For a band whose initial mission statement still feels like a dare, Zeal & Ardor have proven remarkably resilient while staying essentially true to the concept of cross-pollinating African-American spiritual music with black metal. Industrial rhythms, gently plucked guitars and synthy soundscapes may haunt these realms, but the blood and fire reverberating through history’s dark corridors remains. Indeed, there are moments on this self-titled third album which find Zeal & Ardor at their heaviest-hitting yet, even as their musical singularity boasts definite crossover appeal.
Lead single Run is an early highlight, the soulful vocals of its verses soon overwhelmed by breakneck riff barrages and a ferocious taunt of, ‘Where’s your fucking God?’ Track titles like Death To The Holy and Church Burns offer knowing nods to black metal tradition, even as the stylistic echoes of slavery-era work songs suggest a deeper understanding of the genuine horrors of the past. Timelines and geography are further stretched on the intense Götterdämmerung, partially sung in German and evoking the terrifying cataclysms of Wagner’s identically-named opera.