Daily Jam - Blood in the River

I was fortunate enough to get to see the extraordinary metal band Zeal & Ardor last month in Austin.  This song absolutely killed live.  Listen to "Blood in the River" below, our Daily Jam.

Zeal & Ardor

I somehow failed to post about Zeal & Ardor's new album "GREIF" when it dropped at the end of the summer.  I caught them on stage last week and everything, and still managed to drop the ball.  Well, i'm remedying that now.  "GREIF" is the first release as a full band and continues to push the sound into new and interesting directions.  It rules.  Check out "Are You the Only One Now?" below and get the LP here.

Zeal & Ardor

Here's a new track from Zeal & Ardor, and a rather subdued affair at that considering what rip roaring screamer 2022's self-titled effort was.  Check out "To My Ilk" below and download it here.

Zeal & Ardor

It was a pretty banner day for Sub Pop yesterday.  Aside from the new Slift single, the label also released new music from the amazing metal band Zeal & Ardor.  Check out their new crusher "Firewake" below and download it here.

Zeal & Ardor

Shame on me for not devoting nearly enough and time and space to the absolutely amazing new album from New York's Zeal & Ardor.  The band has been making brilliant music for a while now, but the self-titled album that dropped last month feels like the culmination of it all, a blistering mix of black metal, death metal, soul, gospel, old spirituals, and more.  There's no one else out there that sounds like these guys, nor should there be really.  Check out "Hold Your Head Low" below and get the record here from MVKA.

Zeal & Ardor Remixed by GEIZ

One more remix for the morning.  Back in May, New York's Zeal & Ardor released new track "Run," an intense mix of the band's particular style of death metal and bluesy spirituals.  As per usual with the group, it ruled.  And now it gets an insane remix from GEIZ.  The new version keeps the death metal and adds a bunch of industrial mayhem and synthwave techno.  It also rules.  Check it out below and get both versions of "Run" here from MVKA.

Zeal & Ardor

Zeal & Ardor's unique brand of gospel blues metal has always felt of the earth, a kind of spiritual din of mud and turmoil.  And on their latest upcoming EP, "Wake of a Nation," the group focuses that transcendent sound on our current and seemingly everlasting state of turmoil by way of racism and police violence.  It feels darker.  It feels heavier.  It feels real.  Listen to "Vigil" below and try not to be moved by it, a mix of anger and yearning, history and despair, and maybe even just the slightest ray of hope.  It floors me.  The EP is out next month on MVKA.  Pre-order it here.

 

Zeal & Ardor

Not really sure how i completely missed that we have a new record from Zeal & Ardor headed our way next week, but thank goodness i'm on to it now.  Combining elements of gospel, blues, slave spirituals, rock, and metal, the project of Manuel Gagneux is heavy on atmosphere, a dense layer of sound beneath throaty, gravelly vocals.  Watch the video for "Gravedigger's Chant" below and pre-order the "Stranger Fruit" LP here.