Zeal And Ardor: Greif (Crystal Clear Vinyl)

Zeal & Ardor’s GREIF is the project’s fourth studio album, released on 23 August 2024. The Crystal Clear Vinyledition carries the catalogue number ZAA03, with retailer listings also showing the barcode 0198391159145. Discogs identifies this specific variant as LP, Album, Clear (Crystal Clear) for the US and Europe release. 

This record feels like a genuine shift for Zeal & Ardor rather than just another extension of the formula. Coverage around the album notes that GREIF was the first Zeal & Ardor album written and recorded as a full band, which helps explain why it sounds broader and a little less locked into the original black metal versus spirituals contrast that defined the early releases. There is still tension and darkness here, but the palette stretches further, with reviewers noting touches beyond the project’s established sound. 

For a Rue Morgue Records angle, GREIF is interesting because it does not just lean on the identity Zeal & Ardor already built. It sounds like Manuel Gagneux and company deliberately pushing outward. The songs still carry that sense of unease and control that has always made the band compelling, but this album feels more fluid, more varied, and less interested in hitting the same pressure points as Devil Is Fine or the self-titled record. That makes it a riskier album, but also one with its own distinct personality. 

For collectors, the Crystal Clear pressing is the standout physical edition. Australian retail listings confirm the 23 August 2024 date, while other sellers list it as a single LP on the band’s own imprint setup, making it a neat modern piece for Zeal & Ardor vinyl completists.