Zeal & Ardor - GREIF (2024)

Returning with another very interesting and totally intoxicating release, today we have Manuel Gagneux and Zeal & Ardor with their latest opus “GREIF”. Featuring fourteen tracks of pure genius, this release feels more chaotic and yet more raw than their previous ones, thanks to the full incorporation of the band’s live members into songwriting and recording roles. With a very unique and hard to pin down style, the band presents a very diverse and dynamic palette of sound, ranging from completely wild experimental pieces to your ‘standard’ Black Metal-infused heaviness.

Opening with the solemn “the Bird, the Lion and the Wildkin”, we get a nice warm-up featuring crafty atmospherics and Manuel’s Signature vocals, preparing us for the madness that is to come. With a more epic feel, “Fend You Off” we get the band’s multi layered vocal approach that creates such epic soaring melodies, alongside a hefty dose of heaviness. With a great knack for catchiness, “Kilonova” creates a very lively and engaging atmosphere, with an excellent chorus section and highly addictive percussions.

Having a bit for everybody, “are you the only one now” delivers waves of intoxicating riffs and BM onslaught alongside masterful clean vocal melodies, while “Go home my friend” has a more experimental playful edge, and “Clawing out” features an interesting Nu-Metal/Djent-ish edge to it. As you can read, this release covers a lot of ground, but the band’s staple elements of catchiness and dynamic vocal lines are always present, as “Disease” showcases with its funkiness.

The whole release is quite a treat for the listener and we would be doing a disservice in divulging all its magic, so we are just going to mention that things get funky, things get heavy, and things get epic, with the band’s assortment of influences perfectly interwoven to create a very Zeal & Ardor release. Touring North America in the fall of 2024, we can’t wait to witness one of their signature intense shows, and you can’t either, so be prepared.

Label: Redacted GmbH

Release: August 23rd, 2024

Genre: Avant-garde Metal

Country: Switzerland