zao

Another week is in the books for the staff at Noisecreep, and three-day weekend is finally upon us. So what are we doing, posting more content? Well, every Saturday, we like to take a look back at the week that was, and sort of highlight some of the fine work we've been doing for you guys...

"A lot of people are collectors and they don't even realize it," Scott Mellinger of Zao tells Noisecreep. Scott is a collector through and through. He collects guitars and, like many in the metal scene, he collects toys. But Scott's collection is one others have whispered in honor and jealously over...

Another week is in the books, and for us here at the Noisecreep offices, it was a soggy one, indeed. For a while there, we thought we'd never see the sun again, but heading into this weekend, the skies are cloudless and our mood is good. In addition to being wet, the week was also a busy one, with lots of exclusive interviews, tour updates, album scoops, and all the metal news you need to know, al

This is what I believe to be artist Gabe Felice's first foray into album-oriented art (with some layout assistance from Invisible Creature). This is notable since his handiwork is not typical of what you would find adorning the visual front of a metal band's newest release...

Metal-core forefathers Zao have released 'Awake?' today, their first album in three years, but it may not be at the nearest record store made of brick and mortar to you-only 8,000 CDs were pressed by Ferret Records. If you get one of those physical copies there are six different art panels of paintings by Gabe Felice to choose from as your cover of the album...

It's been an eleven-year wait that made no sense. Why would one of the most important hardcore records, the record that Alternative Press labeled as "one of the most influential albums in 1998" and helped gestate a birth of metal mixing into hardcore, not be on vinyl...

No, Mr. Hetfield (at left) isn't screaming, "It's the weekend," but we sure are. It's been a long week (we were at Facedown Fest in California just seven days ago), and it's going to get crazier (New England Hardcore and Metal Festival next weekend)...

While music industry heavyweights scramble to figure out a new business model and a more effective delivery system in the wake of declining physical CD sales, Pennsylvania's Zao have responded to market conditions with their first album in nearly three years, 'Awake...