Just a couple of months ago I wrote I hope Zeal & Ardor doesn’t sleep on their signature style of “soul metal” and keeps evolving, growing, exploring further. And here it is. The new record has dropped and it’s nothing in line with their previous albums, and that is absolutely the best thing that could have happened to this band. It’s also a great feeling to read the same sentiment echoed over this record’s Bandcamp page from other people, too. It’s rare that a band can innovate and keep innovating so much, and their fan base taking the course with them and supporting their journey.
As for the record itself, I honestly don’t really know what to write or how to articulate my thoughts, rather. It’s fourteen tracks, which is a lot, and there’s an immense diversity. From calm but creepy lullaby, through massive metal road rage, to their usual beats and pulse but with bits of electronics now, ambient outtake with synths, and hard rock banger hits—it is a lot. I will need many more listening of this to digest properly, but I know I love it. Now I kinda feel like I’ll like the individual songs better than the album as a cohesive unit, just because it’s so non-cohesive and not in a conceptual way. Anyways, let’s try and articulate these feelings again in a few months’ time. Until then, I’ll just keep listening.
