Wait, are we really arguing that Zeal & Ardor aren't metal? The band that's been on multiple people's and publications' "Best Metal Bands of [BLANK]" lists? The band that's toured with Baroness and Deafhaven? Let's take a look at their projects, simply because the criteria is "predominantly metal."
Devil is Fine (2017) 1. Devil is Fine - Granted, not Metal. Total Soul. 2. In Ashes - Screaming Vocals, Blast Beats. While guitar is low here, I'd argue most would consider this metal, if experimental. 3. Sacreligium I - Also not Metal, but one of three interstitial tracks. I'd argue that these shouldn't even count, but whatever. 4. Come On Down - Again, Screeching Vocals, Black Metal Riffs, and Blast Beats. Definitely a metal track. 5. Children's Summon - An instrumental, but it has all the musical calling cards of metal. Probably the most inarguably metal track on the album if not the previous one. 6. Sacreligium II - Another creepy / weird intermission. Not metal, but you're really going to tell me that other bands on this database haven't done similar things? 7. Blood in the River - Aside from being an amazing song, this song has the screeching, the guitar, the blast beats. I think most people would call this metal, if a little fringe due to the prominent soul influence. 8. What is a Killer Like You Gonna Do Here? - Not metal. Kind of... threatening jazz? I don't know, but definitely not metal. 9. Sacreligium III - Again, not metal. Weird spacy trance shit. This feels the most out of place on the album.
So what are we left with? 4/9 songs. 4/6 if you don't count the intermissions, but for the sake of argument, let's go with the 44% number. A little under half. If this was their only project, I'd agree with not making an entry, and waiting for the next album, the issue comes with the fact that there is a next album, and it is much, much more metal sounding.
Stranger Fruit (2019) 1. Intro - Not super heavy, but definitely has the makings of metal. Black metal-style riffs, some heavy (but admittedly slow) drums. I'd argue we can count this. 2. Gravedigger's Chant - Not metal. Definitely rock, but not metal. It just doesn't get heavy enough. 3. Servants - Again, arguable. The vocals are the big issue here, but I'd argue the instrumentals are heavy and abrasive enough where we can count this. 4. Don't You Dare - Metal. Unquestionably. Heavy riffs, blast beats, screaming, a fucking LaVey sample. Need I say more? 5. Fire of Motion - Even more Metal than the previous song. Take the metal aspects of the last track and turn 'em to 11. This is almost pure metal, barely an ounce of soul music here, though it is there. 6. The Hermit - Ambient intermission track. Not metal. 7. Row Row - Metal, again. While it does have bluesy vocals, it also has the riffs, the drums, and later on, the screaming. All the boxes checked. 8. Ship on Fire - I feel like a broken record, but I'll say it for every track just for clarity. Blast beats, riffs, screaming. Metal. 9. Waste - All boxes checked. It takes a while to get going but definitely becomes Metal, even if it doesn't start that way. 10. You Ain't Coming Back - Iffy, but I lean toward not counting this one. It has some black metal-style riffs, but that's about it, and I don't think that's enough. 11. The Fool - Intermission track. Not Metal. 12. We Can't Be Found - Another one with build-up, but by the 30 second mark or so, definitely shows how metal it is. 13. Stranger Fruit - Has metal sections but it is not the majority of the song. Again, arguable, but I won't count this either. 14. Solve - Intermission. 15. Coagula - Metal. An instrumental track, but still metal. Heavy beats, heavy riffs. Wouldn't seem out of place as an instrumental on any other Satanic metal project. 16. Built On Ashes - Another arguable one, but I'm counting it. The song is built on a black metal riff, with heavy drums. The song's pace is much slower and the vocals much softer, but because of the instrumentation I think it counts.
So, what are we left with? 10/16, 10/13 if you don't count the intermissions. No matter which way you slice it (63% or 77%), this album is manly, or for the most part (which is the definition of predominantly), metal. And we haven't even gotten to Wake of a Nation which has some of the most metal tracks the band has produced, like Tuskegee and Trust No One. If we took every track ever produced by the band and counted it that way the band is about 51% metal, which is debatable, I'll admit, but this is where discretion comes in. The band is largely considered by most people, fans, and publications to be metal, and not having them on this database does a disservice to the name "Metal Archives." I argue we remove them from the blacklist and make their genre "avant-garde" or "post-metal" in addition to black and death metal.
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