From “ Run”, the listener is thrown into “Death To The Holy”, pushing a gospel-like feel that quickly descends into blistering metal sequences. On top of refreshing, Zeal & Ardor are well versed in the technique of pacing and track placement in an album. It’s a unique sound and approach to production, and it’s seriously refreshing. The big black metal sequences in this album show off that dirty production style perfectly, and when the layers strip back, there is a focused and clear vision before the listener. It’s raw, it’s messy and in your face but you can still point out everything that’s happening. “ Run” immediately picks up the pace, dropping the listener into a metal onslaught that really shows off the personality of this album’s production. It’s pretty easy as a listener to feel that you’re in for something pretty huge… Emmanuel Gagneaux, the mastermind behind the band, originally a solo project, exhibits a range of vocal styles across this one track, going from gravelly mumbles all the way up to forceful chesty roars that ring out across the soundscape. Aptly named “ Zeal & Ardor”, this controlled heaviness is just pulsing, eager to be unleashed on the world. The 14-track offering begins with a huge burst of power, brooding and swelling in front of the listener. If the listener allows it, the album will take them on a journey through soundscapes and sonic imagery that feels much more than just music. I began to recognize sections and sequences not as verses or choruses, but something more like locations. It was an unusual thought, but as I plunged into this album, I began to feel that song structure was just as malleable for Zeal & Ardor as genre. It’s put together really well.” Whether or not I was successful in getting friends to check out the tracks, Zeal & Ardor’s self-titled release is certainly something that needs to be listened to multiple times, to really become immersed in everything that is happening, and that’s exactly what I did. I must say I had a hard time convincing my friends to check out some of their tracks, as it went a little like this: “so, it’s a mixture of black metal, and, well, country, and sometimes there’s this cool gospel bit. Things that you would never expect to go together, fit as seamlessly as any track out there. Ranging from black metal, to gospel, to country and blues and even electro, “ Zeal & Ardor” dives deep into music at its sub-atomic level. Zeal & Ardor’s self-titled record is a powerful display of what happens when intelligent people with incredible musical minds throw the word ‘genre’ into the bin. However, I wasn’t prepared in the least for what I was provided with. Let’s start with me saying this: I thought that I was going into this album with the most open of minds, ready to experience anything.
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