Pillars

Zao

June 26, 2026

Metal

These four bands/songs influenced us in ways that run deeper than I can fully explain. The riffs, the rhythms, the way songs were built, the urgency and style of the vocals, the conviction and chaos on stage—so much of what found its way into us all started here with them. Our Western Pennsylvania Big Four. They were pillars of a scene that felt like a lightning strike in the mid-to-late ’90s. Something very rare and powerful that formed in our area and changed the course of our lives. That scene didn’t just inspire us, it also brought us all together. Without it, and without these bands, without these songs, there never would have been the “Blood & Fire”-era of Zao, or anything from us that followed. So this is our small way of saying thank you. Of stepping back into these songs for a moment. Of honoring the foundation. - Dan Weyandt Thank you, Abnegation. Thank you, Puritan. Thank you, Passover. Thank you, Creation Is Crucifixion. Your influence still echoes.