CONCERT REVIEW: ZEAL & ARDOR IN TORONTO

CONCERT REVIEW: ZEAL & ARDOR IN TORONTO

5 min read

November 28 2024  The Opera House

The Opera House in Toronto has had many metal bands play the stage with the likes of Metallica in 2016, Dark TranquilityFleshgod Apocalypse, LeprousSanguisugabogg, Between the Buried and Me, Machine Head and many others. 

This is a concert I have been excited to see.  Always want to see Zeal & Ardor live. And to see Gaerea was a bonus.  To be honest I have never listened to Zetra until this week.

When I go to a show I like to get there early and check out the merch.  I try to always buy one of the bands tour shirts.  It’s a good way to support the bands   I know the cost to tour keeps going up and up.  Its hard on the bands.  So when you go to a show buy a shirt or something.  I know it helps them.

First up are Zetra they are a duo from London in the UK.  Wikipedia says they are a synth-rock duo.From first listen to their self-titled album I got a Cure meets the Sisters of Mercy with Deafheaven as part of the family. Self-titled album came out September 13th 2024.   

First listen to the album an it was a good listen.  I wouldn’t picture myself headbanging to their music, but you never know live.

The band is:

Adam: Guitar and Vocals

Jordon: Synthesizers and Vocals

The lights went down and the duo came on to the stage. With them being the opening act, they had a very small part of the stage.  Jordan just had a place to stand in front of his Keyboards and Adam with guitar, he was also barefoot. Both on small stage risers.  

I honestly didn’t think they would get everyone bobbing but their sound live is heavier than the album and the crowd was bobbing for their 30-minute set.  I enjoyed their set.

Their set list was:

Sacrifice

Starfall

Shatter the Mountain

Suffer Eternally

Gaia

The Angel Cries

If you get a chance give their album a listen.


Next up is Gaerea they are a Death/Black metal Band out of Portugal.  They have a very interesting look, they wear full hoods over their heads with a cool design on them.  As of now I don’t know the meaning for their design.  But it looks awesome.  Their new album Coma came out October 25th 2024 and it’s one of my favourites of the year so far. 

The Band is:

Guiherme Henriques: Vocal and Guitar (on album, not live)

Sonja Schuringa: Guitar

Lucas Ferrand: Bass

Diogo Mota: Drums

Unknown: Guitar

The crowd was up for this band.  They we cheering when they all walked on stage.  Guiherme was an entertainer, he was moving and dancing the whole set.  Their sound was spot on. They are all wearing black with hoods covering their faces with the logo where their face is.  It a very cool look.  The circle pit started. A few crowd surfers and Guiherme came out to the barricade and the fans when wild. This is a band that would be awesome to see on a bigger stage.  They have great stage presence.  If you get a chance go see this band live.  They definitely wont let you down.    

Their set list:

The Poet’s Ballet

Hope Shatters

Unknown (That is the song title)

World Ablaze

Wilted Flower

Kingdom

They Played for about 35 minutes.  I think this band should have at least an hour.  Cant wait to see them when they headline, and I know they will headline one day.  Don’t miss out on this band. They were my highlight of the night. Go out and buy their album.


Now the headliner Zeal & Ardor. They are a Swiss avant-garde metal band.  Which mean an experimental metal band.  Their sound is black metal with African-American spirituals.   Their new album Greif dropped August 23rd 2024.  It has been on my playlist rotation since it came out.  

The Band is:

Manuel Gagneux: Lead vocals, guitars, keybords, and  synthesizer

Denis Wagner: Backing vocals

Marc Obrist: Backing vocals

Tiziano Volante: Lead Guitar

Lukas Kurmann: Bass

Marco Von Allmen: Drums

Zeal & Ardor came on at 9pm on the dot.  Dressed in all black cloaks with hoods on.  They opened up with Wake of a Nation and the crowd when wild.  There was crowd surfing for the first song.  Manuel voice was so smooth.  

The two doing the backing vocals were dancing around and their voices were awesome.  They are a great live band.  They have some really heavy songs and then they slow it down and do a Blood in the River which starts as I would say an R & B song but half way through the song it just explodes and gets really heavy and then goes back to the R & B sound.  

They are a band with their own sound. I can’t think of any other band with a sound like them.  Get out and see them.  This is a tour not to be missed.

Their set list:

Wake of a Nation

Gotterdammerung

Ship on Fire

Erase

Grave Digger’s Chant

Tuskegee

Blood in the River

Kilonova

Run

Golder Liar

Sugarcoat

Death to the Holy

To my Ilk

Feed the Machine

Devil is Fine

Trust No One

I Caught you

Clawing Out

My favorite song of theirs is Death to the Holy, if you haven’t heard it yet steam it, or download it or better yet by the CD.

What a great night for Metal in Toronto at the Opera House. It’s good to see the metal community come out on a cold Thursday night to see some great music.

As always Listen To Metal!!!!

Ronnie the Metal Cremator