Postby everdred12a » Sat Jan 07, 2006 3:58 pm
ZAO happens to be one of my favorite bands ever! I don't know too many people who are into them, so it's good to see that other people are (or are at least interested).
Anyway, as a recommendation for a first album, go with Funeral of God. This album is probably the best overall album they have (although it's not my favorite). I'm not totally sure if you'll like it or not, though. It's their darkest album to date. The name kind of makes you think like they've lost their faith or something like that (they're not even on Solid State anymore, this album was released on Ferret records), but that's not the case. The album is actually more of a look at what the world would be like if God decided to abandon it, and it really helps to keep that in mind when you listen to it. Much of the album centers around war and slaughter and the like, so if that's not a theme you want to hear about, I may not recommend it.
I'm not so sure that I'd recommend All Else Failed, though. It's a decent album, though it's probably the one I listen to the least.
If you don't like the themes or tone of 'Funeral of God', then go with Liberate Te Ex Inferis, Parade of Chaos, or Self-Titled (that is, if you can find Self-Titled. It took me forever to find a copy of it).
Liberate is my favorite ZAO album, belting out great songs like Skin Like Winter (my favorite ZAO song), Autopsy, Dark Cold Sound, and Savannah. Parade of Chaos is a really good album, too, although I personally like Self-Titled and Liberate better. All in all, your best bet is, indeed, Funeral of God. But keep a look out for Liberate and the others, too.