Zeal & Ardor release video for Blood In The River

Zeal & Ardor in the studio

Zeal & Ardor are premiering their video for Blood In The River, exclusively with Metal Hammer.

Filmed by Off The Road Studios, the track comes from the band’s acclaimed debut album Devil Is Fine.

Blood In The River is partially about the Stono Rebellion and partially about self liberation from religion,” frontman Manuel Gagneux tells Metal Hammer. “I quite like this song,” he adds.

The Stono Rebellion was the largest slave uprising of the British mainland colonies that took place in South Carolina in 1793. In the two years that followed, more uprisings occurred in both South Carolina and Georgia, arguably inspired by the Stono Rebellion.

The new video for Blood In The River shows the full band performing the song live, introduced by a man who warns the viewer to switch off now.

“Their songs, indeed, do not praise the Lord, but rather his adversary. Satan, in persona,” says the host of Zeal & Ardor.

“If those who were slaughtered had performed such ghastly music, slavery would probably have been abolished much earlier. For reasons of musical aesthetics,” he continues. “Do not be surprised if a goat is slaughtered during his performances, or a virgin Catholic sacrificed.”

Zeal & Ardor’s debut album Devil Is Fine is out now.

Zeal & Ardor 2017 tour dates

20 Jun: Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
15 Jul: Devilstone Festival, Anyksciai, Lithuania
21 Jul: Metal Hammer Festival, Katowice, Poland
28 Jul: Rock Im Wald, Neuensee Bei Lichtenfels, Germany
10 Aug: Rock Oz’arènes, Avenches, Switzerland
13 Aug: Ieperfest, Ieper, Belgium
17 Aug: Musikfestwochen, Winterthur, Switzerland
19 Aug: The Hi Hat, Los Angeles, USA
20 Aug: Psycho Las Vegas, Las Vegas, USA
22 Aug: The Beat Kitchen, Chicago, USA
23 Aug: Saint Vitus, Brooklyn, USA
26 Aug: Reading Festival, Reading UK
27 Aug: Leeds Festival, Leeds, UK
20-23 Sep: Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg, Germany
28 Oct: Manic Street Parade, Munich, Germany
11 Nov: Le Guess Who Festival, Utrecht, Netherlands

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Luke Morton joined Metal Hammer as Online Editor in 2014, having previously worked as News Editor at popular (but now sadly defunct) alternative lifestyle magazine, Front. As well as helming the Metal Hammer website for the four years that followed, Luke also helped relaunch the Metal Hammer podcast in early 2018, producing, scripting and presenting the relaunched show during its early days. He also wrote regular features for the magazine, including a 2018 cover feature for his very favourite band in the world, Slipknot, discussing their turbulent 2008 album, All Hope Is Gone.