Stranger Fruit

Stranger Fruit
Studio album by Zeal & Ardor
Released June 8, 2018 (2018-06-08)
Genre
Length 47:52
Label MKVA
Producer Zebo Adam, Manuel Gagneux
Zeal & Ardor chronology
Devil Is Fine
(2016)		 Stranger Fruit
(2018)
Singles from Stranger Fruit
  1. "Gravedigger's Chant"
    Released: March 29, 2018[3]
  2. "Waste"
    Released: April 27, 2018[4]
  3. "Built On Ashes"
    Released: May 25, 2018[5]
  4. "You Ain't Coming Back"
    Released: September 7, 2018[6]

Stranger Fruit is the second studio album by avant-garde metal band Zeal & Ardor. It was released on June 8, 2018, through MKVA records.[7] It is Zeal & Ardor's first release as a full band, previous releases were entirely composed by singer Manuel Gagneux, although Stranger Fruit only features drummer Marco Von Allmen from the full band alongside Gagneux.

Preceded by the singles "Gravedigger's Chant", "Waste" and "Built on Ashes", the album was released to critical acclaim. It charted on several international charts, including nearly topping the Swiss album charts at #2.

Background

Manuel Gagneux announced the release of the album on March 29, 2018. The first single "Gravedigger's Chant" was released the same day.[3] A second single, "Waste", was released on April 27, 2018.[4] The third and final single "Built On Ashes", was released on May 25.[5] The title of the album is a reference to "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday, a song about racism and lynching of African Americans. Two music videos (directed by Samuel Morris & Manuel Sieber) were released, for "Intro" and "Gravedigger's Chant".[8][9] Musically, the album is considered a continuation of the previous album Devil Is Fine.[10]

Gagneux described the album title in an interview,

It's kind of a continuation of the thoughts of strange fruit, of people hanging, and, by extension, of people being shot or dying. It's not that happy of an idea, all in all. But that's kind of the times we live in."[10]

Gagneux drew inspiration from non-metal artists such as Tom Waits, A Clockwork Orange composer Wendy Carlos and French composer Erik Satie during the writing of the album.[10] Additionally, he listened to the field recordings of Alan Lomax.[10] The album features references to Goetia, Yoruba, as well as obscure occult literature and history.[11]

The album is produced by Gagneux and Zebo Adam, mixed by Kurt Ballou, and mastered by Alan Douches.[12]

Song Information

Zeal & Ardor expanded to a full band after recording the previous album.

The first track, "Intro" is a short track which Gagneux states "establishes a mood for the album to follow."[13] "Gravedigger's Chant" features the lyrics "Bring the dead down low, Bring the dead body down to the graveyard, son. You can't run, you can't hide.", alongside piano and gospel style vocals.[3] Gagneux described the song, stating "The gravedigger's chant is the song sung by the people who lay your body to rest. These people don't care where you were, but they know what you did and who loved you. All they know is what lies before them. So they sing this song, since you can no longer breathe a note."[3] He also stated the song was released as the lead single because "it's really not a metal song.. it's not typically what you would expect."[13] "Servants", described as more melodic than other tracks,[14] and featuring tremolo guitar[15] is about "either a slave revolution" or a "message to the American Middle class"[13]

"Don't You Dare" was first released in February 2017, and was performed live before being included on Stranger Fruit.[16] Gagneux described the song as saying "The idea of something so horrible that merely looking at it will end you is fascinating to me.. Don't You Dare thematically plays with biblical demons as well as Lovecraftian elements that lend themselves well to this idea."[17] He described the song as "portraying a different kind of character", calling it "commanding".[13] "Fire of Motion" features an Aleister Crowley sample.[13] "The Hermit" is one of four instrumental tracks on the album (alongside "The Fool", "Solve" and "Coagula"), which serve as "breathers for your ears before the heavy parts".[13] "Row Row" is stated to have more soul elements, with Gagneux comparing it to Motown music, as well as saying it's the "turning point in the story" of the album.[13] Loudwire described the song as the most blues based song by the band.[18] "Ship on Fire" features occult chanting and is considered the 'second chapter' of "Row Row".[13]

"Waste" is a purposely contradictory song, using the Millennial whoop (a simplistic style used in many pop songs) in contrast to what Gagneux called "The darkest song on the album", fully incorporating the gospel and soul elements into black metal.[13][19] The song features "crackling production, hellish screams, and out-of-nowhere blastbeats".[20] "You Ain't Coming Back" was created with the intent of having a hard-hitting song without the extreme metal.[13] Gagneux used guitar string dissonance to help achieve the effect.[13] The song was released (alongside an instrumental version) as a single in September 2018.[6] "We Can't Be Found" was the song that was worked on the longest, being described as "a bunch of riffs and beats we managed to amalgamate into something cohesive."[13] "Stranger Fruit" was written with the intent of making a song difficult to listen to because of the lyrical narrative of the song.[13] "Built On Ashes" references Strange Fruit, with the lyrics "like a strange fruit out of season, You are bound to die alone, And you will swing free in the breeze then."[21] The song was written as a "bittersweet ending" to the album, as a way to summarize the entire album.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. ClubA-[22]
Exclaim![15]
LoudwirePositive[18]
It Djents[23]
Kerrang!Positive[24]
Metal Hammer[25]
Metal Storm9.5/10[26]
The National Student[27]
Pitchfork7.3/10[28]
Ultimate Guitar[29]

Stranger Fruit received positive reviews. Loudwire praised the album, stating "The talent and vision Manuel Gagneux possesses is rarer than the strangest fruit, and it would be a crime to sleep on this magnificent piece of art. Stranger Fruit is Album of the Year material and will surely be celebrated as the record which solidified Zeal & Ardor as irrefutably significant".[18] Metal Hammer gave the album a 4.5 out of 5, stating "Working your way through the 16 tracks, you are confronted with a lot that is going on, as the album constantly walks a tightrope between brute force and sensitivity, from blastbeats to chorals to piano parts. But you never feel lost in this eclecticism, because the essence of what Manuel does is crystal clear."[25]

Echoes and Dust also gave a positive review, stating "Stranger Fruit then is an album that bridges a gap between genre and meaning, and by extension between past and present. But it's an album that is focused, using the theme as a catalyst whilst never letting it take precedence over catchy and powerful song writing."[30] The National Student, in a 5 out of 5 review, stated "This is modern metal's Terminator 2; its Empire Strikes Back; its Dark Knight – a sequel so well-executed that it surprisingly but undeniably leaves a fantastic original in its dust.[27] Exclaim! compared the album favorable to the works of Deafheaven, also stating it was "unlike anything else you've ever heard."[15] Kerrang! named it their album of the week upon release, stating "Stranger Fruit sounds like only half a step forward, stranger in some places, but familiar in others. That is not to take away from the eye-bulging intensity on display here, though... Stranger Fruit is a singularly raging proposition, and one that is still worthy of the Luciferian seal that adorns its cover."[24]

Dansende Beren gave the album 4.5 out of 5 stars, stating "We do not like to mention the word masterpiece, but other than this, Stranger Fruit is almost impossible to describe. The record is so catchy and haunting that we can hardly get enough of it."[31] Metal Insider stated "Stranger Fruit shattered these expectations. Zeal & Ardor has created 13 songs that flawlessly integrate the band's doleful disposition and phonic soul with instrumental ferocity".[32] It Djents gave the album a positive review, stating "the band’s sophomore effort is anything but a slump, showing that there’s a lot more to explore at the intersection of soul and Satan... You will likely not hear another album so satisfyingly contradictory, anachronistically pleasing, or aesthetically challenging this year, or at least one done this well."[23] In a 9/10 review, Kill Your Stereo stated "With ‘Stranger Fruit’, Zeal & Ardor are unlike any other band making waves through black metal, blues and other underground music circles of late. With this sublime second LP, they’ve summoned up a magical, morose, macabre and, for the most part, a masterful sound – a stunning sequel in every sense. This is undeniably Zeal & Ardor proving to the world that they weren’t just some flash-in-the-pan act back in 2016, but rather, something truly special to behold."[33]

Loudwire included the album in its June 2018 column of the Best Metal Albums of 2018 So Far.[34] Metal Hammer also included it on their list of 50 Best Metal Albums of 2018 So Far,[35] and it placed 5th on the Reader's Poll of the same subject.[36] Revolver placed the album on it's list of the "25 best albums of 2018 so far",[37] as did The AV Club.[38]

Commercial performance

Upon release, the album charted on several international charts. It debuted on the US Billboard Independent album charts at 24, the Billboard Heatseekers chart at 3, the UK Rock and Metal charts at 15, the German album charts at 27, the Flemish charts at 131, the Swiss charts at 2, and the Austrian charts at 30.

Track listing

All tracks written by Manuel Gagneux. "Fire of Motion" features samples of speeches by Aleister Crowley, "Don't You Dare" features samples of speeches by Anton Lavey.

No.TitleLength
1."Intro"2:14
2."Gravedigger's Chant"3:11
3."Servants"3:30
4."Don't You Dare"3:29
5."Fire of Motion"2:28
6."The Hermit"2:42
7."Row Row"3:06
8."Ship on Fire"3:33
9."Waste"3:19
10."You Ain't Coming Back"3:19
11."The Fool"2:25
12."We Can't Be Found"3:32
13."Stranger Fruit"3:29
14."Solve"1:22
15."Coagula"1:38
16."Built on Ashes"4:35
Total length:47:52

Personnel

Zeal & Ardor

  • Manuel Gagneux – lead vocals, backing vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar, synthesizer, samples, programming, production
  • Marco Von Allmen – drums (all tracks except 6, 11, 14 and 15)

Production

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[39] 30
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[40] 112
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[41] 27
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[42] 2
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[43] 15
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[44] 3
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[45] 24

References

  1. ↑ Gerrard, Audrey (25 May 2018). "Album Reviews : Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit". Metal Obsession.
  2. ↑ Dylan Gordeuk (6 June 2018). "Review: Zeal & Ardor's 'Stranger Fruit' a full album this time, promise". Metal Insider. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Ross, Alex Robert (29 March 2018). "Good Lord, This New Zeal & Ardor Song Is So Good". Vice. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  4. 1 2 "Listen To New ZEAL & ARDOR Song 'Waste'". Blabbermouth.net. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  5. 1 2 Wookubus (25 May 2018). "Zeal & Ardor Premiere "Built On Ashes"". The PRP.
  6. 1 2 You Ain't Coming Back on iTunes
  7. ↑ "ZEAL & ARDOR To Release 'Stranger Fruit' Album In June". Blabbermouth.net. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  8. ↑ Zeal & Ardor (20 March 2018). "ZEAL & ARDOR - Intro (Official Video)". Retrieved 14 June 2018 – via YouTube.
  9. ↑ Zeal & Ardor (29 March 2018). "ZEAL & ARDOR - Gravedigger's Chant (Official Video)". Retrieved 14 June 2018 – via YouTube.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Zeal & Ardor's Provocative Black Metal/Spirituals Mash-Up Gets Stranger". 5 June 2018.
  11. ↑ "ZEAL OVER HERE - MaximumVolumeMusic". 13 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  12. ↑ Evans, Morgan Ywain (May 3, 2018). "Interview: Zeal and Ardor's Manuel Gagneux on strange times and "Stranger Fruit"".
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit track by track". Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  14. ↑ "ALBUM REVIEW – Zeal & Ardor, Stranger Fruit". Rock Revolt. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  15. 1 2 3 Max Morin (June 7, 2018). "Zeal and Ardor Stranger Fruit". exclaim.ca. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  16. ↑ "Listen to a Chilling New Zeal & Ardor Song, "Don't You Dare"". 14 February 2017.
  17. ↑ "'Don't You Dare' Look Away From Zeal & Ardor's New Track". Loudwire. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  18. 1 2 3 "Zeal & Ardor's 'Stranger Fruit' is Gorgeous, Twisted + Virtuosic". Loudwire. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  19. ↑ "Hear Zeal & Ardor Channel Mayhem on Vicious New Song "Waste"". 27 April 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  20. ↑ "ZEAL & ARDOR's New Song "Waste" Is Soulfully Raw Black Metal". 27 April 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  21. ↑ Desk, TV News. "Zeal & Ardor Share New Song BUILT ON ASHES from Upcoming Album STRONGER FRUIT Out June 8". Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  22. ↑ "Lykke Li, Zeal & Ardor, and more albums to know about this week". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  23. 1 2 "REVIEW: Zeal & Ardor - "Stranger Fruit" - It Djents". www.itdjents.com.
  24. 1 2 "Album Of The Week: Zeal & Ardor's Stranger Fruit — Kerrang!". Kerrang!.
  25. 1 2 "Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit album review". LouderSound. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  26. ↑ RaduP (8 July 2018). "Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit". Metal Storm. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  27. 1 2 "Album review: Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit". www.thenationalstudent.com.
  28. ↑ "Zeal & Ardor: Stranger Fruit Album Review - Pitchfork". Pitchfork.
  29. ↑ "Zeal & Ardor: Stranger Fruit Review". Ultimate Guitar.
  30. ↑ "Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit". 5 June 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  31. ↑ Meyer-Horn, Simon (June 8, 2018). "Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit (★★★★½): Het stevigste meesterwerk van het jaar!" [Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit (★★★★ ½): The firmest masterpiece of the year!] (in Dutch).
  32. ↑ "Review: Zeal & Ardor’s ‘Stranger Fruit’ a full album this time, promiseMetal Insider". 6 June 2018.
  33. ↑ "Album Review: Zeal & Ardor - 'Stranger Fruit' - Killyourstereo.com".
  34. ↑ "2018's Best Metal Albums... So Far". Loudwire.
  35. ↑ Morton, Luke (June 22, 2018). "The 50 best metal albums of 2018 (so far)". Metal Hammer.
  36. ↑ "Ghost – Prequelle voted best metal album of the year so far".
  37. ↑ "25 Best Albums of 2018 So Far". 25 June 2018.
  38. ↑ Club, The A.V. "The best albums of 2018 so far".
  39. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  40. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 29, 2018.
  41. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  42. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  44. ↑ "Zeal Ardor Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
  45. ↑ "Zeal Ardor Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
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