20 Best Metal Albums Of 2017 (So Far)
4. Zeal & Ardor - Devil Is Fine
The debut album by Zeal & Ardor, the solo outfit of one Manuel Gagneux, is by far the most intriguing record to be found on this list. For quite a length of time, it was impossible to tell whether Devil Is Fine is brilliantly ingenious, or ridiculously insane.
Existing as a long-thought-impossible bridge between the almost incompatible genres of African-American slave music and contemporary extreme metal, not only does Devil Is Fine somehow work as an album, but it works better than it has absolutely any right to.
It bridges between its two musical extremities with such proficiency and expertise that it boggles the mind. It's also the shortest album on this list, barely scratching the 25-minute mark. Which is a fantastic thing, as you are going to need as much time to re-listen to this as humanly possible.
Devil Is Fine will take a great deal of time to digest, but once it clicks, it becomes nothing short of an addictive journey of a record.