Who would have thought that a band originally born out of a conversation on 4chan would become so successful, or work so well? With their unique mix of black metal and African-American spirituals, Zeal & Ardor, led by Swiss-American musician Manuel Gagneux, have tapped into something truly unique and, after the acclaim of their debut Devil Is Fine, they’ve continued to push the boundaries of their new genre even further on Stranger Fruit.
The opening “Intro” and “Gravedigger’s Chant” set the mood for Stranger Fruit brilliantly, with a dark, haunting atmosphere pervading these tracks while still providing enough dissonance and genre clashes to let you know that you’re in for a hell of a ride. It’s not until “Servants” that we properly get a dose of black metal in this album, though. Beginning with catchy vocals from Gagneux, the black metal works its way into the song gradually, with occasional wails reminiscent of Cradle of Filth’s Dani Filth and incrementally heavier guitars easing us into the brutality that’s ahead.
Things well and truly get going with “Don’t You Dare”, though. This song has been around for a while in Zeal & Ardor’s live shows, and now it’s finally on record and boy, is it worth the wait. Gagneux chants, croons and shrieks through all the dynamic shifts and sudden changes of pace, and it’s safe to say that this track may well be the perfect introduction to Zeal & Ardor for new fans. Following track “Fire of Motion” complements this with its rumbling bass and relentless pace.
From here, we start to see how varied Stranger Fruit really is. Ambient tracks such as “The Hermit” and “The Fool” are spread throughout the album to provide the occasional break from all the insanity, while “Row Row” and “Waste” are the most black metal-heavy tracks on the album. “Waste” allegedly contains the much maligned “millenial whoop”, although I’ve been unable to find it personally among the blastbeats, Dani Filth-esque wails and overall barrage of noise mixed in. Meanwhile, tracks like “Ship on Fire” and “You Ain’t Coming Back” give us more of the spiritual side of Zeal & Ardor, using the guitars more in the background then as an integral part of the song. Then we come to the haunting monolith of the title track. Discordant pianos, eerie backing vocals and a growing urgency to Gagneux’s vocals build up the tension before the guitars crash in like a hurricane. The result is a dissonant and disturbing song, the apex of what Stranger Fruit is trying to achieve, before “Built on Ashes” provides a climactic and melodic finish.
The main problem with Stranger Fruit is that it provides such a huge cacophony that it can be difficult to digest and get through on first listen, as it is something that needs time and multiple listens to fully appreciate all the twists and turns that it provides. This makes it something that could well alienate casual listeners, with its ambition potentially proving too much of a challenge for those unwilling to devote the necessary time and effort to listen to it. However, for those who are willing to take it on, Stranger Fruit shows just what is possible when Zeal & Ardor really start to push the boundaries of extreme music, and create something truly unique.
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