Zeal & Ardor are marking the tenth anniversary of Devil Is Fine with Devil Is Fine X, a remastered and expanded edition of their debut album. The release has been available through digital platforms since August 7, 2026, and features five songs that had never previously received an official release, while the CD and vinyl editions will begin shipping on September 9.
The band led by Manuel Gagneux have also opened preorders for the physical formats. The record will be available on CD and through different limited vinyl variants, including a purple-and-green edition. The Bandcamp and tour-exclusive version uses green-and-black vinyl, comes in a gatefold sleeve and is limited to 2,000 copies.
“After an entire decade, it is with love and pride that we announce Devil Is Fine X, a remaster of our first album featuring five never officially released tracks,” Zeal & Ardor stated.
The band expressed its satisfaction with the result and what the record represents within its history. The announcement concluded by returning to imagery closely associated with the album: “The riverbed, now as ever, will run red.”
Devil Is Fine introduced a new identity within metal
Manuel Gagneux originally released Devil Is Fine independently on April 15, 2016. The Swiss-American musician wrote, performed and produced the album, using guitars, bass, vocals, programmed drums and samples to build a project that primarily existed as a solo undertaking at the time.
The record combined elements of black metal with resources associated with African American spirituals, work songs, blues and electronic music. Rather than treating those musical languages as isolated references, Gagneux placed them within a shared narrative about oppression, religion, rebellion and resistance.
Songs including “Devil Is Fine,” “Come On Down” and “Blood in the River” established the project’s defining characteristics. Collective vocals and patterns inspired by traditional chants coexist with tremolo guitars, blast beats, percussion evoking the sound of chains and a deliberately abrasive production style.
The album also included the three “Sacrilegium” interludes, through which Gagneux incorporated music boxes, synthesizers, electronic rhythms and instrumental passages. “What Is a Killer Like You Gonna Do Here” explored a more blues-oriented direction and demonstrated that Zeal & Ardor did not intend to remain confined to a simple collision between two genres.
