Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit ALBUM REVIEW 

I honestly can't understand how can someone not get hooked by Gravedigger's Chant.

Zeal & Ardor is one answer to rock revival, hope more artist take interesting takes

Black metal is such an interesting genre because of how much freedom and experimentation it sees. It seems like the base traditional black metal sound layed down a base that allows for a lots of freedom while never fully leaving its roots.

0:02 jesus melon, were only two seconds into the review and you already tell us it’s a 2?

I'm giving Stranger Fruit a 9/10 it's just how fantastic this album is

Thank you Mr. Fantano for show me this amazing piece of music. That's why i've been following you for years. Good job melon.

Review Englands loss to Croatia

I enjoyed the review, but could you stop calling black metal 'N----r Metal'. That's not what it means.

Zecal & Arthony: Stranger Melons

This is my fav album of this year so far, I really wanted Melon to review it and when does he choose to do it? Right on my birthday😁 best day ever

This got a 4/5 Kids See Ghosts, very cool!

This deserves a 10 but eh, go ahead.

Bloody hell the live recording videos of "Don't You Dare" I just watched was bloody excellent, thank you for just now introducing me to it and apparently /mu/ for planting the seed.

Great review, but going off on a 5 minute tangent about how slavery was a good thing and that it should be reinstated was pretty odd

Zealthony Ardorno

Truly Black Met... I mean, African American Metal

Just discovered Zeal & Ardor, absolutely love them! Row Row, and Fire of Motion are my favorites from this album

Some of the songs are hit and miss for me but there are songs that I really love. Listening to this album all the way through was really entertaining. I felt that it’s one of the most original albums I’ve heard in a while and probably one of the most significant albums in metal in recent years.

Man, I was hesitant to try this, but man was I impressed. Thank you for another excellent recommendation, Anthony!

The story of how he got the inspiration for Zeal & Ardor's genre mix from a /mu/ post is one of my favorites of all time.

His past stuff under the Z&A moniker seemed to have a lot of interesting ideas that were frustratingly not fully fleshed out. Excited to see if this new album is more coherent.

I love the reference to Strange Fruit in the title

Anthony could you review my favourite underground hip hop artist. He has a very small following so I know it’s a stretch, but he released a 2016 album titled Views. Any chance you could make a review?

where’s the serpentwithfeet review?

I really quite like gravediggers chant, cant wait to listen to the whole album now.

YES THIS ALBUM IS GREAT

they did a rerelease of Devil is Fine when they got picked up by a label that had better mastering and some variation in productions. you should listen to the rerelease if it slipped by your radar you beautiful melon

this review is probably the best example of how anthony is pretty good at talking bout music but utterly fucking terrible at interpreting lyrical content lmao

They're even better live than in studio, you should really see them live

I never thought I'll be going back into black metal again, but okay I guess

The part when that high pitch tone went off and just kept screaming “ assassinate jfk “ over and over again was a little unsettling

I saw the 2 and thought that was the rating

electricity is on our side????!?!?!?!?!?!?!???!?!??!????

Cool to see something from "It Came From Bandcamp" receive such a positive score from the melon himself.

Anthony review Jack Stauber. He's still pretty small but he's working with Adult Swim now so maybe that's something? I promise you'll find it worthwhile 🍉

IMO the singing on Built on Ashes is just on point for an album ending track

Finally

THROUGH SILVER IN BLOOD CLASSIC REVIEW

This album was batshit insane.. not really a black metal fan but this really worked for me!

This sounds like Imagine Dragons

I knew you'd like this album you big silly melon

0/10: 0 1/10: 1 2/10: 0 3/10: 3 4/10: 10 5/10: 14 6/10: 21 7/10: 28 8/10: 24 9/10: 5 - [ Portal - Ion ] - [ A.A.L [AGAINST ALL LOGIC] -2012 - 2017 ] - [ Jack White - Boarding House Reach ] - [ Parquet Courts - Wide Awake! ] - [ Death Grips - Year of the Snitch ] 10/10: 1 [ KIDS SEE GHOSTS - Self-Titled ] Not good: 5 ( Fall Out Boy - Mania ) ( Wendy's - We Beefin?) ( Lil Xan's Total Xanarchy ) ( Nav - Reckless ) ( Godsmack's When Legends Rise ) Classics: 5 - (Daft Punk - Discovery) - (Michael Jackson - Thriller) - (Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill) - (Ween - Chocolate and Cheese) - (Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92) Custom scores: Lil Skies - Life of a Dark Rose ============================> [ Dime-a-dozen ] /10 or 5/10 Ravyn Lenae - Crush ===================================> [ Solid ] /10 7/10 Gucci Mane - El Gato: The Human Glacier ==================> [ It's solid ] /10 or 7/10 Kero Kero Bonito - Totep ===============================> [ Disappointing ] /10 or 5/10 Rejjie Snow - Dear Annie ===============================> [ Lukewarm ] /10 5/10 Remo Drive - Pop Music ================================> [ notbad ] /10 6/10 Ruin - Plague Transmissions Vol. 1========================> [awesomely nasty] /10 7/10 Saba - CARE FOR ME ==================================> [ Meh ]/10 or 5/10 Felix Blume - Death In Haiti: Funeral Brass Bands & Sounds From Port Au Prince ====> [ I wanted to give this record a shout this record out because it's interesting ] /10 Lil B - Platinum Flame ==================================> [ based/10 ] or 7/10 Freddie Gibbs - Freddie =================================> [ meh/10 ] "Second take" [ Kanye West - Life of Pablo ] 8/10 [ Frank Ocean Endless ] 8/10 "Controversial" [ Lil Yatchy - Lil Boat 2 ] 7/10 [ Young Fathers - Cocoa Sugar ] 6/10 [ Logic - Bobby Tarantino II ] 5/10 [ The Weeknd - My Dear Melancholy ] 5/10 [ Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour ] 4/10 [ Flatbush Zombies - Vacation in Hell ] 6/10 [ Jack White - Boarding House Reach ] 9/10 [ Saba - CARE FOR ME ] Meh /10 [ J Cole - Kod ] 5/10 [ Arctic Monkeys - Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino ] 5/10 [ Bladee - Red Light ] 1/10 [ Jay Rock - Redemption ] 4/10 This is the 124th review in 2018

I LOVE THIS I LOVE YOU THIS IS MY DREAM

*A LIBERAL 2 YEAR OLD MELON*

FINALLY

Melons See Melons

Well done, Melon. This is an acceptable score for this album that I also liked.

Gave it an 8 but didn't put it in the "loved list" in the description? What happened, Melon?

Antonio fantaño

Is he gonna review the new twenty one pilot releases?

>yellow flannel >11 minutes >8/10 Stop teasing me like this melon

Just saw Zeal & Ardor a couple of weeks ago at Hellfest. Loved the album, and they do put up a great performance.

If it's not Burzum, it's bullpucky!

The way he talked about this album, it sounded like he was just gonna give it a 5, but then he gave it a 2. What the hell?

Took ya long enough Mellon! Fav album of the year for me! Get these boys the moneys

This still isn't Haru Nemuri

This album is fucking FIRE

Yes! So happy this didn't slip through the tracks for you, because it's a great improvement on the debut and Zeal & Ardor has a unique sound that deserves attention :)

8/10 from me. Fantastic record

Genre-bending/jumping albums that work are such a rarity and can be so impactful. I've been listening to this for a couple of weeks now and it's just immensely satisfying. Like you say, it will be interesting to see if another album can come from this style, but they absolutely have my attention going forward. Top job. #PraiseTheMelon

For the love of God, review the new Imperial Triumphant record.

Woo! Loved this album so much! I’m so glad you talked about this! Disagree with you on Gravedigger’s Chant though, I think it’s perfect placement, and probably my favorite Z&A song except for maybe Row Row.

You should review soil

I dunno what it is but the cover looks nice so I'll watch the melon

I love the album. I thoroughly enjoy when extreme metal is mixed with something new, in general. Though, this is something I would only listen to on occasion because its pretty artsy in presentation and its not normally something I seek after. I'm excited to see what he'll bring in future releases. I wonder if he'll mix extreme metal with something more out there or if he'll stick more with spiritual music

Review charlamagne tha god's skin tone.

I've loved Z&A since I found them on Devil is Fine. I really hope we get more metal bands that step out and blend genres together. I think we've seen enough rap metal for several lifetimes at this point so it's really nice hearing another fusion. Checking to see if you've reviewed Hikari by Oceans Ate Alaska rn.

I was so excited when this album finally dropped. I agree. It points to greater possibilities in music. Most of the music I find interesting these days combine genres. I think there will be a sort of creative renaissance in music with this sort of innovative approach. It’s almost as if everything has been done within genres, and musicians really need to explore and experiment with a mixture of sounds and influences. So exciting!

Zealthony Ardorthano

Glad Algiers got a shout out. In describing some of the content here I'd actually though about them before you brought them up

Blood for the new melon!

This is probably the best new album I’ve heard this year, and it’s by far the most original.

i like how the flannel matches the album art :)

My favourite thing this year.

What do y’all think of the new twenty one pilots singles?

0:02 he gave it a two wrap it up boys

TOP new single review it!!!!

OH MY GOD I LOVED THIS ALBUM!!!! I felt like the story was about some sort of slavery considering the really "negro hymn"-esque vocal performance and maybe about a cult in this band of slaves. Like maybe they killed their master of something and they're like trying to hide it but they also have some very lucrative-sounding things they want to tand to with the body of this person who has caused them so much pain. I found the last track particularly chilling with that line "you are bound to die alone" that one's my fav. Sad you didn't like Waste though, that was a great one I thought

*a literal 2 year old* here!

one of my favorite bands and albums. it makes me happy that you reviewed it!

Hello there.

I'm commenting 5 years later and they have just continued to get better and better... amazing.

Literal 2 year old haircut

Surprised you wore the yellow flannel and STILL went off on another superior DNA and don't mixed breed tangent. Unbelievable.

This is the album that me and you Anthony have the biggest divide on. I don't think he came close to capturing any of the spirt of the old spirituals and i wouldn't know thats what he was even attempting to do if i wasn't told. To my ears the gospel is present in name only and just barley after being drowned in a mass of overproduction. To me it sounds like lackluster blues re-heated and put over some loud metal. I was disappointed to say the least.

Not Latin they're speaking, just the 'words' used in Abramelin's grimoire acrostics and the names of demons (like Amalek).

Built On Ashes is maybe the most devastating closer I’ve ever heard

never heard of this but I'll check it out

I don’t see any good reviews, where’s Jorja Smith? Alina baraz? Neyo? Billie Eilish?

review Roisin Murphys Hairless Toys -album PLEASE!!!!!!

hey melon, review florence’s new album, or else!

That before mentioned band sucks. They should sound like Varg/Burzum 👍

My biggest complaint on this album was that I felt it was too long. Other then that it was pretty solid.

So... Yellow flannel shirt means good? Orange means sufficient and Red means bad?

This should be the Satanic Church’s music during their service’s lol. If they do that.

Yellow flannel gang

*Melon* when will you review yourself being *blind* ?

HIGH AS HOPE MELON MAN FLORENCE AND THE MACHINO

I'm a nitpicking asshole but I think it's pronounced more like R-der than R-door

How about pop food by Jack Stauber.You should hear this album I think its great!