Zeal & Ardor is the brainchild of Manuel Gagneux, a Swiss-American formerly based in New York City. His approach draws on an alternate history and stems from two thoughts: Christianity was imposed upon American slaves, just as it was imposed in Norway, and black metal in the 90’s grew as a rebellion to monotheism. What would have happened if American slaves had rebelled in the same way? Or put bluntly: What would satanic spirituals sound like? First album Devil Is Fine was released globally in 2017, followed by Stranger Fruit, which was released to critical acclaim in June 2018.
Catch them at Manchester Academy this November in support of their latest eponymous album, Zeal & Ardor.
