Swedish avant-garde metal outfit Zeal & Ardor has released a new single called “Götterdämmerung,” which will be featured on their upcoming self-titled studio album out on February 11 via MVKA. The band will also be joining the likes of Mastodon and Opeth this fall, with a series of November and December dates currently schedule.
“Götterdämmerung” is screamed and growled entirely in German, which starkly contrasts with the melodic English vocals during the song’s chorus. These German vocals conjure up rage filled and disturbing images, even without understanding the language, as the incantation and march-like drums express pure rage and aggression, complemented by heavy breakdowns.
Zeal & Ardor have been busy throughout the year thanks to this studio album, whose rollout began with the release of “Run” earlier this year. Their most recent studio album Stranger Fruit came out in 2018, which was preceded by Devil Is Fine, a solid entry point into the band’s style.
“We’re getting some original, unusually textured metal, and that is never a bad thing. Gagneux couldn’t have picked a better time to drop a record like this,” mxdwn reviewer Conor Fagan explained. “In this period of ever-escalating racial tensions, NSBM groups are getting more attention than ever, as accusations of Nazism flying are left and right. Even if this whole project is, as Gagneux says, sort of a joke, Zeal & Ardor are a very well thought-out joke. Let’s all thank Black Jesus there are still weird dudes who can find heaviness in places outside of the gain nobs on a Marshall stack.”
Zeal & Ardor Tour Dates with Opeth and Mastodon
11/16 – Asheville, NC – ExploreAsheville.com Arena
11/18 – Boston, MA – The Wang Theatre
11/19 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre
11/20 – New York City – Hammerstein Ballroom
11/21 – Washington, DC – The Anthem
11/23 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
11/24 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern
11/26 – Austin, TX – ACL Live at the Moody Theater
11/27 – Dallas, TX – South Side Ballroom
11/28 – Sugar Land, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
11/30 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Amphitheatre
12/1 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
12/2 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
12/4 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Union
12/5 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom
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