There exists a small pocket of
hardcore
kids who will insist that one of
Zao
's earliest lineups -- consisting of guitarist
Roy Goudy
, bassist
Mic Cox
, singer
Shawn Jonas
, and drummer
Jesse Smith
-- was their best, despite later incarnations' popularity. It was precisely this lineup who recorded
All Else Failed
, the Ohio/Pennsylvania/West Virginia-based band's debut album.
is chunky, heavy, and pummeling and derivative of the
metalcore
style initiated by
Earth Crisis
and maintained at the time of this album's release by
Strife
and other
groups. The lyrics are very evangelical in tone, reflecting the bandmembers' then-newfound faith in
Jesus Christ
. This record -- released by the small
Steadfast
label -- earned
the attention of
Tooth & Nail Records
, who signed them to a multi-album deal. Their first recording for
Tooth & Nail
features six of this album's songs re-recorded. In 1999
reissued this album with new packaging, and in 2002, the current
lineup, with
Smith
the sole remaining original member, announced plans to re-record the entire record for
Solid State
. Far less innovative then the albums
would become known for, the original version of
is for completists only. ~ Ryan J. Downey