Wow, what a great adventure!
Orphaned Land play the most original and intriguing music I have heard in a long time. They succeed in mixing the best from many musical genres into something very unique. Okay, so I have not heard any of their other albums, but if this is anything to go by, then I must get them as soon as possible. The band was formed in 1991, released their first album
Sahara in 1994 and the second
El Norra Alila in 1996. Now they are back with this remarkable concept album, that will surely please all fans of Progressive Metal and anyone with an open mind and love for music in general. Dubbed by the band themselves as Middle Eastern Metal, I do not disagree.
The five members of the band are helped by a number of guest musicians and together they utilize pretty much every instrument and vocal style you can imagine. Lead singer Kobi switches between deep brutal growl-like and clean vocals, both voices fitting the drama of the music perfectly. His voice has an incredible amount of feeling. In addition female vocalists and choirs play a big role in many songs and add to the vast atmosphere of the music. Everything is layered in a very convincing way and many beautiful harmonies are created.
Instrumentally the album is very special too. You have the well known, electric and acoustic guitars, bass, synths, piano and drums, along with violins and cellos, but also several oriental & middle eastern instruments enhance the music. Due to the clear and powerful production every instrument has its own place in the sound and I never felt like it was too much. Well thought out and incredibly creative arrangements make the songs flow together like a great river of Metal, where taking another dive always leads you to some new undiscovered place. There is constantly something going on and listening closely to this album either very loud or with headphones is an overwhelming experience. 68 minutes of excitement literally fly by while you're taken on an epic journey with the sweeping introduction of
Birth of the Three all the way to the final soothing instrumental
Rainbow.
Most of the lyrics are sung in English, but also Hebrew, Arabic, Yemen, Latin
and a form of gibberish language created by the band themselves. This may seem weird, but it works surprisingly well and only adds to the atmosphere. This is one album where I would have loved to be able to read the lyrics as the concept, which has religous overtones, is pretty complex and seems to have many layers. I guess I'll have to wait till February 23rd when the album is released.
All these things make the album something special and the oriental and middle eastern elements add a very unique feeling of drama and mystery. The music may sound complex, but it captured me right away, as it is filled with compelling melodies. The melodic nature of the music along with a myriad of cool touches give the album a longevity far beyond the average release.
As opposed to the album I fear that I will start to repeat myself if I go into every song. It is also hard to pick one specific song as they are all tied together as one. So many highlights are on the album that I will just comment on a few personal highlights.
Ocean Land is certainy one of my favorite songs. Starting out as an acoustic piece with new instruments being added at each turn of the melody, heightening the atmosphere until a heavy electric guitar takes over the main melody. The mesmerizing vocal melodies in this song are fantastic and the contrasting brutal and clean vocals work perfectly together here. A very cool guitar solo along with the surprising, but perfect ending add the final touch of brilliance.
Halo dies is another far reaching song. The way the piano and acoustic instruments play together with the heavy rythm guitar in the beginning is genius. The choirs in
Building the ark are very beautiful and
Nora El Nora is a cool middle eastern piece.
The calm before the storm is just what the title says. A completely relaxing and beautiful piece based mostly on acoustic guitar, leading the listener to the title track, where everything takes a darker turn with haunting violins, slowly being replaced by a thrilling rising guitar melody and an ominous spoken part... and then the song really takes of. The drums and cymbals are of special notice in this song.
The guitar solo in
The storm still rages inside is also just fantastic and captures the essence of the music beautifully.
I had a hard time finding any faults with this album. I found it very intriguing upon the first listen, and after many many more I still find new things in the music all the time. The music draws you in and doesn't let go easily. The band is extremely tight and play their instruments with skill. I can heartily recommend this album to the metal fan who is looking for something really special and different. I have a feeling that especially fans of
Opeth and
Pain of Salvation will love this one.
The album has many chilling moments and in the end I find this release to be truly fascinating, beautiful and unlike anything I have ever heard before.
Orphaned Land is more than just a band. They are an experience.
Listening tips: Everything. But to get a taster check out
Birth of the three,
Ocean Land,
Nora El Nora,
Halo dies and
MaboolWritten by
Steen Thursday, February 5, 2004
Show all reviews by SteenRatingsSteen: 9/10Members: 9/10 - Average of 1 ratings.
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