If you’re looking for some music that blends soul and metal then let us introduce you to Zeal & Ardor.
Started by Manuel Gagneux, a Swiss-American musician, Manuel used to create music under the name Birdmask on 4chan which saw him ask users to suggest two genres to combine.
In recent years the band has expanded and quite rightly grabbed truly impressive support slots. Set to release their third album this February the band have already released six tracks, each one continuing to push their creativity and rage.
Frontman Manuel, whose parents were also musicians, learnt to play at an early age and this album (except drums) was written and performed by him.
Whilst single ‘Bow’ is lead by soulful catchy hooks and features political themes, single ‘Götterdämmerung’ is almost the opposite. Sung in German and features no gimmicks, the tracks shows their unrelenting fury.
There’s always the worry after a few albums it could become a niche sound but the way Manuel combines culture, politics, dominant vocals and soulful harmony backgrounds is captivating and pulls you in for more.
The self-titled third album is out February 11th.
You can catch them in the UK supporting Meshuggah in May along with a slot at ArcTanGent Festival in August.
Tracklisting:
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
Follow Zeal & Ardor online:
https://twitter.com/zealandardor
https://www.facebook.com/zealandardor
https://www.instagram.com/zealandardor/
