Zeal And Ardor is this original band that completely drove the Eurockéennes 2018 audience crazy on Sunday evening shortly before the closing. We had the chance to talk with Manuel Gagneu, the singer.
We discovered the music of Manuel Gagneux a bit by chance and this mix of Negro Spiritual and Black Metal music left us completely speechless. A real surprise and a big crush. Personally, I've been listening to Zeal And Ardor since the release of Devil Is Fine and I'm really a fan of it! It's intense, it's raw, it's dark but at the same time there is this bluesy side that we love and this song between melancholy and hope specific to Gospel. A rich and captivating music that we never get tired of!
Suffice to say that it was a privilege to be able to chat for a few minutes with Manuel, the singer and creator of Zeal And Ardor, who, although very tired, taught us more about his music.
First of all, we would like to know, how did you get into music?
Manuel Gagneux: My parents are musicians, so there were instruments and keyboards at home. Even as a child, I was able to play with it all. I don't remember exactly when, but I decided at one point that I only wanted to make music because that's what made me happy when I had… 17 years old maybe. That's when I started making metal in earnest.
The Zeal And Ardor project started with a joke about 4chan. Someone challenged you to mix Negro Spiritual and Black Metal and you got a taste for it. Why did you choose to call your band Zeal And Ardor?
There are two reasons: the first is because it's my way of approaching music, that is to say seriously and with a lot of effort. But also because it is word have a very strong biblical connotation. It's funny enough for me to think that someone who reads the Bible will Google Zeal and stumble upon my music! (laughs)
With the two styles that you bring together, you move from a spiritual music to a more occult music. Don't you think your project is completely heretical?
Yes, but I think both, in a strange way, talk about worship. Worship of different things of course, but there is always a spiritual element in both styles. It's like a kind of common ground, even if it seems marginal… For me anyway I mean!
What spirituality do you feel closest to?
Aaaah, it depends on the days. I really like these two songs so it's hard to choose my favorite.
There's something strange about the construction of your albums: there's always an intro and there are interludes throughout. What are they used for?
For me, they give contrast. It was very important that we could listen to the whole album in one go. They are like appetizers, desserts to create this contrast. So the heavy sounds are even more heavy thanks to these interludes.
It also seems that you are exploring other styles… There's one that looks a lot like Trap Music…
Yes, I get bored quickly (laughs), that's why I like to do a lot of different things.
In your first album you call them Sacrilegium. Is there a reason?
Yes, they are all sacrileges in their own way. One of them is Aram because he has an occult prayer inside; another is a melody that has a tritone. In the Middle Ages, using this musical interval was forbidden by the church because it was the music of the Devil. And the last one is just a synth song on a metal album and that's in any case a sacrilege!
In the last album, you use tarot arcane names. Is there a message behind it?
There are two pairs: the fool and the hermit which are two cards that talk about going somewhere, making a fresh start. This is the … of the album. The other two are Solve and Coagula and these are elements found in the tarot of Marseille: the Devil's blade represents Baphomet ; He has this pose and there are these words written on his arms.
About the way you use Negro Spiritual music, do you use existing songs as a basis or do you invent your own songs?
With the first album, I did a lot of research, listened to old recordings and imitated a lot. But with the second one I stopped this method because it sounded too identical, it looked too much like a copy; It was a bit too much. So I decided to create my own negro spiritual.
This year, you went to Hellfest, the Montreux Jazz Festival…
And I just came back from Slovakia. We only slept 2 hours, that's why I'm a little stoned (laughs)
How was Hellfest? It is a real institution for fans of Metal in France.
Yes! Hellfest was huge. We had a great concert but above all I was able to meet my idols. It was quite a trip.
Which ones, for example?
Oranssi Pazuzu… Dead Cross who also plays today.
And you managed to find your audience in Montreux?
Yes definitely! It was a special night because there were the Igorr who played before us and after us there was Gojira. We had some technical problems and we were only able to play half of our set; Something died in our equipment and it was a real shame. Not really our best concert! But we try to manage anyway.
We hope you will manage tonight because we are looking forward to you! (laughs)
So, about tonight, what can we expect?
It's pretty intense! There are 6 of us on stage, so there's a lot of energy. It is also the last concerts of our short festival tour. Also we will try to give everything we have and it may be completely crazy.
Even if you're tired…
I'm going to drink a lot of coffee before the concert
As you said earlier, you can get bored easily on a project, but we are already on the second album with Zeal And Ardor. Can we still hope for a third opus or are you already thinking about something else?
We'il see. If I can find enough sound material to continue, of course. But if I have to force myself, I think it won't be good music so it won't be worth it. Time will tell!
I saw that you have a date in Paris at the end of the year?
Yes at La Cigale, it's a very nice room and it's going to be really nice. We already came to play in Paris in 2017 at… (hesitation) I can't remember the name of the room… The BLABLABLA and it was great! (laughs) (Editor's note: this is the Glazart). I'm not sure why but we really have a lot of fans in Paris and it would be a shame if we didn't play there again!
At the end of the interview, Manuel apologizes for not being 100% to answer our questions as well as possible, but we already salute the effort and kindness, despite the fatigue. We will listen to them later in the evening and we will literally be glued by their powerful stage performance and their ability to embark an audience that does not know them, discovers them and adheres completely to their innovative style.
See you in December in Paris!
Find the concert of Zeal And Ardor at the Eurockéennes 2018
