Zao Is Getting Sludgier With Age (Scott Mellinger)

Zao Is Getting Sludgier With Age (Scott Mellinger)

From The Tone Mob Podcast by Blake Wyland & Sound Talent Media

August 11, 2026 · 1h 5m · Episode 530

About this episode

Scott Mellinger of Zao discusses the evolution of the band and the music scene while reflecting on aging and the music industry.

Scott Mellinger of Zao returns to The Tone Mob for a long-overdue hang, and apparently age comes for us all in different ways. Some people take up golf. Zao seems to be getting slower, heavier, and sludgier. Scott digs into Pillars, Zao’s new collection paying tribute to the overlooked bands from their local scene that helped create the blueprint for what they eventually became. That leads into the strange history of early metalcore, bands that arrived a decade too soon, and the peculiar experience of having your very human record temporarily flagged for AI by an AI. From there, things naturally get weird. Blake horrifies Scott with the darker side of streaming fraud, Scott recounts his pilgrimage to EarthQuaker Day, and the two discuss pedal nerd community, Sweetwater, meeting your musical heroes, and why perfectly normal human beings somehow become twelve feet tall the second they step onto a stage. There’s also talk of getting older while refusing to leave the mosh pit, the health benefits of heavy metal and occasional cheesecake, Scott’s resurrected side project Lonely Ghost Parade, more Zao cover material, and, most importantly, a brand-new Zao record currently taking shape…

People in this episode

Host: Blake Wyland

Guest: Scott Mellinger

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Zao, EarthQuaker Day, Sweetwater

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