Published: January 1, 1970
Like any sentient being, it consumes, evolves, and transforms from one season to the next. It has only sharpened its claws, lengthened its teeth, and steeled its nerves over the years, growing more undeniable and unpredictable in the process.
"Another color joins the tapestry with 'Fend You Off," says band leader Manuel Gagneux. "By now, it might be apparent that we're sharing new sides of ours. This is us at our core honest and vulnerable. We hope you like it. Stay strange."
GREIF TRACK LISTING:
"the Bird, the Lion, and the Wildkin"
"Fend You Off"
"Kilonova"
"are you the only one now?"
"Go home my friend"
"Clawing out"
"Disease"
"369"
"Thrill"
"une ville vide"
"Sugarcoat"
"Solace"
"Hide in Shade"
"to my ilk"
Rather than stagnating, basking in global acclaim garnered from three previous albums — Devil Is Fine [2017], Stranger Fruit [2018] and Zeal & Ardor [2022] — Manuel opted to shake things up for GREIF.
Instead of creatively flying solo again, this time he welcomed his bandmates into the studio, featuring three voices for the first time and emboldening the sound from every angle. As such, the musicians — Tiziano Volante [guitar], Marc Obrist [vocals], Denis Wagner [vocals], Lukas Kurmann [bass], and Marco Von Allmen [drums] — spread their wings alongside him. Decamping to Obrist's studio Hutch Sounds in Switzerland, the record came to life in just five months.
"We've really evolved into a tight-knit unit," explains Obrist. "Before Zeal & Ardor, we were basically strangers, but we're like a little family now. Each member brings his own unique flavor to the mix, and we all try to make Manuel's songs better in our own way. The most interesting part for me was the new approach of how we work together in the studio."
"I wanted to expand upon what we had and introduce new colors," Manuel continues. "There are angry and accusatory moments, but there's also some solace and happiness. I'm widening the palette of colors we have to paint with. These are avenues we haven't tried."
"We invite listeners to hear the full spectrum of the different sides and sounds that make Zeal & Ardor," Tiziano leaves off. "There are some gorgeous moments, but it packs in a lot of intensity and charm. In Manuel's songwriting and the process with every member, there's a certain intentionality as well as an element of randomness and accident. I can't wait to see people's reactions."
In January 2024, ZEAL & ARDOR released Play With The Devil, a documentary film by Olivier Joliat and Matthias Willi. The documentary intimately chronicles Manuel Gagneux's journey from the inception of ZEAL & ARDOR through initial tours and a soul-searching period of crisis. The bold mix of Black Metal with old work songs and field hollers by the enslaved — his answer to a racist provocation on the internet — is politically explosive. As a person of color in metal, Gagneux and his music have shone a light on religion, racism, segregation, and cultural appropriation. However, the sudden surge in acclaim and the weight of being hailed a visionary leader by fans threatened to overwhelm the softly-spoken, introverted artist. Play With The Devil is available now for streaming on major platforms.
