Zeal and Ardor have just shared the new visualizer for “Fend You Off,” the third single from their upcoming album, Greif. Self-produced by the band, the new full-length is due out on August 23rd. The band are also on tour in Europe throughout this year, including dates with Heilung and one UK headlining stop. Head into the article below for the new single and live listings.
Stream “Fend You Off” here: https://orcd.co/fendyouoff
Pre-order Greif here: https://www.zealandardor.com/
“Another colour joins the tapestry with “Fend You Off”” says band leader Manuel Gagneux. “By now, it might be apparent that we’re sharing new sides of ours. This is us at our core honest and vulnerable. We hope you like it. Stay strange.”
Zeal & Ardor isn’t just a band; it’s a living and breathing entity. Like any other sentient being, it consumes, evolves, and transforms from one season to the next. It has only sharpened its claws, lengthened its teeth, and steeled its nerves over the years, growing more undeniable and unpredictable in the process. Rather than stagnating, basking in global acclaim garnered from three previous albums – Devil Is Fine [2017], Stranger Fruit [2018] and Zeal & Ardor [2022] – Manuel opted to shake things up for Greif. Instead of creatively flying solo again, this time he welcomed his bandmates into the studio, featuring three voices for the first time and emboldening the sound from every angle. As such, the musicians – Tiziano Volante [guitar], Marc Obrist [vocals], Denis Wagner [vocals], Lukas Kurmann [bass], and Marco Von Allmen [drums] – spread their wings alongside him. Decamping to Marc’s studio Hutch Sounds in Switzerland, the record came to life in just five months.
“We’ve really evolved into a tight-knit unit,” explains Marc. “Before Zeal & Ardor, we were basically strangers, but we’re like a little family now. Each member brings his own unique flavor to the mix, and we all try to make Manuel’s songs better in our own way. The most interesting part for me was the new approach of how we work together in the studio.”
“I wanted to expand upon what we had and introduce new colors,” Manuel continues. “There are angry and accusatory moments, but there’s also some solace and happiness. I’m widening the palette of colors we have to paint with. These are avenues we haven’t tried.”
Greif tracklisting:
01 the Bird, the Lion, and the Wildkin
02 Fend You Off
03 Kilonova
04 are you the only one now?
05 Go home my friend
06 Clawing out
07 Disease
08 369
09 Thrill
10 une ville vide
11 Sugarcoat
12 Solace
13 Hide in Shade
14 to my ilk
Greif is available on CD, transparent vinyl, and digitally.
“We invite listeners to hear the full spectrum of the different sides and sounds that make Zeal & Ardor,” Tiziano leaves off. “There are some gorgeous moments, but it packs in a lot of intensity and charm. In Manuel’s songwriting and the process with every member, there’s a certain intentionality as well as an element of randomness and accident. I can’t wait to see people’s reactions.”
Zeal & Ardor are back on the road, including headline dates, festival performances, and several shows as special guests alongside experimental folk troupe Heilung. They return to the UK for one headline show at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on September 22nd, 2024. Tickets are on sale now for all dates. To buy, head to www.zealandardor.com.
See Zeal & Ardor at:
June 26 2024 LV – Riga, Melna Piektdiena
June 27 2024 EE – Talinn, Tapper
June 28 2024 FI – Tuska Festival
July 20 2024 DE – Baden im Blut Festival
August 10 2024 FR – Festival 666
August 16 2024 DE – Reload Festival
August 28 2024 DK – Copenhagen, Amager Bio [SOLD OUT]
August 29 2024 DE – Hamburg, Edel Optics Arena*
August 31 2024 DE – Berlin, Zitadelle*
September 03 2024 DE – Stuttgart, Beethoven Saal*
September 05 2024 DE – Nurnberg, Kia Metropol Arena
September 07 2024 CZ – Trutnov, Boijste Amphitheater*
September 09 2024 HU – Budapest. Barba Negra Openair*
September 11 2024 AT – Vienna, Arena*
September 12 2024 AT – Linz, Posthof
September 13 2024 DE – Munich, Zenith*
September 15 2024 BE – Antwerpen, Lotto Arena*
September 17 2024 FR – Paris, Zenith*
September 19 2024 DE – Cologne, Palladium*
September 21 2024 NL – Amsterdam, AFAS Live* [SOLD OUT]
September 22 2024 UK – London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
October 04 2024 IT – Milan, Santeria
October 05 2024 CH – Lucerne, Metal Storm Festival
October 12 2024 NL – Nijmegen, Soulcrusher Festival
*supporting Heilung
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