Artist......: Zeal & Ardor
Album.......: Greif
Year........: 2024
Genre.......: Metal
Label.......: Independent
Source......: WEB (24bit)
Encoder.....: libFLAC
Bitrate.....: 1638kbps avg.
F.Rate......: 48.0kHz
Playtime....: 00:42:29 / 526.89MB
R.Date......: 2024-08-25
S.Date......: 2024-08-23
Website.....: http://play.qobuz.com/album/ff8pf8quhzlwc
01. the Bird, the Lion and the Wildkin 1:32
02. Fend You Off 3:51
03. Kilonova 4:07
04. are you the only one now? 4:25
05. Go home my friend 1:55
06. Clawing out 3:41
07. Disease 4:34
08. 369 0:54
09. Thrill 2:36
10. une ville vide 2:04
11. Sugarcoat 2:57
12. Solace 3:51
13. Hide in Shade 3:38
14. to my ilk 2:24
Hailing from the Swiss city of Basel, Zeal & Ardor are an Alternative Metal
act that have always well and truly had a sound of their own. Initially, a
one-man studio project from the extraordinary musical architect Manuel
Gagneux, Zeal & Ardor dropped into our speakers with thei debut album Devil
Is Fine in 2016. Providing a highly experimental blend of Black Metal and
Delta Blues, before exploring the sound further two years later with record
number two û Stranger Fruit.
With the opportunity to play the prestigious Dutch Roadburn Festival in
2017, Gagnuex put together a band including two backing singers, and Zeal &
Ardor became an impressive live entity. The third self-titled album arrived
in 2022, with Gagnuex once again going solo in the studio. And the record
propelled them to the next level, with strong press support and successful
tours, including a notable European run in support of the mighty Meshuggah.
And stylistically it seems that the highly rated third album may have
somewhat completed an initial trilogy for the Zeal & Ardor sound, as there
is a definite through-line which connects the music released across those
first six years. And well with Greif (Self-Released) û it seems like there
has been a real evolutionary shift in their songwriting, and a change of
gear in their recording career.
To put it simply, Greif is a masterclass in eclecticism. A creative journey
with seemingly no boundaries set by Gagneux, who for the first time also
invited his touring bandmates into the studio to record with him. The
production is absolutely top-notch, with each instrument toned to
perfection. Especially noticeable with the sound of the bass, which
pulsates delectably throughout.
There are a number of fine songs on Grief. ôFend You Offö contrasts a
twinkling glockenspiel with crunching guitars, and has a huge chorus with
soaring vocals from Gagneux. While the likes of ôDiease,ö ôThrillö and
ôSugarcoatö bleed in a more commercial sound, similar to the likes of Royal
Blood and The Black Keys. However, Zeal & Ardor manage to journey through
many different musical plains with Grief, and also deliver utter darkness
and aggression on ôClawing Out.ö Alongside an intoxicating blend of the
light and dark on, ôare you the only one nowö û which contrasts a lush
clean vocal melody with ferocious Blackened screams.
The record does occasionally dip back to the classic feel of their first
three albums, where they heavily incorporated a sound derivative of old
African-Amercan folk music. ôGo Home My Friend,ö ô369,ö and ôHide in Shadeö
all reintroduce the style, with the latter providing ferocious blasts of
Black Metal into the mix.
Elsewhere Zeal & Ardor experiment and genre-bend like never before,
stripping back on the stuttered rhythm and machine-funk of ôKilnova.ö And
providing a Stranger Things-esq synth palate cleanser, on ôUne ville vide.ö
With ôSolace,ö they provide a thoroughly brooding and melancholic song,
built around a sombre piano with vocals including; ôThere is solace and
hope in the end of your rope, to be sharp as a blade when the life starts
to fadeö that really hit a nerve. This song builds beautifully to a full on
a cinematic climax, before the record closes out with the melodic and soft
æTo my ilk.Æ
With Grief, Zeal & Ardor are almost certainly going to continue building on
their previous success. Beginning to deviate from the style and sound which
had peaked on their incredible 2022 album, and now completely ripping open
their own rule book, to provide something extraordinarily fresh and
exciting.