Review ZEAL & ARDOR “Greif”

The sound of Zeal & Ardor has been something special from the beginning and still the band has its own musical identity. The band is the brainchild of Manuel Gagneux. The Swiss musician started the project in 2013 with the intention of fusing black metal, blues and jazz. This unusual blend defined the sound of Zeal & Ardor in the early days, but after a while it evolved.

The project grew into a band that has released three full length albums to date, as well as a live album. Currently, Zeal & Ardor consists next to bandleader Gagneux of Tiziano Volante (guitar), Marc Obrist (vocals), Denis Wagner (vocals), Lukas Kurmann (bass) and Marco Von Allmen (drums). These are the guys who worked on the Swiss band’s fourth longplayer, and mentioning the musicians involved immediately reveals a new aspect. Two additional singers.

Zeal & Ardor was and is a band that never stands still. Like a living organism, the band is constantly evolving, learning and sharpening things, which means that “Greif”, which is the title of the new longplayer, is an experimental journey through music that is reminiscent of the early roots and at the same time offers a completely different sonic framework.

With “are you the only one new?” the band refers to some of the earlier musical trademarks, as some hoarse screams echo the black metal related past. At the same time, the acoustic parts of this track are fragile and calm. The moment both parts unite during the last third of the song, it feels like listening to two songs woven into one, without having the idea of a scattered sonic experience.

What helps to give the songs such a broader expression are the two additional singers, who allow Zeal & Ardor to expand their musical scope. And the range of sounds could not be better described than what the band placed as the next song on the track list.

“Go Home My Friend” and “Clawing Out” are experimental sound collages that showcase all of the band’s creativity and at the same time have a fascination that keeps you from pressing the skip button.
“Fend You Off” is the lead single that some of you may have already heard. The song is also placed very early on the album and is a progressive one, with melodies that allow the listener to approach the tune in an easy-going way.

“Greif” was written by the whole band, which is another new aspect. While Gagneux wrote the music for the other albums, “Greif” reflects a team approach. Different thoughts and creative ideas have been brought to the table, resulting in metallic bursts like “Thrill” and the heavily grooving “Sugarcoat”.
“Greif” is a beast that doesn’t reveal all the details right away. The songs on the album aren’t too long, including the 55-second interplay “369”. In the end, it is not about the individual song, as this longplayer is more than a collection of music.

Black metal roots dominate ‘Hide in Shade’, while the quieter moments of this song create a peaceful momentum that is blown away by the massive blackened outbursts, and just to underline the unpredictability of this release it is the bluesy ‘to my ilk’ that ends the album on a great note.

“Greif” is an album that brings an experimental approach to the fore. It’s not the typical progressive sound that forges ahead in complex song structures. This album is about musical creativity beyond boundaries, and the result is an album that will blow you away. It takes some time to realise the greatness of “Greif” but persistence is rewarded with songs that show the full range of the Swiss collective’s sound.