished by some moderately interesting vocals.
An introduction between two people is conducted so they become acquaintances, making conversation easier to be made and less awkward. The overly serious clean guitar introduction of 'Cancer Eater' is not needed as a person who has most likely listened to metalcore is already well acquainted with the cliches and basics of the genre. Tuned to what I believe is 'dropped -C' the guitarist makes few, if any attempts to differ from other guitar players of bands that have a similar sound. His arsenal, consisting of minor scale based guitar riffs using 'hammer-ons' and 'pull-offs', found in almost any band having some sort of influence of metal, blaring dissonant guitar chords , used effectively in any Botch song, and simple hardcore chord progressions. None of these characteristics are bad to have or poorly executed per se, it is just that they are terribly uninspired. The tech-metal-esqe guitar playing at the beginning of 'It's Hard Not to Shake With a Gun In Your Mouth' transcends the general feel of the album, showing the listener that who ever is playing guitar on this album has a considerable amount skill. Why he wouldn't use more of it is beyond me. An oddly placed solo is included in 'Killing Time 'Til It's Time To Die'. Sounding like it came straight from Ireland, the solo is laughable. Whether it was intended or not, the solo is incredibly out of place and I don't think that Mr. Bungle would even be able to make the monstrosity work (wait, who am I kidding?).
The bass guitar, though mostly following the lead of the guitar, has moments of interesting fills. Being able to keep up to speed with the guitar playing, is fairly impressive. What is even more incredible is that it can actually be heard without turning up the bass setting on your designated media player or buying a sub-woofer. The most notable track featuring a contrasting bass-line is 'Pudgy Young Blondes with Lobotomy Eyes'. Halfway through the song a break occurs with the guitar playing basic arpeggios with the swaggering bass over the top of it.If not great, the bass playing is slightly enjoyable.
Usually straying away from anything amusing the drums consist of simple beats and basic use of the double bass pedal. Only when the guitarist is playing anything semi-technical are the drums creating any sort of exceptional or impressive beats. With many of the guitar riffs, there is some sort of grove being developed. The drummer could have taken advantage of this by adding a dimension to the band that many modern metalcore bands forget and leave out completely. Overall, most of the percussion could have been more imaginative, but instead the drummer falls into the depths of generic rhythms.
Aforementioned, the vocals easily hold most of the attention of the entire album. Harsh, piercing screams deliver the lyrics that mostly indecipherable (I was able to tell when he was screaming, "Killing Time 'Til It's Time to Die). With the "tough-guy" vocals that usually plague a hardcore band, Dan Weyandt excels with his distinctive, high pitched screaming. Once in awhile clean vocals are added to the songs, making me cringe. Mostly mumbled, the singing on this album is horrible. Thankfully, they don't ever last longer than ten seconds letting the screaming to commence once again.
This is the first Zao album I have heard, and it will most likely be my last. Obsessed with being painfully average,
The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here is just another typical metalcore album. This does not mean that Zao has made something bad. This album fails to separate itself from dozens of similar bands making the music very boring. The vocals alone could not succeed in being able to differentiate the band from anyone else playing similar music. This album would be a descent place to start to become familiar with the genre but a horrible place to take any influence from.
