01) Zeal & Ardor, Stranger Fruit (MVKA)
I first jumped aboard the Zeal & Ardor bandwagon in early 2016 when I discovered Devil Is Fine on Bandcamp. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to see two variations of the band on separate occasions, as well as spend an afternoon with head mastermind Manuel Gagneux himself in the heart of Brooklyn. Stranger Fruit is an album that stretches the definition of black metal in every sense, strapping the struggles of slaves that have turned to Satan rather than God to its back. Throughout its 16 tracks, Stranger Fruit proves its worth as a work of experimental black metal art.
Key tracks: All of them.
Honorable Mentions:
Panopticon, The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness, Part 1 (Nordvis)
Ghost, Prequelle (Loma Vista)
Horrendous, Idol (Season of Mist)
High on Fire, Electric Messiah (eOne)
Rivers of Nihil, Where Owls Know My Name (Metal Blade)
Parius, The Eldritch Realm
Listen to Joe’s highlights in the playlist below:
