Bei ZAO gab und gibt es einige Veränderungen. Um diese mehr oder weniger auf den Punkt zu bringen hat ZAO Manager Ryan Downey ein Interview mit der Band geführt.
Zum einen ist Gitarrist Russ Cogdell wieder an Bord. Drummer Jeff Gretz hat die Band verlassen, seinen Platz hat Josh Walters (THE JULIANA THEORY) eingenommen. Hinzu kommt, dass ZAO ihren Vertrag über 2 Alben mit Ferret Records erfüllt haben und somit derzeit ungesigned sind. Es wird weitere ZAO Alben geben, aber die Touraktivitäten sollen zunächst einmal drastisch reduziert werden.
Zum Labelstatus meint Scott:
Zao is an interesting place right now where we feel totally free to do whatever we want. Ferret Music came onboard at a time when we were ready to make a real push for Zao to be relevant to the newly emerging metal and hardcore scene that is thriving with so many magazines and TV shows supporting it. Things were never that way when we all started playing music.
Zao would play in VFW halls and sometimes Dan would sing through a bass amp in a basement. "Headbanger's Ball" was a forgotten and cancelled show from the 80s and early 90s that played hair metal and a little thrash. It was not something we ever dreamed would show a Zao video or anything like it.
We were interested in seeing what the new landscape had to offer. Ferret is one of the biggest and best labels in that world and they supported Zao as much as possible. We very much appreciate what they have and continue to do for us. With that being said, having fulfilled a lengthy record deal with Solid State, we insisted on a shorter term with any new label and only signed with Ferret for two albums.
We've delivered both of those albums and they have not offered to resign us. So who knows?
Auf die Frage ob ZAO nun eine christliche Band sei antwortet Scott:
We have always avoided the tag "Christian band" with Zao because, as Jeremy Enigk recently pointed out, when you call yourself a Christian band it's like you're selling Christ. That's what people expect from you and why they buy your records. We're not selling Christ. We're just following Him!
You are correct when you point out that without Jeff in the band, everyone in Zao is a Christian. As people we all have our own questions and our own ideas. Zao is definitely a band that strays from the legalistic, fundamentalist side of Christianity and we will always be. Songs like "Lies of Serpents..." have addressed this from the beginning of the band's present incarnation. It's always funny to me when the more fundamentalist type kids will cite "Blood & Fire" or "Liberate" as touchstone albums and yet act surprised that we do not endorse the more extremist elements of the church. We never have and we never will!
Zao's main mission statement is that, as Christians, you will find problems with people and not everybody is right. All we want to show is that no matter what, everyone is loved. That should be all that matters. That is the truest and biggest message of Christ: love.
Das komplette Interview findet ihr hier.
