Zao – The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation (1997)

Thanks to releases by Focal Point, Overcome, and Living Sacrifice metal started to become more than just a tiny influence to most hardcore bands, it would start to become a vital component to the future direction of the genre. Solid State Records played a major role in this morphing of hardcore into metalcore, as many of their bands and releases helped the genre take shape. There is no better example than Pennsylvania’s Zao. Having previously released a split EP with Outcast, and their debut album All Else Failed in 1995, Zao were already beginning to forge their path in the hardcore scene. That path was straight up no-holds-barred hardcore. So it was quite a shock the direction that their Solid State Records debut, 1997’s The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation took. Although leaning more toward their hardcore roots, the album incorporated a heavier, thrash-ier metal sound. Musically the album was nearly a 50/50 split of hardcore and metal. On the hardcore side, fans could enjoy the fast tempos and vocalist Shawn Jonas’ pained, high pitched screams/shouts. On the metal side, fans could enjoy the heavy atmosphere and more metal leaning instrumentation. As good as the album is, this is an album by a band in transition both figuratively and literally. One can most definitely hear the band transitioning to the more metal side that their later work featured. This is not a strange thing since drummer Jesse Smith, the primary songwriter of this album, was the lone remaining member from this album to move forward with the band. It would be a shame to consider The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation a transitional album, however that wouldn’t be entirely unfair. This is one of the most important albums in the history of christian hardcore, helping to shape the sound of hardcore and metalcore to come. A sound that the band would later perfect.

Overcome – When Beauty Dies (1997)

1997 was a great year for fans of christian based hardcore music. Not only did we get groundbreaking releases from the likes of metal kingpins turned metalcore poster boys Living Sacrifice and hardcore legends in the making Strongarm, but we were also treated to great releases from upstart bands such as Zao, Training For Utopia, Innermeans, Warlord, and veterans such as Overcome; all with a very distinct take on hardcore and metalcore. Arizona’s Overcome, who had previously released a solid hardcore album on Tooth and Nail Records with 1995’s Blessed Are The Persecuted, provided a massively under-appreciated metallic hardcore masterpiece with their 1997 Solid State Records follow-up When Beauty Dies. Where their previous work was heavy, paint-by-numbers hardcore, When Beauty Dies was an exercise in blurring the lines between hardcore and metal. While not quite a “metalcore” album, When Beauty Dies was definitely a harbinger of the genre; marking the beginning of a transition from “spirit-filled” hardcore to metalcore as the genre of choice for young christian hardcore kids. Not only was the album heavy as an anvil, it featured great lead guitar work, something in contrast with the simple, chugging riffs that were a staple in hardcore. The guitar work was in fact where you see the biggest metal influence on the album, and was the biggest difference from Overcome’s previous albums. The only knock on the album in my opinion is the production, or lack there of. I love my metal and hardcore sludgy and dirty sounding, but this is even thin when compared to similar albums of the time. That complaint aside, When Beauty Dies is one heavy slab of metallic hardcore. A vital piece of christian hardcore and metal history.