On December 18th, Zeal & Ardor closed out their North American headline tour in Dallas Texas. Inside The Studio at The Factory in Dallas, three bands came together to celebrate the end of the tour.
Starting off the night was Zetra, a UK twosome that brought electronic synth and heavenly vocals to the stage. Set up on three foot risers, the band took the stage in leather and black and white face paint. Their 8 song setlist was light listening and had the crowd dancing along, setting up a smooth intro to begin the night ahead.
Next up was Gaerea, a faceless black metal band from Portugal. One of my favorite things is their anonymity, allowing the fans to solely get lost in the music and watch how the band interacts with the crowd. They were one of the most interactive bands I have ever worked with, and with a staggering almost 17 minutes in the photo pit, their song “The Poet’s Ballad” taking up 8 minutes of it, I got to have so many interactions with them. They performed six songs, all coming off their latest album release Coma. Gaerea brings a freshness to the black metal scene and I hope it continues to embrace them!
Audio of “the Bird, the Lion and the Wildkin” blasted through the speakers, the whistle welcoming the band one by one as Manuel Gagneux added vocals to the song. It was the beginning of a journey through their discography, even though the band just released an album this past August, only four songs from it made the twenty song setlist. In all honesty, the energy was high the moment the band took the stage, the whole room filling with intensity. We all knew it was the last show of the tour, and wanted to go full stop for the band. I mean, I definitely was, I dragged my friend from Tampa to Dallas to see this show! Highlights of the show included the crowd going absolutely insane during “Death To The Holy”, and the soft sing along of “to my ilk” had the crowd at a standstill. I honestly can say I have never danced so much at a show until this one, between the killer backing vocals from Denis Wagner and Marc Obrist and heavy drums that carry the songs it was a show I will never forget!
