It was a weird night.
A small but dedicated flock had congregated at the Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix for a few hours of Death Metal, plus Doom, Gospel, Hymns, and chants, all with some Prog elements thrown in.
Imperial Triumphant were the first of the three. Their image is 1970s horror masks (more Nameless Ghouls than Slipknot). Their music is Death Metal noise. That’s not a slag; they hone noise into something fascinating, all behind growled vocals. The crowd seemed a bit unsure at first, but once the double-bass started ticking, the enthusiasm was fully there.
Sylvaine followed with a set of mesmerizing, atmospheric, folky Death Metal. She’s a magnetic performer. The songs are drenched with emotion and grandeur - - think classic Baroness merged with Behemoth and Draconian - - and she delivered them masterfully in a live setting. I can see why she’s won awards in her native Norway. This is an act to watch.
Manuel Gagneux then led Zeal and Ardor through a mind-blowing run of the best of his first 3 albums, plus the EP. They were a 4-piece on this night, instead of their customary 6 on-stage members. During one break, Gagneux explained that the two other backing vocalist members were “terribly sick.” Instead of canceling, they forged ahead using backing tracks. I’m typically against the overuse of accompanying tracks in a live setting, but in this case, it was done properly. It was the right call, given the circumstances, and the requirements of the songs themselves. The onstage members at the Crescent Ballroom on this night were Tiziano Volante (guitar), Lukas Kurmann (bass), Lukas Kurmann (drums), and Gagneux (lead vox and guitar).
For all of the brutality and darkness of the music, nothing but positive, enthusiastic vibes emanated from Manuel, spreading throughout the entire place. No ugliness, no negativity in sight, onstage or on the floor. He’s a disarmingly charming, charismatic, affable, passionate performer; his inter-song banter is witty and smart. And the songs sounded great. Don’t get hung up on the backing vocal tracks; the tunes were raw, primal, visceral, and fierce.
As a bonus, Manuel Gagneux was out amongst the fans less than five minutes after finishing their set, chatting and taking pictures with his fans. Very approachable, friendly, down-to-earth, and happy to engage and pose for photos. I should note that Sylvaine and her guitarist were every bit as friendly and approachable at their merch table.
Meanwhile, 15 miles away on this same night, Roger Waters was performing Pink Floyd greatness in one of the local arenas, undoubtedly siphoning a number of Phoenix music fans away from Zeal & Ardor. In full disclosure, I chose Zeal & Ardor over Roger Waters because I’ve been fascinated by their music since the first album, and had never yet managed to catch them live. I love Roger and Pink Floyd, but I’ve seen him twice. I will see him again if I have the chance, but I’m 100% confident in my choices of concerts for this evening.
This Zeal and Ardor show was also special for me personally, because my daughter joined me. She’s seen a few big-venue shows with me, but this was her first small club experience. She really connected with the music and was thrilled to meet Sylvaine and Manuel afterwards.
Total win.
Zeal and Ardor setlist:
Church Burns
Götterdämmerung
Ship on Fire
Row Row
Blood in the River
Gravedigger's Chant
Run
We Can't Be Found
Tuskegee
Feed the Machine
Golden Liar
Death to the Holy
Trust No One
Erase
Don't You Dare
Devil Is Fine
J-M-B
I Caught You
Baphomet
Sylvaine setlist:
Nova
Earthbound
Abeyance
Fortapt
Mono No Aware
Mørklagt
Imperial Triumphant setlist:
Tower of Glory, City of Shame
Atomic Age
Bass Solo
Chernobyl Blues
Rotted Futures
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