Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Zeal & Ardor‘s inaugural album, “Devil Is Fine,” was commemorated with a tenth anniversary edition in September, as per theprp. This edition, named “Devil Is Fine X,” featured a remastered version of the album along with five bonus tracks. As a continuation of these commemorative activities, the band has recently released a remixed version of the title track. This remix was produced by darksynth artist Carpenter Brut.
Manuel Gagneux was born in Basel, Switzerland, in 1989, to an African American mother and a Swiss father. Both of his parents were musicians, and he was introduced to piano at an early age. During his youth, he frequently listened to grindcore, as well as technical and melodic death metal artists. As a teenager, he participated in a crossover band named Hellalujah. After relocating to New York City in 2012, Gagneux founded Birdmask, a chamber pop project. He shared his music on 4chan to solicit honest feedback, often requesting users to suggest two genres for him to combine in a new composition within thirty minutes. One user proposed blending black metal, while another suggested “nigger music,” prompting Gagneux to create Zeal & Ardor, which integrates elements of black metal and slave songs. Other genre suggestions included Afro Djent, Nashville Power Electronics, and Industrial Grunge. Gagneux later explained that the band originated from the provocative question, “what if American slaves had embraced Satan instead of Jesus?”
The initial release of the project comprised a work-in-progress track titled “A Spiritual,” which was made available on SoundCloud on December 13, 2013. Subsequently, Gagneux independently released the demo album “Zeal and Ardor” on Bandcamp in June 2014. The project’s official debut album, “Devil Is Fine”, was initially released on Bandcamp on April 15, 2016, with Gagneux personally composing and recording the entire album. In November 2016, the band was featured in a Bandcamp article focusing on black experimental metal.
On November 11, 2016, Gagneux announced his signing with the UK-based record label MVKA. The lead single, “Devil Is Fine,” accompanied by a music video, was released on December 15, 2016. A second single, “Come On Down,” was issued on January 16, 2017. MVKA re-released Devil Is Fine on February 24, 2017, which subsequently reached position 17 on the Swiss Hitparade charts.
