Review and Gallery by: Jaime “Chino” Flor
Zeal & Ardor‘s North American Tour 2024 made it’s last stop in Dallas, Tx last
Wednesday. The Studio at The Factory played host to the final leg of the show featuring Zetra and Gaerea. This incredibly talented metal line up delivered an awesome show and brought a packed house down by the end of the night.
The synth-rock duo hailing from London, England started the night with the task to ramp the energy of the crowd. As people made their way in, Zetra greeted them with their unique and mesmerizing sound. Zetra recently released their self-titled album Zetra September 2024. The duo performed songs from the album like “The Mirror”, “Starfall”, and “Shatter the Mountain” and did a fine job getting everyone riled up for the next bands to follow. It was an incredible performance that showcased how innovative their style is.
Gaerea wastes no time matching the energy laid out for them while taking it up a notch. The black-metal band was formed 2016 in Porto, Portugal and have been a fan favorite ever since. They have already created 4 albums including Coma which released 2024. The theatrics, thunderous beats, and insane riffs leave no stone unturned for their fanbase. “World Ablaze”, “Hope Shatters”, and “Laude” are a few of the hits they performed as the crowd started to lose control and the circle pit formed. They showed everyone that night why they are as charismatic as they are in the scene.
As Zeal & Ardor makes their entrance in robes, I remember first hearing about them and listening to “The Devil Is Fine” picturing the band to more than likely be very theatrical on stage. The band was formed 2013 in Basel, Switzerland. Zeal & Ardor is Manuel Gagneux (lead vocals, guitars), Denis Wagner (vocals), Marc Obrist (vocals), Tiziano Volante (rhythm guitar, lead guitar), Lukas Kurmann (Bass), and Marco Von Allmen (drums). Their sound was incredibly different from most black metal songs I’ve heard then and I instantly became a fan. Their line up that includes 3 vocals fits their theme and image well as it compliments to their unique blend and music. The beats to “Wake Of A Nation” is already making the crowd lose it and this is only the first song. They continue to play bangers like “Blood In The River”, “Sugarcoat”, and “Götterdämmerung”. They are rockstars on stage that sound so very good live.
It was an awesome show from start to finish and all 3 bands performed beyond expectation. I enjoy the venue for the intimacy of the size but the lighting and production does not fall short giving viewers quite the experience. Continue to follow Zeal & Ardor HERE for more music, tours, merch, etc.
