Strange in the best way
Black metal has never been necessarily known for its acceptability of black people, or many other races in general for that matter. Though it’s unfair to say every act falling under this categorical destination possesses some level of racist or xenophobic viewpoints, it’s pretty known that black metal has got a rap for being the least inclusive. So, the thought of attempting to blend black metal with the musical styles, references and thematic content known to be typical of black culture and history doesn’t seem like a feat many would want to undertake, except Manuel Gagneux.
Of half Swiss, half African American decent, Gagneux constructed the premise behind Zeal & Ardor pretty much on a racially-based 4Chan dare, one he surely didn’t take lightly. With Stranger Fruit, which happens to be a reference to the Billie Holiday song “Strange Fruit,” Gagneux provocatively and methodically mixes harsh black and death metal stylings with those of soulful blues and gospel pairings, with slavery and oppression as the predominant lyrical motif.
The album’s intro track (literally titled “Intro”) begins the record with a passionate wail and a Southern flare going into “Gravedigger’s Chant,” a piano-driven track that transports the listener into the most uncomfortable church pews. It’s other songs like this one evoke beaded sweat bluesy feels that both showcase Gagneux’s incredibly sultry yet pained voice. He’s able to coalesce the prejudice and judgment he’s experienced in contemporary times with what has been traditionally known as an outlet for blacks who have historically gone through the same, in a way never done before.
Songs like “Servants” and “Ship on Fire” are direct references to slavery and injustice. “Row Row” does exceptionally well at portraying these as well, using funky bass, a jagged guitar line and a series of hand clapping in reimagining the Negro spiritual for the modern day.
Even with the important acknowledged message of Stranger Fruit, there are moments where Gagneux seems to lose a bit of momentum, creating a sense of disarray in regard to how the tracks flow with one another. The twofer of “We Can’t Be Found” and the album’s title track seems disjointed with the record’s first half. Gagneux seems amiss in prioritizing the metal elements of these tracks rather than balancing them with the record’s already perfected gospel and blues notes. Zeal & Ardor are in their own way an avant-metal project, but these two tracks, in particular, rely heavily on the keynotes of Stranger Fruit to keep the concept going, instead of making sure every track actually hits its intended mark.
All of that aside, Stranger Fruit is the needed and necessary next chapter to Zeal & Ardor’s debut Devil Is Fine. It tackles a topic that is obviously important to those who experience it, but that also stands to make those on the metal side of it all get a deeper look into the strife of this affliction. To be Zeal & Ardor’s sophomore effort is striking, and it’ll be interesting to see the ways in which Gagneux takes this genre jumble to the next level.
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