Zeal & Ardor's story began as a provocative online dare on 4chan, where Swiss-American musician Manuel Gagneux was challenged to blend black metal with African-American slave spirituals, exploring a dark alternate history where enslaved people turned to Satan instead of God. What started as a joke evolved into a powerful musical project, using this concept to explore themes of oppression, religious hypocrisy, and Black identity, blending haunting spirituals with harsh metal for a unique sound that became a significant artistic statement.
