Talking about writing and recording GRIPPINGGagneux said he switched things up. Instead of going it alone creatively, as he had done before, he brought his band fully into the fold because the five guys “had basically dedicated seven years of their lives to this project on tour, so it felt strange to be the only one on the albums.” The change this brought, Zeal and enthusiasmThe sound is clearly audible. Many of the black metal influences that make up songs like “Row Row” and “Ship on Fire” (Foreign fruit) or “Götterdämmerung” (self-titled) are gone, replaced by a heavier reliance on electronica (“Go Home My Friend” and “369”) and something that sounds suspiciously like radio-friendly post-rock (“Kilonova” and “Solace”). Gagneux’s talent for writing angry, heartbreaking lyrics remains, as do his beautiful, soulful clean vocals and his venomous, half-spoken growl.
However, they are used together with very different materials on GRIPPINGIf this is your first contact with Zeal and enthusiasmYou would be forgiven for being a little confused. Both “Sugarcoat” and “Disease” feel like rejected B-sides from Queens of the Stone Age‘S Song for the deaf Sessions, while “une ville vide” inexplicably seems like a reinterpretation of the Stranger Things Theme. The bright and lively first half of “Kilonova” could easily have been taken from post-indie acts like Foalalbeit with a darker, grim note of menace dancing around the edges, while “Thrill” is reminiscent of a Arctic monkeys Track. “Clawing Out” takes the industrial, Nine inch nails Sound (plus a little late-era Slipknot), which Zeal and enthusiasm has tried to take it to the next level before, and not in a way I enjoyed. On the other hand, the album is bookended by some great tracks. The pretty opener “The Bird, the Lion and the Wildkin” sets a great stage for “Fend You Off” which brims with frustration, anger and pain. So much for the beginning, the closing duo of “Hide in Shade” and “to my ilk” are stunning. The former would not be out of place on any of their previous albums, seething with barely controlled rage that boils over into black screeches and explosions at times, it is energetic and vital, while “to my ilk” is a beautiful, percussion-free lament that tugs at the heartstrings.
To say that GRIPPING feels disjointed would be a significant understatement. Like the first two Zeal and enthusiasm At full length, there is some quality material here (another example is “are you the only one now,” which reintroduces some of the blackened anger), but it is riddled with confusing writing choices. After Zeal and enthusiasm live (they were a highlight of the 2022 ArcTanGent festival), I have nothing but praise for Gagneux’s decision to involve his touring band in the writing and recording process. But, perhaps inevitably, GRIPPING sounds like the record of a band trying to find their voice and experimenting with different possibilities that just don’t fit together. Zeal and enthusiasm has always been experimental, but while the self-titled album gave the impression that Gagneux had found a balance between pushing boundaries and writing a (more or less) cohesive record, GRIPPING brings us back to the starting point.
I found writing this review almost as frustrating as GRIPPING can be heard. It is categorically Zeal and enthusiasm but for much of the record, that’s just because of Gagneux’s hugely emotive and distinctive voice (now ably enhanced by the vocal talents of Marc Obrist and Denis Wagner). Change the lead singer and I’d struggle to classify much of this material as Zeal and enthusiasm. Perhaps that’s the price we have to pay for this expanded reissue of the band refining their creative processes, but it’s annoying that after the runaway success of their last record, the band not only returns to an inconsistent style, but also abandons much of what made them what they were, namely gospel and black metal fusion. Unfortunately, this uncompromising drive to evolve has compromised GREIF.
Evaluation: 2.5/5.0
DR: Not applicable | Verified format: Stream only
Label: Self-publishing
Sites: zealandardor.bandcamp.com | zealandardor.com | facebook.com/zealandardor
Publications worldwide: 23 August 2024
