There are at least two bands called ZAO: 1. an American metalcore band 2. a French zeuhl band 1) Zao (pronounced /ˈzeɪ.oʊ/) is a band from Greensburg, Pennsylvania and are considered one of the founding metalcore groups. However they began in 1993 in Parkersburg, West Virginia, playing a style of metalcore similar to bands such as Earth Crisis and Snapcase. Zao has hosted several musicians and endured numerous roster changes to the point where no original members remain, often marked by the departure and readmission of multiple members.