Zeal & Ardor Documentary Play With The Devil Now Streaming

More than 10 years after it started, Swiss avant-garde/soul/black metal act Zeal & Ardor is the focus of a documentary that’s streaming now on various platforms, titled Play With The Devil — Becoming Zeal & Ardor. After a long and successful run through the international film festival circuit, filmmakers Olivier Joliat and Matthias Willi set out to not only showcase the work and passion behind the band, but also how an introverted artist like Manuel Gagneux struggles with being the center of attention amidst a groundswell of hype.

Ever since its inception, Zeal & Ardor has captivated listeners by meshing the mournful songs of American slave workers with the blinding fury of black metal. From “Devil Is Fine” to “Götterdämmerung,” songs penned by Gagneux tell a story of loss, oppression, and eventually flame-licked retribution. It’s a mix that on paper seems like it wouldn’t work, but the question of “what if American slaves had embraced Satan instead of Jesus” really lends itself to crazy evocative music.

And much like Zeal & Ardor’s music, the documentary also takes a look at how Gagneux uses his craft as a person of color in metal to tackle massive subjects like racism, religion, segregation, and cultural appropriation.

Play With The Devil — Becoming Zeal & Ardor is now available on various international streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime, Google Play, Doc’n Roll TV, and Thunderflix, to name a few.