Vol. #180: Zō - “Crooked”
Rustbelt Rock Review
By: Z.M. Delgado
Rustbeltrockreview.com
Volume #180: Zō - “Crooked”
March 18th 2025
Hello my friends and welcome back to the Rustbelt Rock Review. This week I have something really interesting to take a listen to. This one is a bit of a blast from the past, as I have received a transmission from some old friends. Long story short, I am most happy to announce the return of Zō. You’d have to go all the way back to the spring of 2022, and to RbRR #7 to get to the root of my association with this band. You’d then have to jump ahead to RbRR #15 to hear my thoughts on their first album “Red Sky.” Later, you could delve even further into the subject and read my full interview with the band in RbRR #32. Of course, all that is ancient history. Since those days Zō has gone through a metamorphosis. After a serious lineup change and a lengthy hiatus, Zō is back with a fresh sound and a brand new album. I recently received an advance copy of their second album “Crooked” and I have spent some time now trying to digest the collection. This is no simple feat however. Boasting 16 tracks and with a run time of over an hour, “Crooked” is an enormous undertaking. I have been diligently chipping away at this mountain, slowly absorbing the material a piece at a time and all the while forming an opinion or two on the subject matter. The most notable difference you’ll notice about this album is the vocal change. Parting ways with a singer is never an easy feat for a band to overcome, but Zō has certainly made the most of the situation. With a new vocal direction, the bands sound has evolved in many ways. Leaving behind their Death Metal Vox in favor of a new cleaner approach has bolstered the sound in ways I never thought possible. Now focusing on a more melodic style Zō has taken their vocal harmonies to new heights. The song writing remains impressive, and still quite Progressive. In fact, the songs are often intimidating, with many growing well beyond the five minute mark and one even exceeding ten minutes in length. But before I say too much more, lets focus in on a few of my stand out tracks.
My first track I want to highlight is “Acid Rain.” This one jumped out to me on my first listen and it has continued to do so on subsequent passes. It has some seriously chuggy riffs that keep the head bobbing for sure. But there is also some absolutely excellent solo work housed here. The vocals summon gorgeous melodies all over the place while the chorus has soaring harmonies that really set the bar high. At over 8 minutes in length, this song is a lot to unpack, but it is well worth unpacking. Loaded with changes and interesting concepts “Acid Rain” is killer.
My second stand out track is “The Sadist.” After a brief amusing skit, this song jumps off with a bitchin’ Rock riff that really grooves. Following a brief run it switches and kicks in the door like SWAT team breach. The riff that follows is a pulse pounding ripper that makes me want to put the pedal down to the floor. The Drums are an onslaught, driving and powerful. While the Vocals keep pace and together they create an undoubtedly hard charging vibe. Later it drops into a breakdown which has a riff that chops like an ax. The whole thing come full circle in the end and we end up back on those opening riffs to close out the jam. Without a doubt “The Sadist” is loaded with power and has energy to burn.
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“The Cleveland Balloon Disaster of 1986” is a pretty straight forward song. Referencing one of the biggest embarrassments in Cleveland history, the ‘86 balloon launch is second only to the burning of the Cuyahoga in public humiliations for our hometown. A shitty event that screwed up the environment… and spawned one bad ass metal song. This is another track that I can tell you has a monster riff. The drum pattern slams and adds a level of profound heaviness to the verses. The Vocal layering on the chorus is really nice, particularly on the final pass. And I have to say I love the Bass work here, which really pops. This song is short, sweet and hard hitting… Yes, “The Cleveland Balloon Disaster of 1986” is definitely a must hear track on this album.
“Tipping Point (Orca)” is another one that I really dig. It opens up with a slick Bass line and moves along, building momentum. The Vocals are smooth and restrained to begin with. But then... The Guitars drop in heavy and distorted. The Drums increase in power and the Bass punches. Everything begins to intensify. Of course, it isn’t until we hit the mid point in the song that things really take off. Here the song adopts a new riff, gains further force and just simply Rocks! The band runs wild and intensity jumps up all across the board. The final minute of this track is a brutal throwdown that culminates in a vicious scream. This song peaks, and when it does, it peaks hard. The climax is an unmistakably passionate moment. It is this climactic finale that earned “Tipping Point (Orca)” a spot as a stand out track.
Finally I want to talk about “Roots and Ashes” which is a thing of beauty. The guitar melodies on this song are gorgeous. Soft notes, haunting Vocals, smooth Bass and subdued Drums float this track along. There are whispers in the background, hanging beneath the lyrics, that add a slightly unsettling quality to the atmosphere. This song never get heavy, but remains mellow until some solid chords come in the last minute punching up the ending and giving the song a satisfying conclusion. “Roots and Ashes” is a beautiful glimpse into a much larger picture, but it stands out as one of the most important moments in the composition that is “Crooked.”
So in the end, how do I feel about “Crooked?” Well, it is a complex album, so perhaps it deserves a complex answer. From “Red Sky” to “Crooked” is a huge stylistic shift. Zō has gone from being a Progressive Death Metal band to a Progressive Metal band. While the music is very much comparable, the change at the Vocal position is huge and cannot be ignored. Much like when Black Sabbath parted ways with Ozzy and came back with Dio, there was huge dissension in opinions. Some people loved it, others, not so much. Whether a change like this is a good thing or not is really going to be up to the individual fan to decide. As for me, I am putting “Red Sky” in the past and looking forward to the “Crooked” era with positive vibes. This may be a big change, but this is a very good album. I highlighted five tracks, but there are a lot more songs on this record and they are GOOD! Look at the album opener for one example. “Derailment” is an absolute murder machine and it has a special guest appearance by Colin Darrell Richardson of Ignominious! That’s just one of the many gems that “Crooked” has to offer. Believe me there are more. So here it is. Here’s the verdict according to me: I think “Crooked” is an absolute triumph. Zō suffered a serious blow, and they came back swinging. They’ve reinvented their sound, while staying true to themselves. Through this metamorphosis they have taken a big step forward and been reborn strong. “Crooked” is a very interesting, very heavy album that is every bit as compelling as it is hard hitting. If you enjoyed the music from “Red Sky” album and the harmonic portions of the Vocals... If you are a fan of Progressive Metal and enjoy complex song structures... If you like the song writing of bands like Tool, Khemmis, Gojira or Mastodon, particularly the stuff with Brann Dailor on lead vocals, you will probably love “Crooked.” The album is currently available for purchase on Bandcamp, and will go live everywhere else on March 18th. On that note I will leave you to it. Bang your heads, hoist your horns and always wear your earplugs. Thanks for reading.
Until next time, Rock on, Rustbelt,
-Z.M. Delgado
Rustbelt Rock Review
Rustbeltrockreview.com
3/1/25
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