Daniel Weyandt is the third and current vocalist of the American

metalcore Metalcore (also known as metallic hardcore) is a fusion music genre that combines elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. As with other styles blending metal and hardcore, such as crust punk and grindcore, metalcore is noted for its use of ...

band, Zao. He was also the bassist for Seasons in the Field and current bassist for Lonely//Ghost//Parade. Weyandt is also a tattooer and owns a shop in his hometown, Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

History

According to Zao's DVD, ''The Lesser Lights of Heaven'', Weyandt started his music career with the band Seasons in the Field with friends Guitarist Russ Cogdell, Drummer Bob Bigelow, and Vocalist Jason Keener in 1996, which were originally named Sower. After a while, Bigelow left and was replaced by Stephen Peck. They recorded their split album, ''Psalms of Ariana'' with Pensive. Their song, "Eternity" is on the compilation album ''Blessed be the Killing'' from Deadself Records. In 1998, Seasons in the Field disbanded, and Weyandt and Cogdell joined Zao. The full line-up consisted of, Jason Keener on lead vocals, Russ Cogdell on guitars, Dan Weyandt on bass and backing vocals, Stephen Peck on drums, Bob Bigelow formerly on drums, and Jeremiah Momper formerly on guitars. After Seasons in the Field broke up, Weyandt and Cogdell were recruited by drummer Jesse Smith of Zao, along with

Brett Detar Brett Detar is an American singer, songwriter, film composer, and music producer. He is perhaps best known as frontman for the band The Juliana Theory and as former guitarist in Zao. Detar launched a career as a singer/songwriter in the Americ ...

of Pensive (Who later started

The Juliana Theory The Juliana Theory is an American Rock music, rock duo from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Greensburg and Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, United States. They signed to Tooth & Nail Records, and later to Epic Records for the release of the ...

), following Shawn Jonas, Roy Goudy, and Mic Cox leaving. They recorded their Zao debut, and

Solid State Records Solid State Records is a Christian metalcore record label, an imprint of Tooth & Nail Records. Unlike Tooth & Nail, Solid State signs hardcore punk and heavy metal bands. Like Tooth & Nail, Solid State is primarily a Christian label. However, ...

debut, ''

Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest ''Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest'' is the third full-length album released by metalcore band Zao on Solid State/ Tooth & Nail. It was the first album to feature vocalist Dan Weyandt after the departure of Shawn Jonas along with new bassists/ ...

''. In 1998, Zao recorded the ''Training for Utopia / Zao'' split EP with

Training for Utopia Training for Utopia, also stylized as TFU, was an American metalcore band active from 1996 to October 2000. History The band first signed with Tooth & Nail Records and was later moved to Solid State Records, the Tooth & Nail imprint that pro ...

. After recording the EP, Detar left, and was replaced by Scott Mellinger (formerly of Creation Is Crucifixion). Bassist Rob Horner joined soon after and they recorded '' Liberate Te Ex Inferis''. In 2000, Cogdell left for a time and the band recorded ''

Self-Titled An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

''. Zao "broke-up" in 2001, but later in 2002 they re-formed and recorded '' Parade of Chaos''. In 2004, Cogdell re-joined and they started to write new music, when Jesse Smith and Rob Horner left. Former Seasons in the Field member, Stephen Peck, along with bassist Shawn Koschick joined Zao and the band recorded ''

The Funeral of God ''The Funeral of God'' is the seventh studio album by American metalcore band Zao. Released on July 13, 2004 through Ferret Records in the US, and on July 12, 2004 through Roadrunner and Ferret in Europe and Asia. It saw the return of guitarist ...

''. After this Peck and Koschick left the band and were replaced by former Pensive member Martin Lunn and Jeff Gretz of

From Autumn to Ashes From Autumn to Ashes is a post-hardcore band based in Long Island, New York. The group formed in 2000 under the name Who's to Blame. While the band had gone through many line-up changes, the members include Francis Mark (lead vocals, drums), S ...

. On the "Under the Gun Tour" in 2006, Weyandt broke four bones in his left hand. The band had to drop off the tour, due to his injuries. This line-up recorded '' The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here'' and '' Awake?''. After ''Awake?'' the band went on five-year unofficial hiatus. In 2010, after Zao took a five-year hiatus, Weyandt, Mellinger, Stephen Peck, and Matt Vo (of Rhetoric) started a project, named Lonely//Ghost//Parade. They have released a single titled "Stand in the Fire" and a Split EP with Feral King. In 2015, the band resurfaced. The bands' debut (non-split) EP, '' Xenophobe'' was released on July 10, 2015. The band released their 11th album, ''

The Well-Intentioned Virus ''The Well-Intentioned Virus'' is the tenth studio album by American metalcore band Zao, released on December 9, 2016. The album features the first studio performance of Russ Cogdell for the first time since 2004's ''The Funeral of God''. The alb ...

'' on December 9, 2016. On November 3, 2017, the band released their sophomore EP, ''

Pyrrhic Victory A Pyrrhic victory ( ) is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress. The phrase originates from a quote from P ...

'' on their label Observed/Observer. In 2021, the band released their twelfth studio album, ''

The Crimson Corridor ''The Crimson Corridor'' is the eleventh studio album by American metalcore band Zao. The album was released on April 9, 2021, through Observed/Observer Recordings, the band's own record label. Recording and lyrics The album began the recording ...

'' via Observed/Observer.

Influences

Weyandt stated the bands that got him into heavy metal and

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...

were Passover, a local band that gained popularity, and Overcome. He states that his five most influential albums include Passover's ''No Retreat/Passover'' split, Black Flag's '' Damaged'', Iron Monkey's self-titled,

Neurosis Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving chronic distress, but neither delusions nor hallucinations. The term is no longer used by the professional psychiatric community in the United States, having been eliminated from th ...

's ''

Through Silver in Blood ''Through Silver in Blood'' is the fifth album from the American avant-garde metal band Neurosis. The album was released on April 2, 1996, and was their first record to be released through Relapse Records. The album was reissued in July 2009 on t ...

'', and

Slayer Slayer was an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California. The band was formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style ...

's ''

Seasons in the Abyss ''Seasons in the Abyss'' is the fifth studio album by American thrash metal band Slayer, released on October 9, 1990, through Def American, Def American Records. Recording sessions began in March 1990 at Hit City West and Hollywood Sound, and end ...

''.

Lyrics

Weyandt is the primary lyrical composer of Zao. The ''Blood & Fire'' songs "Lies of Serpents" and "Ravage Ritual" deal with hypocrisy in the

Christian Church In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a synonym fo ...

, while songs like "To Think of You Is to Treasure an Absent Memory" deal with the death of family and friends. Songs from ''Liberate'' such as "Savannah" deals with the suicide of a woman who got in a car accident. The song "Scars that Don't Speak" deals with an ex-girlfriend of Weyandt's being assaulted by a youth pastor. Songs off the upcoming album, ''The Well Intentioned Virus'', deal with the

miscarriage Miscarriage, also known in medical terms as a spontaneous abortion and pregnancy loss, is the death of an embryo or fetus before it is able to survive independently. Miscarriage before 6 weeks of gestation is defined by ESHRE as biochemical lo ...

of Weyandt's child, fever dreams of Weyandt's personal experience, and a broken

suicide pact A suicide pact is an agreed plan between two or more individuals to die by suicide. The plan may be to die together, or separately and closely timed. General considerations Suicide pacts are an important concept in the study of suicide, and h ...

Religion

Weyandt was an outspoken Christian, but in a later interview it was stated that the only Zao member with Christian beliefs was bassist Martin Lunn. According to Scott Mellinger, Weyandt is no longer a Christian but an

agnostic Agnosticism is the view or belief that the existence of God, of the divine or the supernatural is unknown or unknowable. (page 56 in 1967 edition) Another definition provided is the view that "human reason is incapable of providing sufficient ...

but still spiritual.

Bands

Current * Zao (1997–present) * Lonely//Ghost//Parade (2010–present) Former * Seasons in the Field (1996–1998)

Discography

Sower * ''Level Ground on Which to Stand'' (1996) Seasons in the Field * ''Psalms of Ariana'' (1997, w/ Pensive) Zao :''See Zao discography'' * ''

'' (1998) * '' Liberate Te Ex Inferis'' (1999) * ''

'' (2000) * '' Parade of Chaos'' (2002) * '' All Else Failed'' (2003) * ''

'' (2004) * '' The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here'' (2006) * '' Awake?'' (2009) * '' Xenophobe'' (2015) * '' The Well Intentioned Virus'' (2016) * ''

'' (2017) * ''Hide From The Light'' (2018, w/ Yashira) * ''

'' (2021) Lonely//Ghost//Parade * "Stand in the Fire" Single (2010) * ''Feral King/Lonely Ghost Parade'' Split EP (2012) Guest appearances * "Control is Dead" by

As I Lay Dying ''As I Lay Dying'' is a 1930 Southern Gothic novel by American author William Faulkner. Faulkner's fifth novel, it is consistently ranked among the best novels of 20th-century literature.The New Lifetime Reading Plan: The Classical Guide to Wor ...

on their album, '' Shadows Are Security'' * "Bare Your Teeth" by

Still Remains Still Remains is an American metalcore band from Grand Rapids, Michigan. They formed out of previous local bands Shades of Amber and Unition. They released three studio albums, ''Of Love and Lunacy'', '' The Serpent'' and '' Ceasing to Breathe' ...

on their album, '' Ceasing to Breathe'' * On

The Red Shore The Red Shore are an Australian deathcore band from Geelong, Victoria, formed in 2004. They signed to Big Phat Adelaide Records and Modern Music in 2006 and released their first EP, '' Salvaging What's Left''. In late 2007, the band raised na ...

's album, ''

Unconsecrated ''Unconsecrated'' is the debut studio album by Australian deathcore band The Red Shore, released on 8 November 2008. It was originally set for a 22 September release through Siege of Amida Records, but was delayed. A limited edition was release ...

'' * "This Valentine Ain't No Saint" by

on their album '' Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat'' * "Witchhunt" by

Metavari Metavari is an American electronic music project led by Nathaniel David Utesch in Fort Wayne, Indiana. History From 2008-2012, Metavari released two EP's, one full-length, and showcased at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX as a post-rock ...

on the album, ''Symmetri'' * "Skin Crawl" (featuring

Bruce Fitzhugh Bruce Fitzhugh is the second and best known lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and founding member of Arkansas's Christian metal band Living Sacrifice. The lead vocalist role was left to Bruce shortly after the departure of former lead Darren Johns ...

Living Sacrifice Living Sacrifice is an American Christian metal band formed in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1989. The band has released eight studio albums, out of which the first three were recorded under R.E.X. Records with their original vocalist Darren Johnso ...

and

Brian "Head" Welch Brian Philip Welch (born June 19, 1970), also known by his stage name Head, is an American musician. He is one of the guitarists and founding member of the nu metal band Korn and his solo project Love and Death, where he also provides vocals. ...

Korn Korn (stylized as KoЯn, or occasionally KoRn) is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream. Originally formed in 1993 ...

) by

Islander Islander, Islanders, or The Islanders may refer to: People * Islander, referring to Jersey people * Islander, New Zealand-English term usually meaning Pacific Islander Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''The Islander'' (Rylant novel), ...

on their album ''It's Not Easy Being Human'' As interviewee *Zao - ''The Lesser Lights Of Heaven'' (2005) *Zao - ''The Making of The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here'' (2006) *

Unearth Unearth is an American metalcore band from Boston, Massachusetts. Formed in 1998, the group has released seven studio albums. History Early career (1998–2002) Unearth was formed by Trevor Phipps, Buz McGrath, Ken Susi, Mike Rudberg, a ...

- '' Alive from the Apocalypse'' (2008)

References

External links

Psalms of Ariana review
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Weyandt, Daniel American male bass guitarists American bass guitarists American male singers Guitarists from Pennsylvania Living people Musicians from Pittsburgh Singers from Pennsylvania Solid State Records artists Year of birth missing (living people) Zao (American band) members