Wake of a Nation
EP by
Zeal & Ardor
Released23 October 2020 (2020-10-23)
Recorded2020
GenreAvant-garde metal, black metal
Length17:03
LabelMVKA
Zeal & Ardor chronology
Live in London
(2019)		 Wake of a Nation
(2020)		 Zeal & Ardor
(2022)
Singles from Wake of a Nation
  1. "I Can't Breathe / Vigil"
    Released: 4 September 2020[1]
  2. "Tuskegee"
    Released: 26 September 2020[2]
  3. "Trust No One"
    Released: 11 October 2020[3]
  4. "Wake of a Nation"
    Released: 19 October 2020[4]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Album Der Woche7.9/10[5]
The Circle Pit9/10[6]
Noizze9/10[7]
Rock Sins9/10[8]

Wake of a Nation is the first extended play released avant-garde metal band Zeal & Ardor. [9]

Background

Vocalist Manuel Gagneux wrote the songs in direct response to the murder of George Floyd earlier in 2020.[10] Gagneux explained the EP in the announcement:

‘Wake Of A Nation‘’s intent and context should be obvious. I like to revel in ambiguity and in room for interpretation. This is not the case here. These 6 songs are a knee jerk reaction to what has happened to my fellow people in the last months. Originally I was set to record an album scheduled to come out next year. As these songs were written due to the horrendous events that instilled them I decided to release them as soon as possible. Using the rich heritage and culture as a part of my musical identity it felt like cowardice to sit by and continue with my routine as if nothing happened. This record is for Michael Brown, Eric Garner, George Floyd and the countless untold and nameless killed. It is for the brave souls willing to take a stand and ready to risk their own wellbeing so that others may have theirs intact.[11]

Artwork

The album artwork features two police batons in the shape of an inverted cross.[12]

Composition

The album features elements of Black metal,[13] soul,[13] blackgaze,[13] gothic rock,[13] electronica,[13] post-rock,[14] and post-dubstep.[13]

"Vigil" is a soul styled piano-driven track,[14][15] featuring the lyrics "“I can’t breathe, it’s a cellphone, please don’t shoot".[15] "Tuskegee" is about the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and is a black metal styled track.[16][14] "At The Seams" features piano and has been described as post-rock.[14]

"I Can't Breathe", named after the dying words of Eric Garner, is an interlude that samples sounds from protests, news reports, and cellphone footage of black Americans being killed, over a "ominously bluesy" instrumental.[15] "Trust No One" has been described as having "dynamic shifting between subdued passages and exuberant explosions" as the song changes between clean and unclean vocals.[17] The vocals on the song have been compared to those of blackgaze band Deafheaven.[13] "Wake of a Nation" features chanting of "dies irae", Latin for "Day of Wrath".[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Manuel Gagneux

No.TitleLength
1."Vigil"3:10
2."Tuskegee"3:48
3."At The Seams"3:09
4."I Can't Breathe"1:17
5."Trust No One"3:07
6."Wake Of A Nation"2:31
Total length:19:02

Personnel

Zeal & Ardor

  • Manuel Gagneux - vocals, guitars, keyboards, art design
  • Marco von Allmen - drums
  • Marc Obrist - recording production

Production

  • Will Putney - mixing, mastering
  • Noé Herrmann - art design

References

  1. ↑ September 2020, Metal Hammer04 (4 September 2020). "Zeal & Ardor have released two new songs, and they're more pissed off than ever". Metal Hammer Magazine.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ↑ Kennelty, Greg (26 September 2020). "ZEAL & ARDOR Streams New Song "Tuskegee"". Metal Injection.
  3. ↑ trust no one
  4. ↑ title track
  5. ↑ Baumgarten, Niels. "Zeal & Ardor und "Wake of a Nation": Silence Is Violence". www.album-der-woche.de.
  6. ↑ "ZEAL & ARDOR "Wake Of A Nation" EP Review | The Circle Pit". www.thecirclepit.com.
  7. ↑ Davenport, James (26 October 2020). "Zeal & Ardor - Wake Of A Nation | EP Review". noizzeuk.
  8. ↑ Crampton, Simon (26 October 2020). "Zeal & Ardor - Wake Of A Nation".
  9. ↑ "Zeal & Ardor announce new EP, unveil singles "I Can't Breathe" and "Vigil": Stream". 4 September 2020.
  10. ↑ "Zeal & Ardor Announce New EP Wake Of A Nation For October 2020 Release -". mxdwn Music. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  11. ↑ "Zeal & Ardor Announce "Wake Of A Nation" EP". Theprp.com. 4 September 2020.
  12. ↑ artref
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gosling, Nick (11 November 2020). "Zeal & Ardor - "Wake of a Nation"".
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 metalkorner.com
  15. 1 2 3 singles
  16. ↑ heavy blog
  17. ↑ dansen
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