Zeal and Ardor

Zeal & Ardor is a music project created by Manuel Gagneux (born 1989) in 2013 in Basel that blends elements of gospel and black metal.

Stranger Fruit (2018) was mixed and co-produced by Kurt Ballou. The Stranger Fruit recording expanded the project into a full band for the album cycle (personnel listed in the reviewed article).

The available review (4/5) praises Stranger Fruit for its bold fusion of gospel and black metal, strong production (Kurt Ballou credited) and effective band arrangements beyond the original one-man project. The album is called surprising and largely successful, with few flaws.

For:Fans of experimental and avant-garde metal, listeners interested in genre-blending (gospel/black metal), and curious rock/metal audiences.