Manuel Gagneux originated the fusion of black metal, blues, and African-American elements that defines Zeal & Ardor. After relocating from Switzerland to New York, he adopted the Zeal & Ardor name following earlier releases issued as Birdmask. Those chamber-pop recordings stand in sharp contrast to the darker, heavier approach of his 2016 debut album Devil Is Fine. Gagneux has stated that an anonymous thread on a 4Chan music board prompted the project. Although some critics assumed the vocal chants on the record were drawn from vintage spirituals, he confirmed that every vocal was performed by him alone.
While touring the album, Gagneux expanded the endeavor into a complete band. Building on the black metal and gospel blend of the first release, he crafted the expansive follow-up Stranger Fruit. Produced by Zebo Adam, the 16-track album arrived after the lead single "Gravedigger's Chant." Written as an immediate reaction to the murder of George Floyd, the band’s debut EP Wake of a Nation appeared in October 2020. In summer 2021 the group began issuing singles “Run” and “Erase” to introduce their self-titled third album, which surfaced in 2022 and carried Gagneux’s evolving vision further. For the fourth album, GREIF, he assembled a full lineup—Tiziano Volante on guitar, Marc Obrist and Denis Wagner on vocals, Lukas Kurmann on bass, and Marco Von Allmen on drums—while retaining sole responsibility for writing and production. The ensemble enabled GREIF to extend the project’s mixture into industrial metal territory as well.
