Band: Zeal & Ardor
Album: Zeal & Ardor
Genre: Avantgarde, Black Metal, Soul, Post-Black Metal
Release Date: 12 February, 2022
Country: Basel, Switzerland - New York City, United States
Formed In: 2013
Years Active: 2013–present
Format: MP3 CBR 320kbps
Label: MVKA, Radicalis
Biography
Zeal & Ardor is a Swiss avant-garde metal band started and led by Manuel Gagneux, a Swiss-American musician who had previously created a chamber pop project called Birdmask. Formed in 2013, the band mixes sounds of African-American spirituals with black metal.
Initially a solo project, the band signed with MVKA records in 2016 and expanded to a full lineup, with Gagneux on vocals and guitar, backing vocalists Denis Wagner and Marc Obrist, guitarist Tiziano Volante, bassist Mia Rafaela Dieu, and drummer Marco Von Allmen. The project started in New York City, but is now based in Basel, Switzerland.
Zeal & Ardor has released two albums, Devil Is Fine (2016), and Stranger Fruit (2018), as well as a demo album Zeal and Ardor (2014). In 2020, they released their first EP, Wake of a Nation. A third studio album, Zeal & Ardor, has been announced for future release.
Zeal & Ardor is the upcoming self-titled third studio album by avant-garde metal artist Zeal & Ardor, to be released on 11 February 2022.
On May 25, 2021, the group released "Run" the first single off their upcoming self-titled third studio album. A second single, "Erase", was released on July 23. On September 1, 2021, a third single "Bow" was released. A fourth single "Götterdämmerung" was released on October 15. The song is sung mostly in German and described by Gagneux as "our most bare bones song yet. No gimmicks, no frills, no distractions, just rage." The self-titled album is set to be released on February 11, 2022. On November 6, they performed a livestream concert from Museum Tinguely in Switzerland. A fifth single "Golden Liar" was released on December 1.
Musical style and influences
Devil Is Fine features elements of soul, melodic death metal, black metal, Delta Blues, folk, gospel as well as jazz and lo-fi influences. Several instrumental tracks feature electronic and drum and bass features. The band frequently utilizes tremolo guitar and blast beats.
Stranger Fruit retains many elements of the first album, as well as including Avant-garde metal, post-black metal and elements of Motown music and blues.
The band is influenced by artists such as Mayhem, Burzum, Darkthrone, Wendy Carlos, and Tom Waits as well as nu-metal bands such as Deftones and Limp Bizkit, who Gagneux states are his "guilty pleasures". Gagneux also lists writers Philip K. Dick and Octavia Butler as influences on his music.
Members
Manuel Gagneux – lead vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, synthesizer, programming (2013–present)
Denis Wagner – backing vocals (2017–present)
Marc Obrist – backing vocals (2017–present)
Tiziano Volante – rhythm guitar, lead guitar (2017–present)
Mia Rafaela Dieu – bass (2017–2019; on hiatus)
Lukas Kurmann – bass (2019–present)
Marco Von Allmen – drums (2017–present)
Tracklist
01. Zeal & Ardor
02. Run
03. Death to the Holy
04. Emersion
05. Golden Liar
06. Erase
07. Bow
08. Feed the Machine
09. I Caught You
10. Church Burns
11. Götterdämmerung
12. Hold Your Head low
13. J-M-B
14. A-H-I-L
Further information and details are available on Discogs.
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/ XBTT (1) by Dejavu
