Track Premiere: Zaius, “Phaneron”

We love a good success story and, not gonna lie, we also like tooting our own horn. So it’s our pleasure to announce that Zaius — who we spotlighted in an Unsigned and Unholy column back in 2013 — have signed with Prosthetic Records. Today we’re celebrating both Zaius’s success and our prescience by premiering “Phaneron,” the first single from their forthcoming album Of Adoration.

Before listening to Zaius’s new jam, recall what it was like to be a fan of instrumental metal back in 2013. The djent movement was cresting, there were a thousand and one crappy bedroom projects trying to make a go of it in the genre’s wake, and the whole thing had gotten really damn annoying. Same for instrumental post-metal: I loved If These Trees Could Talk, And So I Watch You From Afar, Some Other Band With Very Long Name and the like, but all that stuff got to be a bit samey sounding after a while. Then along came Zaius like a breath of fresh air: no djent to be heard whatsoever — no chugs, no Meshuggah aping, no shred — with a more focused, tight approach than post-metal, a hard rock tilt and memorable hooks.

Back to the present: with djent having faded far into the rearview mirror and that instrumental post-metal micro-niche never having exploded in the way some expected, we can listen to Zaius with fresh ears while at the same time appreciating that they never bowed to outside pressure. “Phaneron” is big on hooks (vocal-less ones, natch) from the very first bar, diving right into their own world of atmosphere and taking you along with them. It’s really hard to imagine anyone not liking this song and, hence, this band.

Of Adoration comes out on October 6th via Prosthetic Records; pre-order it here. Upcoming tour dates under the embed.

10/03 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean Downstairs (w/ Set and Setting)
10/20 Madison, WI @ The Frequency
10/22 Lansing, MI @ Mac’s Bar (w/ Outrun the Sun)
11/03 Chicago, IL @ The Burlington (w/ Huntsmen)