Blues, gospel and soul meet heavier music. The musical fusion of supposedly inappropriate genres is masterfully implemented by Zeal & Ardor.
Tiziano, Lukas and Manuel use RICHTER® guitar straps and RICHTER® guitar strings.
Interview:
The sound of Zeal & Ardor is unique. How was the style and the sound born?
Tiziano:
You can follow the exact story of how it came about in our documentary “Play with the Devil”, which will be shown in selected cinemas this year. In principle, however, Zeal & Ardor is a thought experiment that asks what would have happened if the enslaved Afro-American population, against the forced religion of Christianity, had defended themselves by practicing Satanism. On the musical level, Zeal & Ardor therefore combines black metal sounds with chain gang and gospel choirs and ignores genre boundaries.
Lukas:
Manuel has been writing everything himself since the beginning and at the beginning there was no band at all. I was on holiday in Sardinia when I downloaded Bandcamp's debut album and chills ran down my spine immediately. I felt like so many: I was extremely flashed. I didn't know Manuel personally at the time, so I got to know the initial phase more from the fan's perspective.
Manuel:
One could philosophize and romanticize here, but the truth is simple experimentation. Try which elements together have an interesting sound, or create tension. This is the most fun part of the whole process.
What was the musical life of the individual musicians like before Z&A?
Lukas:
I've been touring as much as possible with my stoner band Sons of Morpheus. In between, I kept my head above water with some random gigs and an admin job at a label. I've played weddings, corporate events, bar gigs & matinées, and anything else I can get my hands on. A really cool time, I learned an awful lot. At Zeal & Ardor I initially acted as a substitute for the then bass player Mia and only played individual shows in between. When Mia got health problems and couldn't tour anymore, the question was how many of the upcoming shows I could take over, from then on the gravitation of my musical activities gradually shifted in the direction of Zeal & Ardor.
Tiziano:
My first instrument was the drums, which I played for about ten years until I got hold of my father's bass. Later, four strings were probably not enough for me and I bought my first electric guitar with my savings. When I was about thirteen, I founded my first band with three of my best friends from school, in which I also sang and performed at various school events or in youth centers. At the end of my time at the music high school I got to know our drummer Marco von Allmen. I played with him in the band "Worse to Come" for seven years and increasingly focused on the guitar. The band played, among other things, as an opener for "Animals as Leaders" or "Breakdown of Sanity", released the EP "Threnody" in 2015 and soon broke up afterwards. Marco and singer Basil Lehmann knew Manuel from school and the local music scene. I think we already had a mutual interest in each other's musical work. For example, Manuel can be seen in the mosh pit of our hip-hop medley at the JKF Basel. For that show, we ran "Devil is Fine" as the intro, which no one cared about at the time. We were fans from the very beginning and also attended his shows as "Birdmask" or in other formations. In 2016, during the Hill Chill Festival in our hometown, Manuel asked me if I wanted to play drums for Zeal & Ardor, which I politely declined. I reminded him that Marco is the best drummer in our part of the world and suggested playing guitar instead. To date, I'm the band member who has shared the most stages with Manuel.
Manuel:
Both my parents were musicians, so there was always a piano in the house. A huge thank you at this point that my parents had the patience to let me strum the nonsensical stuff. The playful approach to music is still part of my creative process. I also took saxophone lessons as a kid (wasn't a fan), soon I wanted to make my own music and attacked a B.C. Rich Warlock in a black metal band. When that didn't work out, I started making music by myself and, to the delight of my neighbors, yelled into my laptop in the quiet little room. Soon Zeal & Ardor was born.
At first glance, gospel and black metal polarize too much, but the result sounds like the perfect, interwoven symbiosis. What comes first in songwriting? The gospel influences or the black metal?
Manuel:
That changes from song to song. It's extremely important for me to have an enthusiasm for the piece, so I can't fall into routine. That means sometimes I start with a riff, sometimes with vocals other times it might even be a sound effect or an interesting noise. I never know how a song will end up sounding until I've explored all the possibilities. That's what makes it all so challenging.
Manuel and Tiziano play RICHTER® guitar strings. Lukas hammers the RICHTER® bass strings. In addition, guitars and basses are equipped with individualized straps. What are your experiences with the products and what do you value most in the materials and products you use live and in the studio?
Lukas:
With Richter, you immediately notice that they are first-class products. I had heard of the straps before, but I was completely unfamiliar with the strings. I was completely happy with the strings right from the start and the straps are also perfect. The strings sound really nice and brilliant for a long time, which suits me enormously, because I'm extremely lazy when it comes to maintenance and generally don't like to change strings. Richter supports me perfectly in this laziness.
Tiziano:
For my musical tools, two of the main concerns are the stability of their materials and the flexibility of their application. The most important thing on tour is that the equipment can withstand all the hardships and can be used in a wide variety of settings. The processing of the straps, strings and all individual parts is absolutely high quality. The Snapbuckle's direct belt security guarantees maximum support in hectic moments and can always be easily adjusted and removed. But it should also look good. That's why I'm particularly proud that my straps have my logo on them.
Manuel:
Of the three of us, I'm the person who has the least knowledge of gear and equipment. For me, it's important to be able to get started as soon as an idea comes up. The less there is between an idea and its implementation, the happier I am. Until recently, I didn't attach any importance to strings either, because I thought everything would be distorted anyway and nobody would hear that. But when Tiziano let me switch to a more suitable string gauge and I noticed how easier it was to play, a new world opened up for me. Now having the luxury of the RICHTER® Strings is, I believe, the zenith of this revelation.
Your straps all have individual motifs in the RICHTER® Custom Shop. RICHTER® already offers this service for end customers as a single item. How did this customization of the products work out in cooperation with the RICHTER® Custom Shop?
Tiziano:
The ordering process was competently accompanied by Richter. From the first ideas to the finished product, we were given precise advice and informed about what can be implemented and how. That is why we are particularly happy that the results correspond exactly to our expectations.
Lukas:
Everything went super uncomplicated and professional. I was happy to have the opportunity for the Custom Shop to do small runs as I don't play too many different instruments. I'm more loyally focused on one main instrument.
Manuel:
It couldn't have been easier. Send a vector graphic, choose the strap you want, and a few days later you'll have a personalized piece in your hands. I honestly don't know where to make improvements.ringen könnte.
Imagine you have to add another musical instrument to the band's sound. Which instrument would you choose?
Lukas:
Haha, good question... An electronically alienated baritone bassoon definitely has a lot of tonal potential. I'll just leave it like that.
Tiziano:
I have a weakness for brass sections and one instrument that has fascinated me since I was a child is the sousaphone. In our hometown of Basel, this instrument can be found primarily at carnival. Unfortunately, people who really master this instrument are rarely to be found. That could breathe a bit of New Orleans air into the whole thing, though.
Manuel:
Every instrument in the world enjoys the luxury of a virtuoso. The violin has Sibelius, the guitar Van Halen etc. Which brings us to the nose flute. I believe that since the competition in the circle of this godlike instrument is small, I could be the best nose flautist in the world in the eyes of the public. Imagine a huge stage at this point, with a single spotlight in the center illuminating me and my Custom E-nose whistle. A soul-shattering *Fluuuuuu* rang out in Madison Square Garden. The hall rages, tears of ecstasy, thunderous applause, world peace. Pretty close, actually.
What is on the agenda for the coming weeks and months?
Tiziano:
As it seems for many other bands, the festival season is in the foreground for us this year. We just played our last show at this year's Copenhell, for which Manuel produced an exclusive song. After that we can be found at the Gefle Metal Festival and Rockstadt in Brasov, as well as at Brutal Assault, Bloodstrock or Motocultor. In Germany we can be seen on the main stage at Summer Breeze and on the other hand we appear on stage in Gelsenkirchen as support for "Heilung".
Lukas:
We are in the middle of preparing for the festival summer, so I'm really looking forward to it. Even if something like this is always a bit logistically stressful. After 2022 was full of tours, I thought it was great to just be at home with my family for the last few months and to slow down. But now my fingernails are tingling again and I'm really looking forward to the festival stages!
Manuel:
A few summer festivals first, but not too many as I have music to write. For what? It remains to be seen. Let's say we'll have to grab a few more RICHTER strings for this promotion.