Photo by Matthias Willi
A version of this article originally appeared on Noisey Austria.Zeal & Ardor are offering some hope for the new year. We're just a few weeks into 2018 and the Swiss-American frontman of the band, Manuel Gagneux, has already released a new song. The track is called "Baphomet," and its double bass is guaranteed to run through your head until all the evil spirits of 2017 are driven out from within.Apart from the band's live performances, "Baphomet" is Zeal & Ardor's first new song since their acclaimed debut album, Devil Is Fine. It's definitive proof that Devil Is Fine is just one cornerstone of Zeal & Ardor's unique blend of blues and metal: "Baphomet" sounds richer, more sophisticated, and all the more prone to inspire headbanging. The track's respective blues and metal elements blend together seamlessly and better compliment each other. At the same time, Gagneux continues his brutal, symbolic lyricism—the refrain "Right hand up / Left hand down" is a direct reference to the pagan idol Baphomet, which is traditionally associated with the image of a Sabbatic Goat. And the well-mastered double bass sounds perfectly divine—I mean, devilish. Just listen for yourself and prepare to be tempted:
