There are at least three artists called ZAO:
1. an American metalcore ba… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least three artists called ZAO:
1. an American metalcore band
2. a French zeuhl band
3. a Congolese zouk singer

1) Zao (pronounced /ˈzeɪ.oʊ/) is a band from Greensburg, Pennsylvania and are considered one of the founding metalcore groups. However they began in 1993 in Parkersburg, West Virginia, playing a style of metalcore similar to bands such as Earth Crisis and Snapcase. Zao has hosted several musicians and endured numerous roster changes to the point where no original members remain, often marked by the departure and readmission of multiple members. The band's catalog is often divided into two distinct eras, marked by a drastic shift in members that led to an equally drastic shift in sound. Most noticeably of these changes was the shift from vocalist Shaun Jonas who later formed Symphony in Peril to current front-man Dan Weyandt. Throughout the years, Zao has hosted many notable musicians such as guitarist Brett Detar of The Juliana Theory fame and current drummer Jeff Gretz who briefly played for From Autumn to Ashes. In the eyes of many fans, the "core" of Zao's sound was best exemplified by drummer Jesse Smith, guitarists Russ Cogdell and Scott Mellinger(formerly of Creation is Crucifixion), and vocalist Dan Weyandt. The current lineup is comprised of Russ, Scott, Dan, Jeff, and bass player and long time friend of the band, Martin Lunn.
To date, Zao has completed ten full-length albums, three EPs, a two-disc DVD documentary and multiple concert tours, garnering a limited but global fanbase and earning critical praise in the process.

2) ZAO was a French Zeuhl band, an early Magma offshoot founded by two ex-members of Magma: Yochk'o Seffer (saxophone, clarinet) and François Cahen (piano). They were active from 1971 to 1994 and released six studio albums. In 1976, Magma violinist Didier Lockwood also joined the band and appeared on their albums Kawana and Live!.
If one regards MAGMA as the central trunk of the Zeuhl tree, ZAO would be equivalent to an early side branch very close to the trunk. ZAO’s music, at least at the beginning of their career, is therefore an extension of MAGMA’s first era, with a light music, at times weird, with hints of jazz, contemporaneous music, Hungarian folk (Yochk’o is a native of Hungary) and obviously of Zeuhl. Nothing in common with the absolute incantatory power of “MDK” and “Kohntarkhosz” to which Yochk’o Seffer and François Cahen didn’t want to contribute.

On the first album, "Z = 7L" (1973), the very complex melodic instrumental layers are enriched with the wonderful voice of Mauricia Platon (with its Kobaïan accents), but unfortunately she was missing on the follow-up "Osiris" released in 1975.

ZAO will then break from its Zeuhl roots and the music will lean towards some jazz-rock fusion more and more debatable and debated.

"Shekina" (1975) augmented by the presence of a string quartet and "Kawana" (1976) remain respected albums of the French jazz-rock fusion scene but "Typhareth" (1976) recorded just after Yochk'o Seffer left the band is regarded as less successful. ZAO will then split but the members will gather anew in 1994 with the release of "Akhenaton" (once more jazz-fusion inflected), the album that saw the band reform but without any follow-up. It seems that the band planned to reform this year (2004) with the return of Yochk'o Seffer. To be continued ?

3) Zao (born as Casimir Zoba on 24 March 1953 in Brazzaville) is a Congolese Zouk singer, whose work is characterized by lyrics concerning taboo subjects in Congolese society with a humorous tone. He is most known for his 1984 song "Ancien combattant". "ZAO" stands for "Zéro-Admis-Omniprésent" (zero, allowed, omnipresent).

March
Zao Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

My strength, my strength fades
My strength fades away
Slowly with the setting sun
The night brought its
Darkness and its storms
And the floods that came
Reflected a dull moon
Violent winds raged beneath the stars that didn't shine

Emptied of myself I fell to the ground

Slowly through the destruction
Came a single quiet voice
And the breath of His words consumed
The night and brought strength I have never felt on my own

And He held me up until I could walk again
And promised to stay by my side forever

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Zao's song 'March' depict a sense of exhaustion and failing strength. The opening lines express the singer's feelings of having no energy left, that their strength is slowly but surely fading away. They describe the night, with its accompanying darkness and storms, as having brought floods and rain, creating a sense of overwhelming chaos that the singer has to navigate through. The dull moon reflects the state of the singer, who is feeling drained and depleted. As the song progresses, the singer talks about how they fell to the ground, emptied of themselves, but then through the destruction, a single quiet voice emerges. It is a voice that brings with it a sense of calm, and it speaks words that uplift, consume and bring strength that the singer has never felt before. The person to whom this voice belongs holds the singer up until they can walk again and promises to stay with them forever.

This song is an exploration of how someone can find strength in their weakest moments. The singer feels all alone in the night, but a single voice emerges that brings with it the promise of unwavering support. The reference to God is not explicit, but the song's themes of comfort, resilience, and perseverance suggest a metaphysical power greater than what humans can achieve on their own.

Line by Line Meaning

My strength, my strength fades
I feel weak, I'm losing my strength

My strength fades away
My strength is diminishing

Slowly with the setting sun
As the sun sets, my strength diminishes slowly

The night brought its
The night has come with all its

Darkness and its storms
darkness and storms

And the floods that came
Along with the storms, there were floods

Reflected a dull moon
The moon, through the floods, looked dull

Violent winds raged beneath the stars that didn't shine
Although there were no stars in the sky, the wind blew fiercely

Emptied of myself I fell to the ground
Feeling helpless, I fell to the ground

Slowly through the destruction
As the destruction continued slowly

Came a single quiet voice
I heard a quiet voice