Given their respective histories, African American gospel music and black metal seem about as far apart on the musical spectrum as two genres can get. One rooted in centuries of oppression and how in turn those oppressed turned towards the connecting power of religion, while the other stems from the bleak Scandinavian north that has quite the hostile relationship with religion (see Early Norwegian black metal church arson) and one of its leading figures, Varg Vikernes of Burzum, being a notable white supremacist.

That being said, none of this prevented Manuel Gagneux of Zeal and Ardor from creating the outfit when two 4chan users suggested that he fuse the two disparate genres. Since his first self-titled release in 2014, Gagneux has demonstrated a consistent conviction towards breaking down racial and musical walls.

In his new single “Built on Ashes,” Zeal and Ardor continues to illustrate his ability to write catchy hooks soaking with soulful dynamics, so much so that it becomes almost easy to forget that the instrumentals are far more cold and abrasive. The contrast makes it seem as though the two shouldn’t work on paper, but the marriage is counterintuitively natural.

“Built on Ashes” comes from the band’s upcoming record Stranger Fruit, due for a June 9th release via MVKA. Before dropping “Built on Ashes,” Gagneux shared two tracks showcasing the album’s genre-bending fury: “Gravedigger’s Chant,” which arrived alongside a supremely creepy visual, and the equally-foreboding “Waste.”

Check out the audio for “Built on Ashes” below.