Dwelling in the wasteland of the Tri-Cities in Washington State (home of the infamous Hanford Nuclear Plant), there exists Pacific Northwest math metal legends ZAN. Hailed as having among the most complicated and well thought-out song structures in metal this side of the West Coast, ZAN is an absolutely mind-blowing experience in heavy music that is Un-matched by any band, period. This, coupled with lyrical content that is not typical of what you would normally hear in metal, ZAN is challenging, mind-bending, and effective at making a point to not allow the listener to walk away comfortable. Standing well-defined and clearly setting themselves apart, we are absolutely floored to present “Behold the Key” (Blackhouse Records), their full length follow up to their 2017 debut, “√-1”, and the ear-wrenching single “Stuck Pig”!
Mixed and mastered by Dave Otero (who’s past work includes records for Primitive Man, Cephalic Carnage, Cattle Decapitation and others), “Behold The Key” is a landmark release for the band.
“Working with (Dave) Otero was a very smooth process for us. He has a vision for the products he puts out and that vision aligned with the sonic end state that we were pojecting for this album. We definitely got what we wanted.” – Chase McClendon (Guitar)
Nearly two years in the making, the new offering serves as a perfect treat for fans of Carbomb, Pig Destroyer, Meshuggah, Dillinger Escape Plan, and Discordance Axis.
“One major delay was working on the drums, the software kept deleting our work so we had to start over several times on each song.” – Jason Turner (Drums)
“We almost lost the entire recording because of a computer crash.” – David Huber (Guitar)
“Didn’t I break my pinky during the recording? Or was that during the writing.. I can’t remember. I had to kinda re-learn how to play with my pinky being bent weird. It’s not in the same place as before.” – Ryan Johnson (Bass)
Asked about the content behind this new vicious track, vocalist Ace Michel added:
“It (Stuck Pig) is about the inability to heal from emotional wounds, to the point of it taking a physical toll.”
The band is currently planning on booking some shows for this Summer and Fall 2020. TBA. Presented by the legendary regional booking agency Monumental Shows, the album release party show is slated for 3/27 in Spokane, WA with Prolapser, along with notorious BH alumni Rot Monger, and Narrow Minded.
“I hope that it goes over as well as our last tour with Steaksauce Moustache did. Those shows were a lot of fun, even though we had to think fast and step out of our comfort zone after our trailer was destroyed in the accident on the way to the first show. Folks showed up and were super supportive, and Steaksauce let me borrow gear after my amplifier was destroyed. I’d say the community is pretty tight knit.” – Chase McClendon (Guitar)
Plans for the rest of 2020:
To promote the record as heavily as possible through online and retail, and the band has pending scheduled plans for various tour dates and festival appearances in the works.
Other bands worth a check:
Steaksauce Moustache, Sterileprayer, CZAR, FAUS, Rot Monger, Florida Man, Prolapser.
