Reviews: SAT266

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Arallu is truly a unique name within the underground, having a very unconventional sound that is both exciting and unpredictable with a lengthy history already. I was captivated by the Middle-Eastern sound, by the aggressive metal beats and all mixed in with Satanic themes. This was enough to get me interested in reviewing the latest Arallu album which is their seventh full-length album. This album will be officially out on September 22nd, 2019 released by Satanah Records fromRussia and Exhumed Records from Ecuador. Arallu was formed in Israel in 1997, yes Israel. Such a contrast here as far as religion is concerned. The name Arallu refers to the underworld kingdom ruled by the goddess Ereshkigal and god Nergal where the dead are judged in Mesopotamian mythology.

 

 

 

Arallu is a mix of avant-garde black metal, close to death metal and Middle Eastern folk metal. It’s like adding country music to black metal but with Middle Eastern instruments like the darbuka for percussion and the Turkish baglama saz. These ancient instruments were not related to anything Satanic but most likely to ancient Egyptian cultures. Listening to ‘’En Olam’’ I appreciated not only the Middle Eastern instruments but the fact that I can clearly understand the vocals. The song "Devil's Child" is almost like speed metal and another crazy thin is that you can at times dance to it as the melody’s style is close to ska (aka is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s)! On the song ‘’Unholy Stone’’ the guitars sound like Mayhem but never too harsh and keeping a nice melody with the help of these odd instruments.

 

 

 

 

 

Presumably Satanic black metal is not the cup of tea of much of Israel but Arallu has their own signature on the black metal scene. I cannot emphasize enough just how mesmerizing this sound is. It is an experience in and of itself that really draws the listener in. Arallu could practically tour the whole world and be welcome on any continent. Definitely a great album that I highly recommend.

 

https://viaomega.com/articles/arallu-review

 

Middle Eastern Black / Death Metal aus Israel kreuzte bisher noch nicht meinen Weg. Dies hat sich nun mit dem siebten Album “En Olam” ein für alle mal geändert. Das Quintett verbindet schwarz dämonisches mit orientalischen Klängen. Dieses klingt schon spannend genug und ist schon zu Beginn beim Opener “The Center Of The Unknown” eindrucksvoll zu vernehmen, gefolgt von “En Olam“, wo das erste mal weiblich stimmliche Klänge neben infernal bösartigen Drums und Vocals einzug halten, natürlich immer gepaart mit der schon vorher erwähnten musikalischen Zweisamkeit.

 

“Devils Child” prügelt sich durch die teuflische Kinderstube und verbindet immer wieder verschiedenste Elemente miteinander. Das Devils Child wird mir förmlich und nicht sprichwörtlich in die Ohren, sondern um die Ohren gehauen. Der Song ist okay, haut mich aber jetzt nicht vom Höllenthron. “Guard of She’ol” geht zu Beginn nach einem kurzen Ausschnitt aus der Unterwelt in straighten Rhythmus über, um dann die Geschwindigkeit zu erhöhen, zu verlangsamen und zum Schluss hin die Gitarren-Saiten zu schreddern.

 

“Vortex of Emotions” ist ein doomig epischer Trip durch andere Welten. Über die Hälfte der Zeit thronen die Instrumente, bevor das stimmlich mephistophele einsetzt und dem ganzen noch die entsprechend okkultistische Würze gibt. “Achrit Ha’yamim” ist ein kurzer traurig anmutender Track, der in hebräisch verfasst wurde. Zu Beginn spricht ein Herr (ich habe leider Ahnung, ob dieser eine Berühmtheit ist oder nicht oder einfach nur ein Bandmitglied).

 

“Prophets Path” bindet Darbuka und Saz in das Infernale mit ein, “Unholy Stone” spielt gleichmäßig mit melodiösen Riffs, um mir dann heftig links und rechts eine zu verpassen. “Trail by Slaves” kommt wuchtig und aufbäumend aus meinen Boxen, genauso wie “Spells“.

 

Fazit: der mittlere Osten gemischt mit dem musikalisch schwarzen klingt sehr interessant, aber ob eine Nachwirkung bleibt wird sich nach mehreren Durchläufen zeigen.

 

https://www.hellfire-magazin.de/arallu-en-olam/

 

 

Of all the places that metal has found a point to grow from across the globe, one of the places that I find to be the most intriguing whenever I hear new material from it has to undoubtedly be the Middle East. From Lelahell to Azooma to Al-Namrood, there is plenty of talent to go around to make for one of the most interesting scenes on the planet in my opinion. Arallu is definitely one of the acts at the forefront of the Middle Eastern scene with their great mix of black and folk metal bringing their culture’s musical influence to metal in a great way, and it’s with their seventh effort they astound yet again.

 

Even if I wasn’t aware of the power behind Arallu, just the very sight of the cover art would be enough for my eyebrows to raise in intrigue because the idea of any metal with a Middle Eastern theme sounds incredibly interesting to me. Arallu had already mastered the sound that they’ve been going for by the time they released their last effort a few years ago that’s easily their best, and it’s with “En Olam” that they only continue that positive streak. With ten tracks of unadulterated power and flavorful musicianship taken to the maximum for this band, there isn’t a single moment of what Arallu has risen here that isn’t meant to devastate to an apocalyptic degree as they tear through subjects of cruel slavery to immense sorcery to an unnerving interlude track that is all but perfect for this unrelenting effort. It all comes together with such ease that it’s incredibly clear to see how Arallu have earned a name for themselves with the brilliant array of Middle Eastern instruments that make tactical appearances throughout their work that help make “En Olam” become a much more interesting album to listen to. Even without them, this would be a compelling record as Arallu definitely know their way around some vicious black metal that’s immensely gripping to listen to that no matter which angle you view it from, “En Olam” is a voracious record that demands to be heard.

 

There are many noticeable releases that we get with each and every year, and yet, somehow, Arallu always manages to impress and this year is no different with this being arguably their most potent offering to date even after getting better with each record. There isn’t a single piece of “En Olam” that isn’t utterly compelling and it’s only by the end of this fiery experience that you can see the glorious destruction that has befallen us.

 

https://headbangerreviews.wordpress.com/2019/09/10/arallu-en-olam/

 

 

En Olam, the Hebrew title of the forthcoming seventh album by the Jerusalem-based band Arallu, means “There Is No World”. As the band explain, “it describes the fear we all live and feel”, and in particular a fear born from the discovery “that we all live inside an illusion, and everything we know does not exist” but is instead “just an imagined picture”. “All that you thought protected you is just a dream and you’re actually hanging between the earth and sky… You realize that nothing ever existed and that there is nothing…”

 

The terrors of such a nihilistic revelation can be found within En Olam, but they seem to stand side by side with unearthly wonders. The music often seems to channel occult conjurations and the re-emergence of ancient mystical forces. Parting of the veil that passes for reality reveals not the void, but another world far different from what seems to surround us, in which unseen primeval powers still reign. The songs capture archetypes of violence and bloodshed, defiance of orthodoxy and devilish supremacy, but they also become spells.

 

 

The song we’re presenting today through a lyric video is a prime example of these manifold sensations. In its words, “Devil’s Child” tells a tale of satanic ritual and of the birth of a blasphemous messiah who brings the heat of the desert to the mortal world. In its music, it creates a marvel of exotic and electrifying sound, with morphing melodies that spawn images of vast dunes, of flesh-shredding sandstorms, and of desert djinns rising from ephemeral oases.

 

Immediately, a sorcerous lead guitar leads us into a fiery maelstrom, a storm of rapid-fire battering drums and flying riffs. The vocals are ferocious, rising from caustic snarls into a wild protracted scream. The melody darts and dances, and slows into slow, moody meditations, still mesmerizing but steeped in sorrowful gloom. Near the end, solitary notes ring out with a mystical allure before one last wild, dervish-like whirl of flickering guitar, maniacal drums, and acidic shrieks.

 

 

 

Arallu augment the elements of black and death metal in En Olam with the tones of ancient instruments, among them Saz, Oud, Kanoon, and Drabukka. On the final song “Spells” they draw upon the texts of Lovecraft’s Necronomicon. In the words of Satanath Records, which is co-releasing the album on September 22nd with Exhumed Records (Ecuador), “En Olam brings a Middle Eastern atmosphere for fans of Behemoth, Dissection, Mayhem, Emperor, Deicide“.

 

The attention-grabbing cover art of the album was created by Nir Doliner. It was recorded at Bardo Studio in Israel, and mastered and mixed by Dory Bar-Or (Eternal Gray). It will be released in both digipak and jewel-case CD editions, as well as on black vinyl.

 

https://www.nocleansinging.com/2019/06/30/an-ncs-video-premiere-arallu-devils-child/

 

Arallu is an Israeli black metal group known for their fusion of Middle Eastern musicalities with the aforementioned metal style. The band will be releasing their seventh full-length LP En Olam (אין עולם) on September 22nd via Satanath Records (Russia) and Exhumed Records (Ecuador). You can check out our reviews of their previous albums Six and Desert Battles 2018 as well as an interview with frontman Moti Daniel (aka Butchered).

 

We're excited to be exclusively premiering the fourth track off the upcoming album, "Guard of She'ol," which held back a bit on their typical Middle Eastern folk fusion and took a more modern Behemoth approach instead. The track demonstrates the act's sense of dynamic from the raw, rapid riff pace to the doom elements in the latter half. Check out the music video for the menacingly heavy song now and be sure to pre-order the new record here.

 

Arallu are dedicating this music video to Salem guitarist/bassist Michael Goldstein who just recently passed away.

 

https://metalinjection.net/video/israeli-black-metal-act-arallu-showcase-raw-brutality-in-guard-of-sheol-music-video

 

 

Zvedá se bouře, písek létá vzduchem a je nesnesitelné vedro. Znáte ty okamžiky, které předcházejí hromům a bleskům? Příroda si s námi hraje jako s loutkami, podél cesty se odhalují bílé skelety koster. Nebe se zlobí, do uší mi totiž hraje nová deska black death metalových maniaků ARALLU z Izraele. Válka s peklem začíná, víra tvá tě zachrání a nebo zabije.

 

Deska mě svými motivy opravdu přenesla někam do míst mezi řeky Eufrat a Tygris. Dýchla na mě historie, bohatá kultura, budovy, které zažily tisíckrát slávu i utrpení. Procházím se pouští a poslouchám album "En Olam". Jsem najednou součástí něčeho velkého, čemu se říká muzika.

 

 

 

Tradiční death metal, black metalová temnota a umně vložené blízkovýchodní motivy. Jakoby ARALLU předčítali z pradávné Knihy mrtvých. Cítím v kostech chlad a na tváři teplý vítr. Mám v očích písek a marně zvedám hlavu k nebi. Rozhřešení nikdy nepřijde, zlá krev dělá další zlou krev. Každý musí začít u sebe, naslouchat a konečně používat zdravý rozum. Líbí se mi zvuk, jednotlivé nápady a nepřeberné množství emocí. Tahle kapela totiž hraje srdcem a je to znát z každého tónu. Umírám žízní, napojen vlastní nenávistí. Zahal svoji tvář a poklekni. "En Olam" je jako výlet bez konce do míst, kde se slunce dotýká země, kde se krása potkává s temnotou, hudebně je album velmi solidní, zajímavé a moc dobře se poslouchá. Podsvětí zase jednou otevřelo svoje brány a vyslalo bojovníky apokalypsy, aby nás zničili svoji muzikou. Vnímám, že brzy přijde další písečná bouře, modlím se, aby zazněla nová skladba. Black death metalová nahrávka, která vás sežehne plamenem!

 

 

 

Asphyx says:

 

The storm rises, the sand flies through the air, and the heat is unbearable. Do you know those moments that precede thunder and lightning? Nature plays with us like with puppets, white bones of skeletons are revealed along the road. Heaven is angry, because I am listening the new album of black death metal maniacs ARALLU from Israel. The war with hell begins, your faith will save you or kill you.

 

The motives from album really transferred me somewhere to the places between the rivers Euphrates and Tygris. I was breathtaking by history, rich culture, buildings that had experienced fame and suffering minimally thousand times. I walk through the desert and listen to the album "En Olam". I am immediately part of something bigger, something what we called music.

 

 

 

Traditional death metal, black metal darkness and artfully embedded Middle Eastern motifs. Seem as ARALLU read from the ancient Book of the Dead. I feel cold in my bones and I have a warm wind on my face. I have sand in my eyes and vainly raise my head to the sky. The absolution will never come, bad blood makes another bad blood. Everyone must start with themselves, listen and finally use common sense. I like sound, individual ideas and a wealth of emotions. This band plays with the heart and it is obvious from every tone. I'm dying of thirst, connected with my own hatred. Cover your face and kneel. "En Olam" is like a trip without end to places where the sun touches the ground, where beauty meets darkness, musically the album is very indifferent, interesting and is nice to listen it. Once again, the underworld opened its gates and sent apocalypse warriors to destroy us with their music. I feel that another sandstorm will soon arrive, I pray for a new song to be heard. Black death metal record that will burn you with flame!

 

https://deadly-storm.blogspot.com/2019/09/recenzereview-arallu-en-olam-2019.html

 

 

Israel's  Arallu  have  returned  with  a  new  recording  which  continues  the  middle  eastern  style  of  black  metal  from  previous  releases  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2019  album  "Em  Olam"  which  will  be  released  in  September  as  a  joint  effort  between  Satanath  and  Exhumed  Records.

 

  Middle  eastern  style  folk  instruments  start  off  the  album  and  also  mixes  in  with  the  heavier  sections  of  the  music  at  times.  Vocals  are  mostly  black  metal  screams  while  the  music  also  mixes  in  elements  of  death  and  thrash  metal  and  when  the  music  speeds  up  a  great  amount  of  blast  beats  can  be  heard.

 

  When  tremolo  picking  is  utilized  it  also  gives  the  songs  more  of  a  raw  feeling  along  with  some  growls  also  being  added  into  some  parts  of  the  music.  Throughout  the  recording  you  can  also  hear  a  great  mixture  of  slow,  mid  paced  and  fast  parts  while  the  riffs  also  add  in  a  great  amount  of  melody.

 

  All  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  along  with  the  solos  and  leads  being  done  in  more  of  an  old  school  metal  style.  Female  vocals  can  also  be  heard  briefly  as  well  as  the  riffs  also  utilizing  a  decent  amount  of  melody,  spoken  word  parts  can  also  be  heard  briefly  on  a  few  tracks.

 

  As  the  album  progresses  a  brief  use  of  demonic  voices  can  also  be  heard  along  with  one  track  also  introducing  synths  onto  the  recording  as  well  as  a  middle  eastern  style  interlude  being  added  onto  the  album  before  returning  back  to  a  heavier  direction  on  later  songs,  one  track also  adds  in  a  small  amount  of  middle  eastern  style  melodic  chanting  and  the  percussion's  also  gives  the music  more  of  a  tribal  feeling.  The  production  sounds  very  professional  while  the  lyrics  cover  Occultism,  Mesopotamian  and  Satanism  themes.

 

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Arallu  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of t his  band,  you  should  check  out  this  album. 

 

https://occultblackmetalzine.blogspot.com/2019/07/aralluen-olamsatanath-recordsexhumed.html

 

En Olam is from the Hebrew language and translated it`s There Are No World. En Olam is the 7th studio album of the black metal band Arallu from Jerusalem. Arallu states on Facebook that they plays Mesopotamian black / thrash metal. Following their previous 6 studio albums: The War On The Wailing Wall (1999), Satanic War In Jerusalem (2001), The Demon From The Ancient World (2005), Desert Battles (2009), Geniewar (2015) and the most successful in all the activity years of the band Six (2017). Arallu played shows in Israel with acts such as Behemoth, Mayhem, Satyricon, Enslaved, Marduk, Tribulation, and more. The band did several European tours and metal festivals in Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Turkey and performed Czech Death Metal Fest with Napalm Death, Dødheimsgard and Avulsed.

 

Arallu were interviewed by Sam Dunn for Global Metal Film 2008 and Olivier Richard for Un Monde De Metal film 2015. The demons from Israel have unleashed again a massive new album. En Olam recorded at Bardo Studio in Israel, mastered and mixed by Dory Bar-Or (Eternal Gray) who is responsible to the sound of Geniewar, Six and Desert Battles 2018 remastered albums of the band. Cover artwork by Nir Doliner. Band photo by Michael Solomonovitch. Band logo by Avi Harari. Layout by Satanath. All music and lyrics written, composed, played and recorded by Arallu 2018-2019. Spells texts by Necronomicon book (H.P. Lovecraft), arrange by Arallu. En Olam brings a Middle Eastern atmosphere for fans of Behemoth, Dissection, Mayhem, Emperor, Deicide. The ttile track Arallu,

 

 

 

En Olam album features full set of Arabic Middle Eastern instruments, such as: Saz, Oud, Kanoon, Drabukka, toms and many other traditional instruments used during the recording, which makes the music an ensemble of war metal anthems. Although Arallu is not a political band, the band’s mastermind and founder Moti Butchered Daniel lives in Jerusalem and brings in to the band music the spirit of the holy places and ancient history where bloodshed is a usual thing to witness. Arallu describes the situation through the lyrics, yet glorify the ones who never surrendered to terror and had the courage to resist fundamentalism.

 

En Olam describes the fear we all live and feel. A situation in which you find out that we all live inside an illusion, and everything we know does not exist. The world we see, and our emotions, are just imagined picture that don’t exist. The discovery of the truth seemingly makes you lose your grip and shake your whole being. All that you thought protected you is just a dream and you’re actually hanging between the earth and sky without the ability to see anything. Your eyes are open and your body is awake but there is just white blank nothing. You realize that nothing ever existed and that there is nothing,

 

http://permafrost.today/2019/08/01/arallu-with-saz-oud-kanoon-drabukka-and-toms/

Always a reason to get excited, Arallu return with an absolute corker of a release. 10 tracks of crushing brutality that has all their familiar elements but also has a strong developed edge showcasing progression since we last reviewed their music.

 

Erupting with The Center of the Unknown, after so many years you’d think Arallu might be at an age where they’re beginning to mellow. That’s so not the case with this opening track and the twisted cackle that crops up is gleefully evil.

 

Really utilising some of their more Middle Eastern sounds, mixing wonderfully well with the crunchy metal; the title track is a highlight. Before Devil’s Child absolutely flattens with some proper old school blackened death noise.

 

Mind you, you’ve not heard anything until you’ve heard the thrashing lunacy of Guard of She’ol. A personal favourite of the album as it is just so intense. Although the heavy as balls riffing of Prophet’s Path and savagery of Unholy Stone do the job too.

 

Of course, if you’re looking for more thought-provoking stuff, Arullu have it too. The cold and calculating Vortex of Emotions is the stuff nightmares are made of. Also Trail By Slaves has a wonderful switch up that expands and contorts impressively.

 

The icing on the cake though is Spells. An enormous finale that keeps things tight and short but still delivers some huge knockout punches. The Middle-Eastern instruments sounding utterly huge alongside a killer drum beat and riffs weighted in gold.

 

I can’t say it’s Arallu’s best work as I’ve not heard everything they’ve done but going off what I have, this is a level above.

 

https://www.gbhbl.com/album-review-arallu-en-olam-satanath-records/

 

 

Middle Eastern Black / Death Metal aus Israel kreuzte bisher noch nicht meinen Weg. Dies hat sich nun mit dem siebten Album “En Olam” ein für alle mal geändert. Das Quintett verbindet schwarz dämonisches mit orientalischen Klängen. Dieses klingt schon spannend genug und ist schon zu Beginn beim Opener “The Center Of The Unknown” eindrucksvoll zu vernehmen, gefolgt von “En Olam“, wo das erste mal weiblich stimmliche Klänge neben infernal bösartigen Drums und Vocals einzug halten, natürlich immer gepaart mit der schon vorher erwähnten musikalischen Zweisamkeit.

 

“Devils Child” prügelt sich durch die teuflische Kinderstube und verbindet immer wieder verschiedenste Elemente miteinander. Das Devils Child wird mir förmlich und nicht sprichwörtlich in die Ohren, sondern um die Ohren gehauen. Der Song ist okay, haut mich aber jetzt nicht vom Höllenthron. “Guard of She’ol” geht zu Beginn nach einem kurzen Ausschnitt aus der Unterwelt in straighten Rhythmus über, um dann die Geschwindigkeit zu erhöhen, zu verlangsamen und zum Schluss hin die Gitarren-Saiten zu schreddern.

 

“Vortex of Emotions” ist ein doomig epischer Trip durch andere Welten. Über die Hälfte der Zeit thronen die Instrumente, bevor das stimmlich mephistophele einsetzt und dem ganzen noch die entsprechend okkultistische Würze gibt. “Achrit Ha’yamim” ist ein kurzer traurig anmutender Track, der in hebräisch verfasst wurde. Zu Beginn spricht ein Herr (ich habe leider Ahnung, ob dieser eine Berühmtheit ist oder nicht oder einfach nur ein Bandmitglied).

 

“Prophets Path” bindet Darbuka und Saz in das Infernale mit ein, “Unholy Stone” spielt gleichmäßig mit melodiösen Riffs, um mir dann heftig links und rechts eine zu verpassen. “Trail by Slaves” kommt wuchtig und aufbäumend aus meinen Boxen, genauso wie “Spells“.

 

Fazit: der mittlere Osten gemischt mit dem musikalisch schwarzen klingt sehr interessant, aber ob eine Nachwirkung bleibt wird sich nach mehreren Durchläufen zeigen.

 

https://www.hellfire-magazin.de/arallu-en-olam/

 

Arallu are black metal band from Israel and this is their seventh album.

 

I always really like Arallu’s work, (check out Six, Geniewar, and Desert Battles – Descending to the Sands), so it’s exciting to see a new album emerge.

 

If you’re new to Arallu then you need to know that they are not your standard black metal band. Not only do they mix in touches of death and thrash metal into their music, but they also incorporate Middle Eastern themes, melodies, and instruments. This results in a very striking and individual endeavour, one which has seen the band go from strength to strength with every release so far.

 

There’s a depth of texture and substance to this music that may not be overly apparent from the above description, however. Arallu play brutally aggressive music very well, but they also develop atmosphere and build layers very well too. Sometimes, they even combine these different facets, creating something else entirely. The songs are also more catchy and memorable than you might think, and have more hooks than is standard for something like this. Not that there are many entities like Arallu out there, I suppose. Arallu have carved their own niche, and they utterly dominate it.

 

The band’s songwriting continues to improve, successfully incorporating the above elements into moreish and infectious songs. There are many great examples spread out across the album, but two highlights for me are Devil’s Child and Trial by Slaves; both are particularly enjoyable exemplars of how to mix brutality and atmosphere to great effect.

 

I’ve said before that it’s very impressive how Arallu always seem to keep getting better with every release. I say this again now because En Olam is just as good as previous career highlight Six, and, despite the fact that I’ve listened to Six a lot more, is probably even better.

 

Essential listening for any extreme metal fan.

 

https://wonderboxmetal.com/2019/09/23/arallu-en-olam-review/

 

 

Illustrons le retour aux activités chez Yargla avec une signature de chez Satanath Records en collaboration avec Exhumed Records, j'ai nommé le combo Israelien Arallu déjà fort d'une certaine expérience puisqu'il s'agit ici de leur septième album.

 

 

 

Le ton principal se pose dans un black metal oriental aux passages thrash mais surtout enrichi de percussions et d'instruments folkloriques.

 

On rencontre pas mal de variations selon les titres, voguant au gré de passage assez violents relayés par des ambiances beaucoup plus posées et épiques.

 

 

 

Si l'on évoque l'énergie brutale, on évoquera d'emblée le morceau d'ouverture « The Center Of The Unknown » et de sa bestialité qui poursuit le démarrage oriental. Un thrash black bien speed et violent où la batterie déroule pour enchaîner sur un blast démoniaque qui se mêlent à un déchaînement rythmique de la part des percussions également. L'entrée en matière s'opère avec fougue et sans pitié et ce morceau doit être vraiment terrible sur les planches.On saluera également ce passage plus mid tempo et lourd où les percus suivent le flot des mélodies orientales alors que la partie metal derrière alourdit l'ensemble.

 

 

 

Pour rester dans le patator, on évoquera également « Guard Of She » et son départ ultra dynamique, lourd et violent.

 

Le rythme est galopant, les vocaux bien harsh, puis les mélodies orientales collent parfaitement aux blasts et roulements cinglants

 

Le chant varie sur des vocaux parlés, déclamés sur un passage épique au tempo lent. Le rythme reste ensuite lent mais s'alourdit au gré des riffs saccadés et des accompagnements orientaux.

 

On termine sur un passage assez doom à l ancienne bien ficelé.

 

 

 

Arallu sait également jouer la carte plus nuancée avec « Vortex of Emotion ». Ici nous trouvons un doom/black très lent et progressif menant sur montée rageuse. L'ambiance est atmosphérique et lourde se terminant sur un fade.

 

 

 

Quelques rythmiques guerrières savent se faire apprécier notamment sur le démarrage d' « Unholy Stone » le final d' « En Olam » ou encore « Spells »

 

Pour « Unholy Stone », blasts et melodies suivent à un debut guerrier pour donner suite à un passage folklorique où la batterie tabasse bien la caisse claire et assomme.

 

La mélodie est répétitive mais catchy. On appréciera aussi ce final aux choeurs orientaux.

 

On retrouvera également ces choeurs sur « En Olam » et ses parties de blasts et riffs liés, cette rythmique orientale pour un ensemble mid tempo. Le côté folklorique est très en avant sur celle ci.

 

S'en suit une accélération rythmique aux blasts,puis riffs rapides pour terminer sur rythme martial et folklore.

 

« Spells » propose des parties bien décalées rythmiquement et son ambiance s'avère également assez belliqueuse.

 

 

 

On saura apprécier pleinement aussi un morceau comme « Prophet's Path » à l'intro toujours aussi orientale. Les riffs sont tranchants et les mélodies entêtantes.

 

Un passage encore plus énergique thrash/black à la Deströyer 666 vient tout défourailler puis des ponts plus lourds enchaînent.

 

 

 

« Devil's Child » débute sur une intro orientale.

 

On ne pourra qu' accrocher à ce coté Meleschech dans la rythmique et le chant puis

 

ce pont, down tempo assez épique avant de partir en blast et riffs ultra rapides.

 

On reprend une tranche de passage lourd avec la double qui déroule, un break plein de légèreté interfère avant de rattaquer sur le passage à la Meleschesch presque dansant.

 

 

 

Cet opus d' Arallu se voit hisser comme un grand moment de black metal oriental qui saura ravir les amateurs de combos du genre comme Meleschech ou encore Orphaned Land pour les instants plus posés.

 

http://yargla.over-blog.com/2019/10/arallu-en-olam.html

 

Screen of review.

 

https://www.dargedik.com/2019/10/arallu-en-olam-2019-review.html

 

 

Antes de iniciarmos este review, devo mencionar que há alguns dias recebi um novo contato para parceria e mais uma vez me senti privilegiado, afinal, outro label situado na Europa estava procurando a Rock Vibrations....

E foi assim que a "Satanath Records" (natural da Rússia) entrou para o nosso "time", e claro, nos dando oportunidade para divulgarmos muitas bandas de seu casting.

 

Para inciarmos, escolhi uma banda bem peculiar e de ótima qualidade... aliás, alguns lugares do mundo as vezes nos surpreendem por fazerem parte de alguma vertente do metal, e neste caso, se você for um novo metalhead provavelmente irá estranhar, mas sim, existem inúmeros projetos pelo oriente médio.

 

Os músicos israelitas praticam desde o fim dos anos 90 um som extremo de muita qualidade (mais especificamente do black/death metal com influências mesopotâmicas e várias nuances de thrash metal).

Formada por Butchered (bass/guitar/vocals), Gal Pixel (guitars and backing vocals), Ofek O (guitars), Richard (drums/percussions) e Eylon B. (strings), entregam ao ouvinte uma verdadeira fusão de melodias, tendo certa originalidade de criação.

 

Seu novo álbum intitulado "En Olam" teve lançamento via Exhumed Records & Satanath Records no dia 22/9/2019 e trás a nós ouvintes uma produção impecável, além de composições bem estruturadas, sendo um dos melhores registros extremos que ouvi em 2019.

 

É nítida a destreza e comportamento profissional dos músicos, sendo cada canção muito bem construída, com suas características únicas e momentos realmente prazerosos dentro da vertente que fazem.

Os riffs são um dos pontos fortes aqui, um verdadeiro "guia" para os momentos pesados em meio aos climas orientais que surgem em todos os lados com a mixagem muito bem feita, e os ótimos vocais que permeiam de forma única.

 

 

Acredito que este registro é o ponto alto da banda, e se você ainda não conhece algo da cena ligada à região que eles moram, este é um ótimo ponto de partida!

 

Um álbum único e que merece um grande posto...

Aprecie sem moderação!

 

http://rockvibrationsofficial.blogspot.com/2019/10/arallu-en-olam-review.html

 

 

Watch the blistering new video from Middle Eastern extreme metallers Arallu!

 

Israeli blackened death metallers Arallu drop new single The Center Of The Unknown from their latest album En Olam!

 

Playing alongside the likes of Behemoth, Mayhem, Satyricon, Enslaved and Marduk in their home country of Isreal, Arallu have been slowly but surely making a name for themselves in the twenty years since their debut studio offering back in 1999.

 

With their previous album 2017's Six, the band saw a peak in their success this far, and it's about time. Their unique sound incorporates traditional Arabic Middle Eastern instruments such as the saz (or bağlama), oud, kanoon (or qanun) and darbukka (or Egyptian goblet drum), into thunderous blackened death metal.

 

Incorporating native instruments and folk sounds has a long tradition within black metal, since the early days of Bathory and continued with the likes of Primordial, Moonsorrow and Windir. With the scene having been established in the west and with many bands still claiming distinctly European ancestry, it's usual to hear the influence of Celtic and Nordic music. Yet their is a vibrant and long-established black metal folk scene further east too – most notably headed up by fellow Israelites, the Assyrian/Aramaic blasphemers Melechesh – and it's been picking up steam across the globe, with Arallu's very Eastern take on the genre a welcomed addition to the cultural kaleidoscope of extreme metal subgenres.

 

The band's most recent release, En Olam (Hebrew for "There Is No World") describes, through lyrics, the fear we all live and feel – a fear that is particularly prevalent in mastermind and founder Moti "Butchered" Daniel's home of Jerusalem. Butchered channels the rich and ancient spiritual history of the city where bloodshed and violence remain a very constant and very real threat, through his impassioned lyrics that glorify those who never surrender to terror and resist the fundamentalism that is prevalent and questions the very fabric of our perceived reality.

 

https://www.loudersound.com/features/watch-the-blistering-new-video-from-middle-eastern-extreme-metallers-arallu

 

Things have changed in the time that’s passed since I first encountered Arallu and their sextant offering, Six. I was so young and innocent in those faraway days of 2017, unsullied by the harsh realities of angry metal wordslingerdom… Fast forward to the significantly older/infinitely wiser modern day Muppet and the dream is over, rotting in an unmarked grave beneath the moldering corpses of Happy Metal Guy and so many fidget spinners. I now recognize AMG‘s Law ov Diminishing Recordings as a cold and cruelly ironic constant, and subsequently I slowly shuffled up to Six‘s successor, the septimal En Olam, with extreme arthritis and trepidation. By the time it was all over, I sighed wearily and shuffled even more gingerly back to my sleeping perch—for such was the extent of my physical capabilities in the wake of the ass beating that En Olam had just given me.

 

When last Arallu tore through this great Hall of ours, the youngling Muppet was particularly impressed by the band’s evenhanded interspersal of Middle Eastern melodies into their meat n’ taters blackened death. A light dusting of desert sand was sprinkled over everything on Six, particularly in the percussion department, yet nothing ever reached the gimmicky, contrived levels of Nile, Amon Amarth or other themed bullshit1, and ‘Less is More’ won again. En Olam finds the Israelis doubling down on the desert-y decor – and sounding just as honest and naturally lethal as ever, perhaps even more so. Tracks such as “Devil’s Child” or “Spells” could only have ever come from arid sands, but, more importantly, they could only ever come from Arallu. 22 years and 7 full-lengths into their career, Arallu have transcended niche-dom and cultivated a sound of their own, and En Olam is a strong testament to the band’s abilities, circa now.

 

 

 

While the Eastern atmosphere is a key component of the quintet’s killer craft, there’s really only one thing you need to need to know about En Olam: here be fuckin riffs. As captivated as I was by the wild notion of Israeli black metal2 when I covered Six, present-day Arallu are first and foremost a death metal band. A death metal band with strong and glorious ebony leanings, sure, but the array of riffs and raucous rhythms so tastefully and tastily arranged within these 10 tracks is blackened-death gold no matter how or where you spin it. The titular track is a terrifying, tush-tearing thing ov thundering tribal drums and righteous riff revelry, and “Devil’s Child” has almost certainly affected my spinal alignment forever: if this vulgar display of powerful riffs and utterly fucking hostile vocals doesn’t leave you far beyond driven to form a flash moshpit, you can walk on home, yo.

 

Beyond attaining a near perfect balance of atmosphere and to-the-point riffdom, the songs also feel much more focused here than on Six, typically averaging three to four minutes and made all the more powerful for their less-ness. Additionally, bassist/vocalist Butchered has really come into his own here on album 7: just as guitarists Gal Pixel and Omri Yagen have carved an inimitable home for the band into the metalverse, Butchered’s performance on Spells solidifies his role as the screaming, unhinged hero that we need and Arallu deserve. Between his serrated growls and contemptuous shrieks, the dude doesn’t merely sound wrathful and violent this time around: he sounds like he is wrath, like he is violence. There’s a visceral, blood-thirsty quality to his contributions that reeks of unsettling authenticity, the kind that reminds you why so many people assume that all metalheads are violent sociopaths.

 

I have nothing bad to say about En Olam. Six was great and I had no faith whatsoever that its follow up could possibly hold a camel to it,3 yet this is a superior album in every way. The songs get in, kick your ass, and get out. They sound very much like the work of a band who knows who they are and what they want to do. En Olam has its own identity, standing out against both a backdrop of by-the-numbers blackened-death bands and the band’s own badass discography. Hearing this level of progress and improved performance in the wake of something as badass as Six was a ridiculously welcome surprise, indeed, and you’re either gonna love it or be dead to me.

 

https://www.angrymetalguy.com/arallu-en-olam-review/

 

Что такое культурный шок на отдельно взятом компакт диске? Ну это когда вначале - знойные звуки восточного инструмента — жгучий песок, пальмы, оазис с миражами. Тут же наскоро пробивает металл-забой и совершенно зверский ультра-роу-трэш-вокал. А там уже далее и более - блэк-дэт. С некоторыми влияниями. Такие тезисы кого угодно выведут из состояния спячки. Да это группа израильская - ARALLU.

С 1997 года исполняют ребята Oriental Black/Death Metal. В оригинальном замесе. Я уже убедился в этом с самого начала компакта.

Музыканты собрались чуть ли не четверть века назад (!!!). И совершенно отчетливо знают, что делают. Записаны семь полноформатов и на каменных скрижалях занесены в дискографию бригады.

Только я задался вопросом, а что такое, собственно, Араллу, как метал-архивы дали короткую инфо, что согласно месопотамским мифам (ну, на самом деле, так и есть) так называется подземная империя под руководством богини Эрешкигаль. Кстати, там Нергал осуществляет реальный суд над мертвецами. Бог Нергал, а не то, что вы подумали.

Во многих случаях музыканты ARALLU с помощью ближневосточных инструментов, таких как: саз, уд, канун, дарбука и многие других выстраивают эпическое интро в трэке, а уж потом переходят к металлическому угару. НО нередки, на самом деле, случаи, что и внутри трэков появляются островки переднеазиатского фолка в виде вокалов, хоров и прочих фишек.

Само собой, нас интересует именно железное наполнение трэков ARALLU, и хорошо заметно, что за 20 с лишним лет ребята времени даром не теряли. Результатом их усилий стала дерзкая форма фолк-дэт-блэкового опыта, в котором восточная ритмика и мелодика сращены с металлоконструкциями. Бережно сохраняя традиционные влияния, ПЛЮС одновременно будучи причастны к современной экстремальной музыке.

Отдельно надо сказать о трэке 5 - под названием Vortex of Emotions. Это атмосферный дэт-дум — величественный, тягучий, как воды Евфрата, в некотором смысле - ритуальный, с неизменным терроризирующим вокалом Butchered. Здесь он еще и поет(!) свою партию. Это 6 минут «Вихря эмоций».

Надо, конечно, обратить ваше драгоценное внимание на форматы в котором издан этот альбом ARALLU, и это - Digipak, CD | Jewel Box, CD | Vinyl, LP. Соответственно - 500 limited copies | 300 limited copies | 150 limited copies, надеюсь, перевод здесь не нужен.

Это совместный релиз Satanath Records с эквадорской издающей компанией с характерным названием Exhumed Records. Где предусмотрен 12-страничный буклет, Pit-Art CD — напоминаю через время, что это изображения, нанесенные лазером на свободную часть рабочей стороны диска.

Диджипак еще включает в комплектацию стикер.

 

https://vk.com/wall216331265_4218

 

 

 

Un honor para mí poder hablar algo de la banda de culto israelita ARALLU, formados en 1997 y que poco a poco han ido mejorando su propuesta de una forma considerable a tenor de lo escuchado en este pepinazo que es En Olam, séptimo larga duración después de haber pasado una auténtica tribulación con cambios de sello. Por otro lado, sus inicios sin batería (eran programadas) los sumió en una suerte de calvario del que no salían (bueno, eso y que editaban con Raven, sello israelita que no sé que distribución tendría), y creo que superado esa dificultad, estamos ante un discazo de primerísimo nivel.

 

En régimen de coalición, Satanath y Exhumed Records se marcan una impecable edición en todos los aspectos. Desde el alucinante artwork de Nir Doliner (con el clásico logo de Avi Harari), al apabullante, compacto sonido de los Bardo Studio (Dory Bar). Si me permitís el inciso (no, no voy a cortar a nadie con un cuchillo), en algunos aspectos la producción me recuerda a las remasterizaciones de Septic Flesh y como más adelante veremos, también un poco la forma de abordar el Black metal de este tipo de bandas digamos.... mesopotámicas.

 

La formación queda establecida con Butchered (Genie King) al bajo/voces; Gal Pixel a las guitarras; Omri Yagen a las guitarras/coros, Assaf Kassimov a la batería y Eylon Bart al saz (baglama), darbuka y coros. Como dato curioso, en el corte "Spells" se usan textos del Necronomicón. En cuanto al sonido, pues un crudo y potente Black/death con incursiones aquí y allá en ambientos más Doom, con el exotismo propio de bandas como los primeros Orphaned Land o Melechesh, sobre todo estos últimos en la forma de tejer partes con retazos folkies aremeos y con imaginería asiria.

 

Temas cortos, directos pero intensos, con una base rítmica excelente y unos riffs de guitarra de los que a mí me gustan; calientes como el black de los griegos (Varathron o Rotting Christ) y toques de Death melódico (puntito sueco arriba, puntito sueco abajo).

 

El inicio de "The Center of the Unknown" es magnífico. Me recuerda a la etapa media de Rotting Christ cuando empezaron a acelerarse tras su periplo gótico... es decir, Theogonia y cosas así. Las voces guturales muy conseguidas y los cambios de ritmo fabulosos. Riffs de guitarra con regusto oriental pero gracias a los cielos asirios, sin entrar en el metal progresivo oriental que me pone de los nervios con sus inocuas melodías. Aquí estamos hablando de metal extremo, señoras y señores... bajada del tempo en un sinuoso interludio atmosférico fantástico donde empieza ya a resaltar ese magnífico instrumento que es el Saz y que me vuelve majara (el sonido es similar al Tamboura, así que podría equivocarme)... vuelve a entrar en la siguiente, homónima y corta en minutaje "En Olam" con regusto a Orphaned Land. Black Death en esencia pero melódico, con coros fantásticos para un disco que en los 90 habría reventado el género.

 

Sigue "Devil´s Child" con una base rítmica de órdago. Toques folk israelíes en el abordaje de la percusión mientras la voz de desgañita pero mostrando versatilidad, pero curiosamente cuando el tema se lanza a velocidades de crucero adquiere tintes suecos y cuando va al ralentí es Doom/Death... todo con una pasmosa facilidad. Es lo que tiene la globalización, no?. "Guard of She'ol" empieza gélida al estilo Satyricon, pero pronto hace acto de presencia un ritmo mesopotámico al más puro estilo Melechesh. Atentos al doble bombo que no deja títere con cabeza o a los detallitos de Pagan Metal aquí y allá.

 

 

 

El corte más largo es a la vez el más épico. Intro de teclados para "Vortex of Emotions" hasta que entra un acople de guitarra más sucio que una herida de guerra curada con agua de fosa séptica. La batería, un simple golpe marcial que se repite como un metrónomo... ARALLU desciende en un espiral ritmo Doom simple pero efectivo que sobre mitad de tema eclosiona hacia el Black atmosférico. "Achrit Ha'Yamim" empieza con recitado al más puro estilo Muazzin, toques de Tamboura y sonidos de tormenta, ejerciendo de pequeña pieza puente hacia Prophet's Path que si no suena a Mabool de Orphaned Land no me llamo John Smith. Me encanta esa forma bailable que adquiere la percusión mezclándose con maestría y sincronicidad con la guitarra.

 

Tramo final con el Black clásico noventero de "Unholy Stone" (con detalles acústicos incluídos y final oriental) y "Trial by Slaves" con uno de los mejores medios tiempos del álbum que a estas alturas y tras muchas escuchas me atrevo a decir que es Pagan a su manera.

 

El disco termina por todo lo alto con "Spells", temazo que casi me hace soltar una lágrima porque este tipo de discos que grababan bandas como Rotting Christ, Septic Flesh o los propios Orphaned Land (quizás Amorphis en otra onda), ya no se hacen... o se hacen y no interesan. No sé o no me acuerdo de cómo sonaban antes ARALLU pero "En Olam" es una obra de arte.

 

 

https://lamuerteteniaunblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/arallu-en-olam-satanath-exhumed-records.html

 

 

Arallu Explore an Atmospheric and Doom Laden Twist Away from Their Usual Black Metal for “Vortex Of Emotions” Music Video. Arallu is an Israeli black metal act known for their fusion of Middle Eastern musicalities and instrumentation with their extreme music. They have opened the gates of their homeland and shared the stage with Behemoth, Mayhem, Satyricon, Enslaved, Marduk, Tribulation, and more. Furthermore, the group gained attention while touring and hitting festivals in Europe as well as being included in Sam Dunn’s Global Metal documentary (check our review of the film here).

 

Last year, they put out their seventh studio album titled En Olam via the Russian label Satanath Records and Ecuadorian label Exhumed Records. We mentioned the record in our favorite albums of the year list, which you can view here. Now in 2020, we have a music video for the track “Vortex Of Emotions” from the aforementioned LP. The track takes a more atmospheric and doom metal approach rather than their usual black metal style.

 

https://metalhasnoborders.com/2020/02/01/arallu-explore-an-atmospheric-and-doom-laden-twist-away-from-their-usual-black-metal-for-vortex-of-emotions-music-video-israel/

 

 

The moon’s recognizable glare. The distant growl of a dark cloud heavy with storms. The sun’s dramatic ascent and the eventual funeral march of sunset. Israeli black/death battalion Arallu turn the spectacle of the sky’s daily routine into the backdrop of their new video for “Vortex of Emotions.” Whether it’s unforgiving desert and mountain peaks or thick swells of smoke, the video’s imagery captures the elemental and emotional heft of the track. Before the first stab of distortion bloodlets the song, Arallu have already beckoned a sense of melancholy with the incoming fog. While the song is a slower burn than most of the other songs on their recent En Olam album, “Vortex of Emotions” still embodies Arallu’s hybrid of melodic deathrash and sky-cursing black metal.

 

Now approaching 23 years as a project founded by vocalist/bassist/mastermind Butchered, Arallu’s unique blend of blistering extremity and regional influences results in some striking compositions on En Olum. The album’s atmosphere feels like a smoky battlefield despite an impressively polished production. Personal favorite “Devil’s Child” untangles a succession of razorwire riffs to emerge as a ridiculously catchy ripper. Traditional instruments propel “Prophet’s Path” before the rollicking “Unholy Stone” vanquishes the non-electric components to dust. Despite this video’s pensive approach and the effective crawling passage of “Trial By Slaves,” the album picks its opportunities to speed-blast as well. With over two decades of material to explore, if you haven’t heard Arallu it’s time to remedy that now.

 

En Olam was released in September 2019, but this video is a great reminder to check out the album, co-released by Satanath Records and Exhumed Records. Get ready to stare into the vortex of emotions conjured by Arallu’s new video by pressing play below.

 

https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2020/01/29/track-premiere-arallu-vortex-of-emotions/

 

 

Israel als Metal-Hochburg zu bezeichnen ist vielleicht doch noch etwas hoch gegriffen, aber Bands wie Melechesh haben sicherlich dazu beigetragen, so etwas wie eine Metal-Szene in diesem Land aufzubauen. Ähnlich lange aktiv sind auch Arallu, die seit 1997 ihre Musik auf bislang 7 Alben und ein paar kurzen Veröffentlichungen zum Besten geben konnten. Das jüngste Album der Diskographie ist das vor ein paar Monaten erschienene „En Olam„, dem ich mich heute widmen werde.

 

Nicht nur in ihrer Herkunft und dem Alter ähneln sich Melechesh und Arallu, auch musikalisch gibt es Parallelen, immerhin spielen beide Bands einen Mix aus Black und Death Metal mit mittelöstlichem Folk, der ordentlich Atmosphäre und Druck mit sich bringt. Dazu gesellen sich bei Arallu allerdings ein paar Anleihen von Bands wie Barathrum („Devil’s Child„) und natürlich viele eigene Ideen. Düster und kraftvoll ballert der Black/Death der Jungs drauf los und liefert beinharte Riffs, mal frost mal schwer, ordentlich pushende und wilde Drums, sowie einen kraftvollen Bass, der auch hier und da auf seine Kosten kommt. Immer wieder wird der wilde Reigen durch kurze Pausen unterbrochen, in denen es entweder etwas komplexer zu geht oder die spirituelle, okkulte Atmosphäre aufgebaut wird, bevor wieder schwer und kühl nach vorne geprescht wird. Immer wieder schwankt die Band dabei zwischen nordischer Kühle, drückender Schwere und östlicher Melancholie, die sich nicht zuletzt in den von Darbuka, Saz und Keyboard-unterstützten Parts voll entfalten kann. Auch werden die Folk-Elemente schön eingewoben und verschmelzen mit dem sehr auf Atmosphäre ausgelegten Schaffen der Band zu einer fesselnden Einheit. Auch gesanglich gibts etliches auf hohem Niveau zu bieten. Typischer Black/Death Krächzgesang dominiert das Bild und keift sich kraftvoll und finster durch das Klangbild, hier und da durch Hall verstärkt und verdichtet. Hinzu kommen allerdings religiös angehauchte Sprechgesänge und Samples, die dem Ganzen Gebräu einen noch okkulteren Anstrich geben und gleichzeitig die Heimatverbundenheit der Truppe stärker in den Vordergrund hebt…und sich dabei nahtlos ins Konzept einfügt. So füllen sich die fast 40 Minuten des Albums mit abwechslungsreichem, schwarzmetallischem aber sehr druckvollem Riffing, interessantem Songwriting mit vielen Einflüssen aus der lokalen Folklore und einer schweren, düsteren Atmosphäre.

 

Abwechslungsreiche Songs treffen auf Folklore des mittleren Ostens, dabei entsteht ein fetzendes, drückendes und spannendes Black/Death Metal-Album, das Fans des Genres sofort in ihr Herz schließen dürften. Nach über 20 Jahren im Geschäft haben die Jungs einfach ein Gespür für gute Songs und eine saubere aber nicht zu überbordende Produktion, die die Stärken der einzelnen Elemente gut hervorhebt. Allau’s „En Olam“ ist einfach ein ziemlich starkes Brett, dass auch nach einigen Hördurchläufen frisch und knackig klingt.

 

https://metalviewer.wordpress.com/2020/01/19/arallu-en-olam/

 

 

Das neue Video der israelischen Black-Metaller Arallu zeigt die Band gewohnt gnaden- und kompromisslos im Kampf gegen den Glauben.

 

Arallu haben sich nicht nur mit dem Albumtitel SATANIC WAR IN JERUSALEM von 2002 in unsere dunklen Herzen gespielt, sondern vor allem damit, dass sie seit 1997 die Fahne des Black Metal im ewig krisengeschüttelten Israel hochhalten – durch den Bombenhagel zum Proberaum schleichen müssen, ist auf jeden Fall mehr Black Metal, als der Band lieb sein konnte.

 

Das aktuelle Album EN OLAM ist bereits das siebte in den letzten 22 Jahren. ‘Unholy Stone’ ist das dritte Video dazu, das wir euch hier exklusiv präsentieren.

 

https://www.metal-hammer.de/arallu-israelischer-black-metal-widerstand-1407507/

 

Že jste o ARALLU ještě neslyšeli ani popel??? Nedivím se, ale já slyšel, a je to už nějaký ten rok. A již tenkrát platili za ukrytý trumf black metalové scény, a rozhodně to nebylo jen a pouze jejich poměrně exotickým původem. ARALLU toho mají za sebou dost a dost, spojitost se dvěma absolutními pojmy blízkého východu, tj. MELECHESH a SALEM je zřejmá, Moti Daniel stojí za kapelou do současnosti, Nir Nakav (SALEM) se podílel na vzniku kultovního alba „Messenger To Jerusalem /Satanic War In Jerusalem“. Tenkrát jsem s nimi četl rozhovor, tuším ale nepamatuji přesně, asi ve Sparku. Točil se kolem izraelské metalové scény, místního prostředí a vztahů židovské populace s tou arabskou a neméně tak muslimskou. Od té doby mi tahle kapela utkvěla v paměti, a nemohu jinak, než se podělit o zážitek z poslední studiové nahrávky kapely, která mi učarovala již před více než patnácti lety.

 

„En Olam“ je album v mnoha ohledech jedinečná, nenapodobitelná záležitost. Skloubit black metalové výrazové prostředky s prvky středněvýchodními hudebními kořeny není jen tak, a pokud k tomu dojde, stále není vyhráno, aby tato symbióza byla životaschopná a funkční, je třeba nejen umět hrát, ale je třeba dát do hudby sakra velký kus sama sebe a své muzikantské srdce (což je naprosto univerzální princip napříč všemi žánry od Long Islandu kolem zemské koule po Havaj).

 

ARALLU jsou svéráz a originál, což je deviza k nezaplacení. Organicky propojili tradiční black metal s místními tradičními hudebními postupy velice nápaditým způsobem, kdy ani na moment nejsme svědky rozpolcenosti skladeb na dva hudební světy. „En Olam“ není, a to předesílám, žádný jakože umělecký black metal plný orchestrací a drahé produkce. ARALLU se pevně drží syrového a živelného projevu, té sžírající bestiality, kterou vychrlili kdysi nesmrtelní BATHORY v druhé půli osmdesátých let. Bestialita je jedním ze jmen tohoto alba, rozběsněná šelma, která je sice lačná po krvi, ovšem s mozkovnou s kapacitou velice nadprůměrně inteligentního masového vraha. „En Olam“ je v jádru přímočarý masakr, tento ale skrývá spoustu rafinovaných zákoutí, spoustu důmyslných kliček, které dají jasně na srozuměnou, že tohle není rádoby zlá kapela ani rádoby exotika, na které to všechno půjde prodat.

 

V tomto případě nebudu záměrně pitvat album skladbu po skladbě. „En Olam“, ač obsahuje devět zastavení na cestě do podsvětí plus jedno recitativní intermezzo, po okraj napěchovaných agresí, pod jejíž silou praskají řetězy, hroutí se domy a zoufalí se modlí za spásu své duše. ARALLU tuhle agresi zkrotili ve svůj prospěch a přetavili do silného hudebního zážitku, který sice není úplně pro každého, ale koho chytne za rozkrok, toho už nepustí. Skladby tvoří kompaktní sevřený celek, aniž by splývaly do jednoho zběsilého monolitu s nedostatkem opěrných bodů. Navzdory agresi a syrovosti každá skladba se stejně tak i bohatá na zajímavé momenty, které se vyplatí objevovat s každým poslechem, protože tenhle zážitek úplně zadarmo není, ale to úsilí se na každý pád mnohonásobně vrátí.

 

https://www.metal-line.cz/articles/recenze-arallu-en-olam-2019-satanath-records-1505

 

Screen

 

https://thepitofthedamned.blogspot.com/2020/01/arallu-en-olam.html

 

 

The Mesopotamian underworld ruled by Nergal and Ereshkigal brings forth Arallu. This five headed Israelian serpent spits venom out of its lair in Ma’ale Adumim. Furious Black/Death infused with swirling middle-eastern instrumentation and melodies giving “En Olam” a grimm, hostile yet graceful touch.

 

My favorite skullworm: “Unholy Stone” meticulously built up to a climax, full of grandeur and emotion. Every song on this wondrous album stands on its own creating an aggressive, opulent and intelligent piece of art. Respect and awe goes out to the drummer/percussionist, an eight armed mutant torturing his kit with demonic intensity. During “The Center of the Unknown” he uses high toned toms creating an eerie surround effect.

 

For the open-minded is there a lot to discover on this masterpiece. Give it all your attention, take some time to let this music sink in, it will rattle yer balls outta yer hotpants.

 

http://www.vm-underground.com/review/arallu-en-olam/

 

Every local scene has developed its unique sounds, like Norway’s Black Metal scene. Many countries have their own sounds and many Ethnic groups has their own instruments.

 

For Israel, this is no different.

 

One of the local bands in the Israeli scene which played for the past 20 years are ARALLU, which are an inalienable asset to the local Metal Scene.

 

Throughout the years, these guys developed their own unique sound – Crushing Black Metal tunes, backend up by Goblet drums (Darbukas) and a Baglama Player. This is which makes them sound so Middle Eastern and special. The album “En Olam” also opens with Middle Eastern sounds, that combines well with the powerful guitar playing, and evolves into a beautiful, yet extreme piece of art which contains ethnic sounds, powerful speeches and aggressive tunes.

 

En Olam stands in Hebrew for “No World” – it is the 7th Album of the band ARALLU, and it contains 10 tracks. The overall length of the album is 38 minutes, and it starts with the track “The Center of The Unknown” – The opening act of the album, and it opens up with a beautiful, Arabic-inspired woodwind playing which collides beautifully with the guitars and evolves into a skull crushing track. Another extra-special track is “Achrit Ha’yamim” (Hebrew – “the end of the days”) – featuring a preaching in Hebrew about the Apocalypse and beautiful Baglama playing. From speaking to the band, the preaching is about the end of days and how everyone must believe in God, taken from a real preaching found of the web.

 

In the aspects of inspiration of the band, from talking to the band members I found the inspirations for writing music is the local middle eastern tunes alongside SLAYER, VENOM, BATHORY, MAYHEM, EMPEROR etc. With these in mind, the band has its unique sound and motives in their music, which brings forth the Israelism in their music and the local musical influences into the front of their stage, resulting in a fresh, unique to ARALLU sounds and lyrics. From the days of the first albums (Like “Satanic War In Jerusalem”) They started inserting those motives, and they kept it for two whole decades.

 

Overly, I must confess – I have a hard time listening to full albums at once, and always must switch throughout the tracks – this album is a solid Masterpiece in my eyes, and it features everything I am looking in an album.

 

http://www.mhf-mag.com/content/cd-reviews/the-holy-land-demons-arallus-en-olam-album-review/

 

Eu sempre fui fascinado pela sonoridade criada por bandas da região do Oriente Médio por causa da sua mistura entre o metal extremo e uma sonoridade que trazia uma característica étnica e cultural próprias. O ARALLU é uma dessas bandas e o seu novo álbum “En Olam” é uma prova dessa qualidade e sonoridades tão ímpares. Lançado no final de setembro passado “En Olam” traz um ARALLU que mescla de forma fenomenal músicas totalmente brutais com momentos que criam a mais pura atmosfera dos velhos muros da antiga Mesopotâmia.

 

“The Center of the Unknown” abre com uma música tradicional e logo engata com uma pancadaria insana com excelentes riffs e bases. Música realmente poderosa que prepara o ouvinte para outra grande composição “En Olam” que deixa mais evidente as influências da música tradicional daquela região, mas ainda soando agressiva como deve ser. “Guard of She´Ol” é uma das faixas mais matadoras, pois traz uma crueza primitiva e uma sonoridade que te remete ao black/death de bandas como Ancient Rites em seu início.

 

“Vortex of Emotions” quebra o ritmo incessante e traz mais peso e dramaticidade ao som da banda. Outra grande música que usa pesado a música tradicional é a incrível “Prophet´s Path”. “Unholy Stone” e “Trial by Slaves” são mais duas pedradas. Incrível a qualidade das bases de guitarra e riffs desse novo trabalho.

Realmente é um disco sólido e com uma qualidade surpreendente. All hails ARALLU !

 

https://luciferrising.com.br/arallu-en-olam/

 

Od dawna szukałem kapel z Izraela. Ich muzyka ludowa jest bardzo ciekawa i pomyślałem sobie, że zbudowany na tych fundamentach black powinien być intrygujący. Co prawda udało mi się znaleźć Orphaned Land, ale ich muzyka (choć atrakcyjna) jest jednak mało… ostra. Szukałem więc dalej. Jest też oczywiście genialny Melechesh, jedna jaskółka przecież wiosny nie czyni, a mi było wciąż mało. Aż znalazłem Arallu.

 

En Olam to już siódmy, pełnowymiarowy album działającego od ponad dwóch dekad zespołu. Mamy więc do czynienia z dopracowanym produktem doświadczonych muzyków. I to na szczęście takich, którzy zdają sobie sprawę z bogactwa swojej kultury. Ich muzyka w ogólnym odbiorze jest dość podobna do tej granej przez wspomniany wcześniej Melechesh – to mieszanka blacku i deathu, podbita bardzo delikatną podszewką z klimatów folkowych. Arallu postawiło jednak bardziej na ostrość i surowość, przez co na pierwszy odsłuch ich muzyka nieco odpycha. Ale to tylko pierwsze wrażenie. Przy kolejnych sesjach z En Olam coraz bardziej zaczyna cieszyć ucho klimatyczna melodyka i nie dające się z niczym pomylić wstawki niczym z ulicy Szerokiej w Krakowie. Najlepszym przykładem niech będzie chociaż tytułowy utwór En Olam, który jednocześnie ma w sobie orientalny klimat a, także ostry deathowy akcent. Devil’s Child to odzwierciedlenie podobieństw między Arallu i Melecheshem, choć także tylko w pierwszej części utworu. Utwór kolejny to death metal w najczystszej postaci i to o zabarwieniu core’owym. Na szczęście jednak klimatyczne tło pozostaje. Kulminacją albumu jest utwór Achrit Ha’yamin, i choć jest to najkrótszy wtręt w zasadzie, to jednak dla mnie jest on osią całego tego konceptu.

 

 

 

Wyznacznikami twórczości Arallu są konkretny i surowy growl, mocno blastująca i oparta na werblach perkusja oraz gitary o orientalnym zabarwieniu. To właśnie one tworzą klimat płyty i to im chciałem niniejszym zafasować największy poklask. Oczywiście muzycy nie zapominają o instrumentach typowych dla tamtejszego folku, używają ich na szczęście z rozwagą, nieustannie wplatając dźwięki saza czy darbuki w linię melodyczną utworów.

 

Na odchodne powiem tak: jeśli ktoś woli klimaty bardziej deathowe niż blackowe, a przy tym fascynują go orientalne odskocznie, padnie przed tą płytą na kolana. Mnie osobiście brakuje tu nieco diabła, ale i tak uważam, że En Olam to płyta świetna i chyba po prostu trzeba ją mieć. Zwłaszcza, że wyprodukowana została (dla dziennikarskiej precyzji dodam, że przez Satanath Records) jedynie w 300 kopiach. Bierzcie więc i jedzcie z tego wszyscy.

 

https://kvlt.pl/recenzje/arallu-en-olam-2019/

 

Review.

 

https://www.cuarteldelmetal.com/2020/05/resena-arallu-en-olam-2019.html?m=1

 

ARALLU is a Death Metal band hailing from the West Bank, Israel. They formed in 1997 and have two EPs and seven full-length albums to their credit. Their latest album, “En Olam,” was released in September 2019. Although it has ten tracks, it is a shortish album, timing out at just over thirty-eight minutes. Where it lacks in longevity, however, it makes up in intensity.

 

Thematically, the band represents their region with lyrics relevant to ongoing socio-political struggles. Musically, they infuse wider Middle Eastern influences into their compositions, creating a unique fusion of brutal riffs and exotic Eastern flourishes. While I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the Middle East, I can’t pretend to be conversant in their concerns or issues except to say that strife is an underlying theme. With that said, aggressive blackened Death Metal seems to be the perfect vehicle to exercise (or exorcise) those demons.

 

“En Olam” is surprisingly not a full-frontal assault. Many of the tracks ease in with thoughtful subtly. This isn’t to say you’ll find any keyboard interludes or choirs on the album, but there are a few undistorted moments which add an unexpected complexity. Most metalheads will likely favor the heavier tracks, but there are several surprises like “Vortex of Emotions,” which is also the longest, and “Achrit Ha'yamim” (trans: end of days), which is the shortest. “Vortex of Emotions” begins with a slow build up before expanding to Doom-level proportions and then washing back out into sea of black. “Achrit Ha'yamim,” on the other hand, features a lecture from someone about something followed by clean Middle Eastern melodies on what I presume is a saz or darbuka — it’s this latter part of the song that’s the most intriguing.

 

Although the band seems to have switched out one guitarist to bring in a variant of musical instruments, they haven’t lost any of their intestinal fortitude. Whereas there are some explorative compositions, there are plenty enough explosive riffs to go around. For traditional Death Metal enthusiasts, tracks like “The Center of the Unknown,” “Trial by Slaves,” “Spells” will not disappoint. Altogether, “En Olam” is a compelling album with refreshing range. It delivers brutal metal with a regional flare and even offers up some Thrash accented lyrical content.

 

http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/a_2/arallu-en-olam.htm

 

 

Coming from Israel, the members of Arallu have been producing since 1997 an extreme Metal of the best kind that can't help but remind of Melechesh's one (especially since their bass player played with them). A mix of Black Metal, Death Metal and Thrash Metal sprinkled with oriental touches (percussions, melodies) that add a little more to the whole. With this "En Olam" offers its 7th album. Very pleasant to the ear, with these oriental intros inviting to dreaming ("En Olam", a track not so far from an angry Orphaned Land) and a clever mix of the three above-mentioned genres of Metal, plus some bonuses like cleverly distilled female voices, this album is a real pleasure for extreme music fans without limits of territory. The Old School side of the band is nice to hear (these numerous reminiscences of old Slayer, Venom and Celtic Frost) and their mix with Palestinian sounds is a pure success.

 

If the comparison with Melechesh was inevitable, we can also add Al Namrood, the brave black metallers from Saudi Arabia, or the elusive Americans of Absu to give you an idea. But to be content with that would be an injustice to Arallu because their music is self-sufficient and their personality is far too strong to limit itself to comparisons. A great oriental metal record that they would be a shame to miss.

 

 

 

 

 

Venus d'Israël, les membres d'Arallu produisent depuis 1997 un Metal extrême du meilleur acabit qui ne peut pas ne pas rappeler celui de Melechesh (d'autant plus que leur bassiste a joué avec eux). Un panachage de Black Metal, Death Metal et Thrash Metal parsemé de touches orientales (percussions, mélodies) qui ajoutent un petit plus à l'ensemble. Avec ce "En Olam" propose son 7ème album. Fort agréable à l'oreille, avec ces intros orientales invitant à l'onirisme ("En Olam" morceau pas si loin d'un Orphaned Land énervé) et un savant dosage des trois genres de Metal précités, plus quelques bonus comme des voix féminines savamment distillées, cet album est un vrai plaisir de fan de musique extrême sans limites de territoire. Le côté Old School du groupe fait plaisir à entendre (ces nombreuses réminiscences des vieux Slayer, Venom et Celtic Frost) et leur mix avec les sonorités palestiniennes est une pure réussite.

 

Si la comparaison avec Melechesh était inévitable, on peut ajouter aussi Al Namrood, les courageux black metallers d'Arabie Saoudite, ou encore les insaisissables américains d'Absu pour vous donner un ordre d'idée. Mais se contenter de cela serait une injustice faite à Arallu car leur musique se suffit à elle-même et leur personnalité est bien trop forte pour se borner a des comparaisons. Un grand disque de Metal oriental qu'ils serait dommage de rater.

 

https://www.webzinelescribedurock.com/2020/03/les-crocs-du-scribe-n41-special.html

 

 

С выпуском полноценных альбомов эта израильская группа не очень-то торопилась – больше чем за два десятка лет Arallu записали всего семь дисков (плюс несколько ЕР, демо-записей и пара DVD). Но поговорка «лучше меньше, да лучше» – как раз про них. С первой же песни сильный, разнообразный альбом полностью захватывает внимание слушателя, органично увязывая в одно целое неистовый, шквальный блэк-дэтовый забой и густо пересыпанную нервирующим ориентальным инструментарием – всякими барабанчиками-дарбуками, дудочками-флейтами и разными струнными, – тягучую восточную мелодику. Темп и ритм постоянно меняются, бластбитовые атаки чередуются дробным переминанием-пританцовыванием, в гитарные риффы искусно вплетена этническая ритмика, английский язык в текстах изредка уступает место ивриту… И вряд ли всё это великолепие воспринималось бы настолько легко, если бы не очень живой, объёмный саунд. Когда звучат этнические инструменты, возникает стойкое ощущение, что невидимый сводный вокально-инструментальный ансамбль музыкально одарённых ифритов расположился в метре от тебя. Глумливый демонический гогот прямо в первой же композиции – отлично же, кроме шуток! Вот такие, казалось бы, несущественные мелочи очень влияют на общую запоминаемость материала – женское протяжное завывание в “El Olam” и “Unholy Stone”, чистоголосые выкрики в “Guard of She’ol”, короткая отбивка по дарбуке в “Prophet’s Path”… Апогеем в задействовании подобных «крючков» здесь является полностью акустический интро-трек “Achrit Ha’yamim” – он, словно оазис, делит альбом на две половины, позволяя перевести дух и собраться с мыслями и эмоциями. При всей своей брутальности и оголтелости материал на “El Olam” весьма хитов и ярок, но выделять какие-то отдельные композиции будет непросто… Скажем так: несколько меньше других понравились среднетемповый “Spells”, чей текст базируется на лавкрафтовском «Некрономиконе», и медленный, с креном в дум-метал “Vortex of Emotions”. Прямые аналогии с коллегами-соратниками провести сложно – может быть, какие-то очень поверхностные, отдалённые ассоциации то с Rotting Christ, то c Melechesh, то даже с Absu – но всё это исключительно на уровне «братской» атмосферы, каких-то общих духовных векторов. Музыка Arallu вполне себе оригинальна, самобытна и не нуждается во вспомогательных авторитетах-ориентирах. Ещё одно несомненное достоинство альбома – его адекватная продолжительность: вдоволь нагулявшись за 38 минут по просторам подземного мира (в месопотамской мифологии “Arallu” – это подземное царство, которым правят бог Нергал и богиня Эрешкигаль), чувствуешь лёгкий голод и желание повторить это путешествие ещё раз-другой. Прекрасная работа.

 

http://inrock.ru/reviews/arallu_2019

 

 

Coming from Israel, the members of Arallu have been producing since 1997 an extreme Metal of the best kind that can't help but remind of Melechesh's one (especially since their bass player played with them). A mix of Black Metal, Death Metal and Thrash Metal sprinkled with oriental touches (percussions, melodies) that add a little more to the whole. With this "En Olam" offers its 7th album. Very pleasant to the ear, with these oriental intros inviting to dreaming ("En Olam", a track not so far from an angry Orphaned Land) and a clever mix of the three above-mentioned genres of Metal, plus some bonuses like cleverly distilled female voices, this album is a real pleasure for extreme music fans without limits of territory. The Old School side of the band is nice to hear (these numerous reminiscences of old Slayer, Venom and Celtic Frost) and their mix with Palestinian sounds is a pure success.

 

If the comparison with Melechesh was inevitable, we can also add Al Namrood, the brave black metallers from Saudi Arabia, or the elusive Americans of Absu to give you an idea. But to be content with that would be an injustice to Arallu because their music is self-sufficient and their personality is far too strong to limit itself to comparisons. A great oriental metal record that they would be a shame to miss.

 

Venus d'Israël, les membres d'Arallu produisent depuis 1997 un Metal extrême du meilleur acabit qui ne peut pas ne pas rappeler celui de Melechesh (d'autant plus que leur bassiste a joué avec eux). Un panachage de Black Metal, Death Metal et Thrash Metal parsemé de touches orientales (percussions, mélodies) qui ajoutent un petit plus à l'ensemble. Avec ce "En Olam" propose son 7ème album. Fort agréable à l'oreille, avec ces intros orientales invitant à l'onirisme ("En Olam" morceau pas si loin d'un Orphaned Land énervé) et un savant dosage des trois genres de Metal précités, plus quelques bonus comme des voix féminines savamment distillées, cet album est un vrai plaisir de fan de musique extrême sans limites de territoire. Le côté Old School du groupe fait plaisir à entendre (ces nombreuses réminiscences des vieux Slayer, Venom et Celtic Frost) et leur mix avec les sonorités palestiniennes est une pure réussite.

 

Si la comparaison avec Melechesh était inévitable, on peut ajouter aussi Al Namrood, les courageux black metallers d'Arabie Saoudite, ou encore les insaisissables américains d'Absu pour vous donner un ordre d'idée. Mais se contenter de cela serait une injustice faite à Arallu car leur musique se suffit à elle-même et leur personnalité est bien trop forte pour se borner a des comparaisons. Un grand disque de Metal oriental qu'il serait dommage de rater.

 

https://www.webzinelescribedurock.com/2020/02/review-englishfrench-arallu-en-nolam.html

 

La scena Metal israeliana ci ha sempre portato all'ascolta di un tipo di musica decisamente particolare; basti pensare a quelle che sono le tre bands più famose provenienti da quelle lande mediorientali, ossia Orphaned Land, Melechesh e i meno famosi ma altrettanto veterani Arallu: ciò che unisce questi gruppi è il loro contraddistinguersi grazie alle influenze della musica locale e delle leggende del folklore di quelle affascinanti terre. Guidati come sempre dal cantante/bassista Butchered, gli Arallu sono la parte più estrema di questo triangolo, grazie al loro Black/Death sì diretto e, potremmo dire, spietato, ma in cui per l'appunto non mancano affatto elementi Folk mediorientali. Con "En Olam" (la traduzione dall'ebraico è "Non c'è mondo"), gli Arallu tagliano il traguardo del settimo album, tornando ai fasti di due ottimi lavori come "Satanic War in Jerusalem" e "Geniewar", migliorando sensibilmente la prestazione rispetto al predecessore di quest'ultima fatica, il comunque buono - ma non all'altezza dei due succitati - "Six". Butchered e soci riescono in "En Olam" ad equilibrare le due anime che compongono il loro sound, dando il giusto spazio alle influenze mediorientali, che però non vanno a sovrastare il lato Extreme Metal dell'act israeliano, capace di spietate accelerazioni come in "Devil's Child", uno dei pezzi che più colpiscono di quest'album, insieme alle precedenti "The Centre of the Unknwn" e la title-track "En Olam", oltre che la più lunga "Vortex of Emotions", che proprio grazie al minutaggio più lungo riesce ad essere un perfetto sunto delle splendide sonorità dei Nostri. Fondamentale per questo l'apporto di Eylon Bart, che si occupa degli strumenti tipici (saz e darbuka): Bart, in combutta con il solito Butchered, è riuscito a trovare la quadratura del cerchio e ad inserire perfettamente gli elementi folkloristici all'interno delle bordate Black/Death della band.

Quello degli Arallu è un nome ben conosciuto tra chi apprezza questo particolare genere, eppure non tanto quanto i due più famosi gruppi connazionali; "En Olam" dimostra come i Nostri meritino, detto sinceramente, di esser messi sullo stesso gradino di Melechesh ed Orphaned Land, dato che con "En Olam" sono probabilmente riusciti a tirar fuori l'album più completo della loro discografia.

 

http://www.allaroundmetal.com/component/content/article/26-releases/6687-feroce-black-death-ed-elemento-folkloristici-mediorientali-ottima-la-prova-degli-israeliani-arallu

 

Arallu is a black/death metal formation from Israel. Yes, they sound differently than regular bands from Europe. Arallu brings folky, Middle Eastern elements to their music. Additional instrument like Darbuka sounds particularly great which certainly extends the sound of the band. It`s not only use of Saz (...Achrit Ha'yamim...) or Darbuka (...Prophet's Path...) that help them to sound original. Arallu appears to me as a quite flexible band when comes to create an atmosphere through extreme guitar compositions (...The Center Of The Unknown...), drum rolls and vocal chants (...En Olam...). Okey - there are many moments when they play regular, brutal songs, just as many other bands do but, there are tracks, when their national musical influences takes over and Arallu sounds like a more solid version of blackened death metal band from the Middle East.  For me, such tracks are Prophet's Path and Devil`s Child. Atmospheric, groovy song is Spells. Guard Of She'ol is another very good track when you do need to ask yourself why this album keeps you at the speakers. It`s  just happens.

Album pace varies. The only super slow song is Vortex Of Emotions. Other tracks are being played fast (that includes fair amount of blast beats) or/and music ideas meet in middle tempos (Trial By Slaves) where the band likes to craft their songs, which is also very characteristic for most of their tracks.

 

This album has some unique, cultural music vibes but probably is not much surprising when think about black/death metal mix of the album. Anyway, En Olam is an interesting angle on extreme metal from Israel.

 

http://monarchmagazine.weebly.com/arallu-en-olam-satanath-recordsexhumed-records.html

 

Lembram-se daquele primeiro impacto que os Melechesh tiveram a uma certa altura no início milénio? Pois bem, os não só são contemporâneos como também partilham o mesmo tipo de sonoridade e até a nacionalidade. No entanto os Arallu têm estado algo confinados a um estado menos popular embora nos últimos anos se prove que em termos qualitativos evoluíram bastante. Aliás, como prova este álbum que não sendo perfeito consegue facilmente agarrar-nos a atenção, principalmente os primeiros temas. Uma mistura bem conseguida entre o death e o black, sempre com as sonoridades do médio oriente a ilustrar esse mesmo equilibrio. Por outro lado, talvez seja um bocado desequilibrado entre o início e a forma como acaba, faltando talvez no final um épico para finalizar. Seja como for, tal como nos chega, “En Olam” é um álbum fantástico.

 

https://worldofmetalmag.com/wom-reviews-pleurisy-exomnia-necropsy-arallu-manipulation-husmanskost-dead-end-finland-bloody-sadism/

 

 

A band from the Middle East and featuring a member playing Saz and Darbuka (stringed and drum like instruments native to various countries of the region respectively). This counts as a foreboding. The opener does incorporate the instruments but only a bit and the music is otherwise speedy and aggressive metal. The second song is the title track and follows the same formula. However the band definitely does want to define themselves by their Middle Eastern sound. Devil's Child can be thought of as a not as heavy version of Melechesh offer. Every song slows down or incorporates something of their chosen style. Screaming, speedy parts like on Guard Of She'ol are good metal to bang the head and the band provide many minutes of it on En Olam too. Vortex Of Emotions is over six minutes long and is a slow then heavy pounding song. Achrit Ha'yamim is an intermission type and speaks of the end of days. Prophet's Path makes more liberal use of the aforementioned instruments but simultaneously keeps the guitars going. Unholy Stone is speedier. Trial By Slaves is the same and does enough to merit being the En Olam highlight with its death thrashy riffs even though it, obviously, takes a break in its middle. Spells ends En Olam with less than two minutes of more controlled tempo.

The band's address at the back of CD booklet reads as Arallu - Mesopotamian Empire 666. Arallu want to be known as a black metal band too.

 

http://metallian.com/arallu.php

 

 

Oh my gosh, this band was formed in 1997, but seemingly stuck in the deepest depths of the underworld, as to my surprise I've just discovered them and their really exciting music. The quintet is from Israel and it propagates Mesopotamian black/thrash metal. "En Olam" is their 7th long play and it includes 10 spells to be spread over the chosen ones. While listening to their particular musical alloy, which is maximally enjoyable, I could draw for myself a few stylistic similarities with such pioneers of the above mentioned sub-genre as Absu, Melechesh, Orphaned Land and Salem. In my opinion, Arallu is about to join this prestigious list of famous bands in very short time, because their over 38 minutes long repertory deserves it and has to be espied by others as well. Ultra catchy guitar melodies, harsh vocals, sophisticated drum parts added by the special Mesopotamian atmosphere and lyrical content are the magical ingredients you can surely expect to perceive during an Arallu ritual. This fantastic album was released in three different physical formats: CD, digipak CD and 12" vinyl. Now it is your turn to choose! Myself after listening multiple times to this stuff have to definitely unearth their previous materials too!!! Preferred songs are: "The Center of the Unknown", "Devil's Child", "Prophet's Path" and "Trial by Slaves".

 

http://castrum.com.ua/encomium/7albums1.htm

 

Od dawna szukałem kapel z Izraela. Ich muzyka ludowa jest bardzo ciekawa i pomyślałem sobie, że zbudowany na tych fundamentach black powinien być intrygujący. Co prawda udało mi się znaleźć Orphaned Land, ale ich muzyka (choć atrakcyjna) jest jednak mało… ostra. Szukałem więc dalej. Jest też oczywiście genialny Melechesh, jedna jaskółka przecież wiosny nie czyni, a mi było wciąż mało. Aż znalazłem Arallu.

 

En Olam to już siódmy, pełnowymiarowy album działającego od ponad dwóch dekad zespołu. Mamy więc do czynienia z dopracowanym produktem doświadczonych muzyków. I to na szczęście takich, którzy zdają sobie sprawę z bogactwa swojej kultury. Ich muzyka w ogólnym odbiorze jest dość podobna do tej granej przez wspomniany wcześniej Melechesh – to mieszanka blacku i deathu, podbita bardzo delikatną podszewką z klimatów folkowych. Arallu postawiło jednak bardziej na ostrość i surowość, przez co na pierwszy odsłuch ich muzyka nieco odpycha. Ale to tylko pierwsze wrażenie. Przy kolejnych sesjach z En Olam coraz bardziej zaczyna cieszyć ucho klimatyczna melodyka i nie dające się z niczym pomylić wstawki niczym z ulicy Szerokiej w Krakowie. Najlepszym przykładem niech będzie chociaż tytułowy utwór En Olam, który jednocześnie ma w sobie orientalny klimat a, także ostry deathowy akcent. Devil’s Child to odzwierciedlenie podobieństw między Arallu i Melecheshem, choć także tylko w pierwszej części utworu. Utwór kolejny to death metal w najczystszej postaci i to o zabarwieniu core’owym. Na szczęście jednak klimatyczne tło pozostaje. Kulminacją albumu jest utwór Achrit Ha’yamin, i choć jest to najkrótszy wtręt w zasadzie, to jednak dla mnie jest on osią całego tego konceptu.

 

Wyznacznikami twórczości Arallu są konkretny i surowy growl, mocno blastująca i oparta na werblach perkusja oraz gitary o orientalnym zabarwieniu. To właśnie one tworzą klimat płyty i to im chciałem niniejszym zafasować największy poklask. Oczywiście muzycy nie zapominają o instrumentach typowych dla tamtejszego folku, używają ich na szczęście z rozwagą, nieustannie wplatając dźwięki saza czy darbuki w linię melodyczną utworów.

 

Na odchodne powiem tak: jeśli ktoś woli klimaty bardziej deathowe niż blackowe, a przy tym fascynują go orientalne odskocznie, padnie przed tą płytą na kolana. Mnie osobiście brakuje tu nieco diabła, ale i tak uważam, że En Olam to płyta świetna i chyba po prostu trzeba ją mieć. Zwłaszcza, że wyprodukowana została (dla dziennikarskiej precyzji dodam, że przez Satanath Records) jedynie w 300 kopiach. Bierzcie więc i jedzcie z tego wszyscy.

 

https://kvlt.pl/recenzje/arallu-en-olam-2019/

 

Sin I - Guitar/Bass: A extreme-fule driven duel mixture of brutal, atmospheric/melodic black metal & down tune death metal, with swift riffs/rhythm sections, while added middle eastern instrumental sections

 

Sin II - Vocals: Harsh cold vocals (full of life)

 

Sin III - Drums: A mixture of fast adrenaline/slow tempo – of extreme drum patterns & blast-beats

 

Sin IV - Overall: I'm pleased to be introduced to Israeli band Arallu, and their seventh full-length release 'En Olam.'" ("there is no world" Hebrew language)

 

En Olam is not any sturdy/full of life black death metal demonic beast; this is a vortex of extreme monster, that intertwines more than the aggression of black/death metal but interweaves the influence of Middle Eastern folk music & mythology, giving the music an Arabic mystical aroma

 

The album starts with the sounds of Arabic winds and ambient soundscape, then the guitars, anthem drums and ferocious vocals make their appearance, transporting the listener, to the band's arid homeland, while the rest of the album gets better and better in its playtime of (over) thirty-eight-minute release

 

Moving onto the rest of the album, Arallu pulls out all the tricks, of making a perfect release, that doesn't capture the sound/feel of the Arabic middle-east, but gives the listener the Arabic taste and feel of the Arabic middle-east, by interweaving Arabic Middle Eastern instruments/music, such as Saz, Oud, Kanoon, Drabukka, toms and many other traditional instruments, into their black death foundation, giving the listener a truly (experience of) Arabic feel/vibe. While the album plays a combination of black/death metal with Middle Eastern influences & instruments, the band adds that extra magical spark to their music, I must say, do find the band members have taken the spiritual influences/elements of the heaviest of Marduk, aggressive/carnage of Behemoth, cold torturing sound/vibe of Mayhem, atmospheric folky melodic death, a niche of slow heavy-doom death vibe, thrashy sound of early Venom & Teutonic Thrash Metal while adding Hebrew quotes/Mesopotamia folk/mythology, beautiful melodies/rhythm sections, monochromatic, nasty icy vocals and not forgetting (some) theatrical moments, excellent guitar playing, thundering drums, altogether creating an Abrac Nightmare & cultivated 'war metal anthem' sound of their own

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this album; I would recommend for any extreme/black/death metal fans and to add to your collection   *full of energy* *entertaining* *a true masterpiece of craftsmanship & musicianship*

 

Sin V - Artwork: Fits the album, and the band's music very well looks like the gates to the underworld in Mesopotamian mythology (In Mesopotamian mythology, "Arallu" is the underworld kingdom ruled by the goddess Ereshkigal and the god Nergal where the dead are judged)

 

Sin VI - Outstanding: Where do I begin

 

Sin VII - Dislikes: None

 

https://metal1on1.net/arallu

 

Arallu (the underworld kingdom ruled by the goddess Ereshkigal and the god Nergal where the dead are judged, in Mesopotamian myth) are an Israeli Black/Death band that have been around since 1997, though their most recent album, En Olam (Google Translate couldn't help me on this one), is my first exposure to them. If this is anything to go by, I need to check out their previous output, because it seems like I've been missing out on some badass Blackened Death Metal with an unsurprising Middle Eastern bent to the songwriting that's reminiscent of Melechesh, albeit less technical and intense. Along with the expected blasting, the band incorporates traditional instruments like the saz and darbuka into their music, and rather than being a gimmick it's an integral part of their sound that gives them an identity all their own. This is helped by some killer performances from the band, particularly the barbaric, Nergal-esque roars from the appropriately named Butcher and the offbeat drumming of Assaf Kassimov who regularly incorporates a freaking cowbell in his performance, and through it somehow adds to the enigmatic nature of their style. The songwriting isn't all golden, particularly on the tedious and uninteresting "Vortex of Emotions", but overall this is an excellent album of alchemical Middle Eastern Black/Death that's well worth checking out.

 

https://www.metalcrypt.com/pages/review.php?revid=12199

 

 

VERDIKT: Asi by to do nich nikdo neřekl. I když Arallu nepatří k těm často skloňovaným, chlapi nelení a pravidelně natáčí desky. En Olam z loňského roku je zatím tou poslední.

 

Jde o další promo CD od Satanath Records, kterého jsem se ujal a které mi přišlo do rukou se značným zpožděním od jeho vydání. Takže už uběhnul kus času, během kterého měla spousta lidí možnost jej slyšet a udělat si názor. Pro mě jde o novinku. Osobně se neřadím k zaníceným fanouškům Arallu a jedinou zkušenost mám s jejich albem The Demon From The Ancient World z roku 2005. Jejich metal mi přijde takový neumětelský, hrubý a chybí mi v něm jakási větší hodnota. Těžko to nějak blíž definovat, ale třeba Melechesch mi jsou mnohem blíž. Protože však už uběhla dlouhá doba od našeho prvního kontaktu, tak mě docela zajímá jak znějí Arallu v druhé dekádě 21. století. 

 

 

 

Co jsem tak dopředu tušil je pocit, že jsem o nic moc nepřišel a ty tři alba vydaná mezi "Demonem" a En Olam nemám důvod nějak blíže zkoumat. Co je evidentní na první pohled, tak že Arallu opustili krásné a výpravné obaly, které kdysi halily jejich tvorbu a teď se snížili k podivným a neumětelským mazaninám. En Olam v tom asi kraluje. V hudbě pak vidím minimální posun. Válečníci zůstávají na svých pozicích a připomíná to minimálně se vyvíjející situaci v jejich regionu. Hudba má archaický, lehce primitivní zvuk odpovídající stylu a nevýrazné aranže nás vrací do dřevních dob black metalu. Kapela jakoby naprosto nestíhala krok s dobou a ustrnula. Možná jde o záměr, možná hraje roli jistá izolovanost kapely na Dálném východě. Někomu tahle tvář kapely bude šmakovat a bude ji za jejich ortodoxnost vynášet do nebe. Ta zatvrzelost a přímé, bezskrupulózní umění lze brát jako úmyslný postoj a pokud to tak je, nelze protestovat. Nicméně já jsem asi už hodně zmlsanej a když si ke svým postřehům přičtu kompoziční slabost, tak je vymalováno. Jen vzácně mě melodie zaujala víc, než tradiční bigoš na rádiu Beat.

 

 

 

Určitou záchranou situace se stává exotický původ kapely a s ním spojený fakt, že Arallu do své tvorby rádi montují typické melodie regionu a jeho tradiční nástroje. Díky nim se En Olam stává jedinečnou a někdy i zajímavou deskou. Kromě darbuky, která kromě klasických bubnů rezonuje divokými a exotickými rytmy, zaujme hlavně saz, strunný nástroj podobný jakési mandolíně, díky jehož zvuku není té nejmenší pochybnosti odkud vítr vane. Když se urve trocha energie a jeho struny rozmydlí zkušená ruka, tak výsledný dojem se stává doslova krutým.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jakkoliv si mě En Olam jako celé album nezískalo, rád bych ocenil několik dobrých skladeb, které si nezaslouží být pošlapány neúprosnou kritikou. Třetí pecka na albu se jmenuje Devil´s Child a je pravým pouštním trhákem, u kterého se na místním čochu zajisté perou fousatí rabíni. Víc než čím jiným útočí nakažlivým motivem a rytmem správného dupáku. Pak je tu Guard Of Sheol, která představuje fakt divokou jízdu pod křídly pouštních sokolů. Blackmetalovou zběsilost naleptává exotická, přitom krutě studená melodie hoblovaná pravděpodobně na zmíněný saz. Do třetice na mě silněji zapůsobila Unholy Stone, ale všechny mají jedno společné a to silný, blízkovýchodní šmrnc. Bez něj bych si nevěděl rady.

 

 

Arallu jsou pevným bodem tam kdesi na východě, kam našinec nevidí, ale díky nim tuší, že ocel se kalí prakticky všude. Black metal je pro ně jazyk, kterým vypravují tajemství starých kultury lépe, než by se jim to dařilo v nějakém anglicky psaném textu. To, jestli posluchače dokážou strhnout do víru svých příběhů, je spíš otázka vkusu než čehokoliv jiného. Já osobně dávám přednost jiným, ale u Arallu musím ocenit vytrvalost a věrnost stylu. Z tohoto pohledu pak nějaké hodnocení trošku ztrácí na váze.

 

https://www.echoes-zine.cz/recenze/arallu-en-olam

 

«אין עולם» - «En Olam» - «Нет Мира» - седьмой крупногабаритный молебен от ветеранского состава достопочтенных раввинов. Земля Обетованная - место определенно занимательное с любой точки зрения и не дает покоя всему миру уже 5781 год ( по еврейскому летоисчислению) так же, как и не оставляет возможности выстроить однозначное к себе отношение. Именно поэтому, несмотря на всю влиятельность правящего иудаизма, Израиль продолжает оставаться одним из самых главных мест паломничества трех религий, а традиционное чествование Шаббатов никак не мешает проведению ежегодных размашистых гей-парадов. Ох уж этот южный менталитет! Но это, как говорится, их личные сексуальные проблемы. Нас же, упертых бошкотрясов, куда больше интересует, что потомки Моисея могут предложить для пиршества слуха нашего и какими изысками пощекотать барабанные перепонки, перебравшие альбомов больше, чем шлюхи херов в дешевых борделях. А предложить однозначно есть что, причем в достаточно широком спектре, и я сейчас не о шлюхах. Как и во многих других странах, интегрируясь в культуру Израиля, европейский металл неизбежно прошел процесс ассимиляции и это мы можем видеть на примере многих прописанных там коллективов, флагманом среди которых уже многие годы остается Orphaned Land, плавно переходящие из разряда музыкальной группы в национальное достояние и образец культурного наследия. Но не мацой единой и Осиротевшей Землей богата благословенная местность. И если последние из упомянутых в своем творчестве все дальше удаляются от традиционных железных структур, все больше углубляясь в дела фольклерные, то Arallu под бессменным предводительством Moti Daniel, кажется только сейчас смогли найти золотую середину между своими национальными традициями и традициями метально-музыкальными, что подтолкнуло их далеко вперед. Баланс фолка и экстремальности выверен буквально до микрон, а мелодии и ритмы переплетены настолько органично, что создают непередаваемую атмосферу оккультного ритуала. Только вот кому именно посвящается этот ритуал я так и не понял, тут тебе и рогатый и бородатый с пейсами… сам черт ногу сломит! Ну а если не сломит, то со всем своим дьявольским удовольствием отобьет праздничную чечетку под «En Olam», ставший безукоризненно ограненным бриллиантом в дискографии Arallu.

 

https://vk.com/wall-13305870_826

 

Οι Arallu μας έρχονται από την Ανατολή του μυστηρίου, και του ενδιαφέροντος έχοντας πάρει το όνομα τους από τη Μεσοποταμιακή θεότητα του Κάτω Κόσμου. Το Ισραήλ, αν και δε φημίζεται για τη σκηνή του, δεν έχει έλλειψη συγκροτημάτων, ενώ με το πέρας του χρόνου, βλέπουμε πολλές μεγάλες μπάντες του χώρου να το επισκέπτονται, και σχεδόν πάντα το παρών δίνει και το εν λόγω σχήμα στις εμφανίσεις τους, το οποίο φέτος έρχεται να μας δώσει το έβδομο άλμπουμ τους, "En Olam".

 

 

 

Το "The Center Of The Unknown" που ανοίγει ατμοσφαιρικά με τα ανατολίτικα φινιρίσματα του, συνεχίζει ανελέητα σε black thrash μονοπάτια, με κάποια παραδοσιακά κρουστά που κρατούν το το ενδιαφέρον μέσα στο μεταλλικό ύφος, ενώ έτσι συνεχίζει και το ομώνυμο "En Olam" με το tremolo picking να παίρνει μια περίεργη θέση και στα ethnic σημεία του δίσκου, συνδυάζοντας το με πολλά ακραία μοτίβα.

 

Το "Devil's Child" που ακολουθεί, εκτός του δαιμονικού του χαρακτήρα, έχει κάποιες κλασικές metal, ακουστικές πινελιές, ενώ τα folk μέρη παίρνουν ακόμα περισσότερη θέση μέσα στην παραμόρφωση δίνοντας μια ιδιαίτερη μελωδία, και θυμίζοντας μου ένα άλμπουμ των εν λόγω metallers, το "Desert Battles" αλλά με περισσότερη ωριμότητα. Με το "Guard Of She'ol" θα έρθουμε αντιμέτωποι με κλασικές black metal φόρμες, που βλέπουν πάλι με παραδοσιακό Μεσανατολικό πρίσμα, όπως βέβαια και το "Prophet's Path", που γεφυρώνει η "ντόπια" απαγγελία του "Achrit Ha'Yamin", σε αντίθεση όμως με τη σκοτεινή και συννεφιασμένη αύρα του "Vortex Of Emotions".

 

Το τελικό τρίπτυχο που ξεκινά με το ωμό "Unholy Stone" βγάζει προς τα έξω μια ψύχρα, όχι και τόσο ανάλογη με το υπόλοιπο σύνολο, ενώ το "Trial By Slaves" είναι πιο groove-άτο με αρκετή έμφαση στο rhythm section, και κυρίως στα τύμπανα. Το "Spells" θα κλείσει το δίσκο με μια μεσογειακή προσέγγιση, που εκτός όσων έχω προαναφέρει, υπάρχουν στοιχεία που θυμίζουν πρώιμους Rotting Christ ή Melechesh, βρισκόμενοι και οι ίδιοι στην κατάλληλη γεωγραφική περιοχή για να εκφράσουν αυτό τον ήχο.

 

Oι Arallu, δίσκο με δίσκο, δείχνουν πόσο παλεύουν για τη μουσική τους, και μάλιστα σε μία τόσο δύσκολη κοινωνικά περιοχή όπως αυτή του Ισραήλ και της Μέσης Ανατολής. Από εκεί και πέρα, ο ήχος τους για ακόμα μια φορά έχει ένα κλασικό πατρόν, αλλά σίγουρα το παραδοσιακό στοιχείο μαζί με τις ζεστές μελωδίες του, δίνουν και προς την Ευρώπη, ένα δείγμα της κουλτούρας τους, που δεν είναι τοσο διαδεδομένο. Τέλος, το "En Olam" είναι δίσκος που όποιος ψάχνεται με διάφορους πολιτισμούς αξίζει να ακούσει, αφού δίνουν μια ενδιαφέρουσα, ξεχωριστή ταυτότητα στο extreme μεταλλικό ιδίωμα.

 

https://metal-view.blogspot.com/2019/09/arallu-en-olam-album-review.html

 

 

There are different definitions, or explanations, for the world ‘arallu’. But most of the time, it refers to the Mesopotamian / Babylonian / Sumerian mythologies, with ‘arallu’ being a kind of entity, or a genie, spawn from Enki, master of storm winds and bringer of darkness, then again referring to the underworld itself, where the dead got judged by the deities Nergal and Ereshkigal; a dimension also known as Irkalla, Kur or Ganzir.

 

But ‘arallu’ also refers to an Israeli band, which was formed in 1997 at the West Bank (located at the Mesopotamian Empire 666 in Israhell) by Moti ‘Butchered’ Daniel, who was, at that time, part of the (live) line-up of Melechesh. Throughout more than two decades of existence, this band was limitedly active and productive, with quite some live performances and some hands full of official recordings / releases. Inspired by rites, ceremonies, deities and cults from the ancient Middle Eastern mythology, Arallu had several mini and full-length albums, yet with a permanently changing line-up. However, that does not matter that much, for Butchered as leading spirit behind Arallu is able to give his main project a very specific and typifying approach.

 

So, at the very end of 2018, Arallu started recording the tracks for the seventh full-length, En Olam, at the Bardo Studio with assistance of mixer / producer Dory ‘Grey’ Bar Or. Being assisted by members of e.g. Edellom or Lehavoth, Butchered finished this new material in early 2019, and the band was able to sign to Russia’s Satanath Records in a partnership (once more) with Exhumed Records. There are 800 jewel case and digipack (including a sticker) copies, which come with a twelve-page booklet (layout by Satanath’s Aleksey, cover artwork by Nir Doliner, who also made some designs for e.g. the Runemagick / Chthonic Deity split, Venomous Skeleton, Kever etc.). In the meantime, there is an edition as well on vinyl (limited to 150 copies), and one on tape (released in early Autumn 2020 via Narbentage Produktionen).

 

Like several bands from that area, in between the Mediterranean and the Arab Sea / Indian Ocean, Arallu too inject their blackened Metal with oriental / Arab / traditional elements. This goes for the use of flutes, chants, as well as quite specific melodies and sounds. Take the opener The Center Of The Unknown, for example, with that typifying semi-acoustic Eastern string intermezzo, that specific intro etc. The introduction of the title track too goes on in that very same vein (and hey, mind those ethnic female vocals!), and so are many moments throughout this album. Besides, the rhythm / drum patterns of, for example, the title song, with that staccato structure, is so characteristic, yet at the same time intriguing and attractive. Another element that refers to a ‘local’ approach is the use of traditional instruments, such as baglama (some kind of lute) or darbuka (a percussion instrument that might look like a djembe, yet it is not totally related). And see the next paragraph for some thoughts on Achrit Ha’Yamim.

 

But there is more than just Middle-Eastern things going on, evidently. The black metallic side (sounds like an introduction for a paint commercial) is fast, energetic and powerful. In general, these compositions are melodic in texture, with a speed that varies in between mid-tempo and fast. However, a monument like Vortex Of Emotions, for example, brings nothing but Doom from a mostly abyssal kind. In a piece like this one, the technical skills of the musicians climb up to high levels of craftsmanship, going further than ‘just getting loose and banging / thrashing’, haha. No, seriously, it is a real pleasure to have such slow composition (and it’s absolutely a unique one, even though this is nothing but a personal, and therefor subjective, opinion). Some obscure deceleration to break the intensity of the better part is never a bad idea. Quite the same goes for an acoustic intermezzo like Achrit Ha’Yamim (with spoken words in the band’s own Hebrew language; the other lyrics are in English, by the way [with one track based on a fragment of our favourite bible, Necronomicon]), which sort of ‘breaks’ the harsher totality. But as said, the better part is energetic, with some semi-eruptional outbursts (Prophet’s Path is a good example), yet above all that well-balanced equilibrium in between pounding rhythms, thrashy fragments, memorable melodic structures, and many Middle Eastern injections.

 

The sound quality is very decent. There are no annoying background noises, but especially the mix is top-notch. Every single detail from any instrument involved is so meticulously equipoised. The lead instrumentation (vocals and lead guitars, as well as the folkish instruments) are like the spine of each ballad on En Olam, but without exaggeration. Also the whole rhythm section is clearly audible, from bass and rhythm guitars over the whole drum / percussion section to the backing vocals. Maybe – but now I am nit-picking – the whole might sound too smooth, too precise, too clean, but even though I like a rough production, I think the clean approach on this album fits because of its basics, its concept and its approach.

 

Grooving and thrashing Middle-Eastern injected Blackened Death Metal for fans of, well, everything in between Melechesh (quite evident), Narjahanam, Al Namrood, Absu, Akhenaten, earlier Orphaned Land or Rudra. Even older Moonspell might come to mind, in a very open-minded setting… …yet written and performed with a very own face for sure…

 

https://www.concreteweb.be/reviews/arallu

 

The moment I saw this band name I knew that I was familiar with them. Back in 2018 I reviewed a revamped version of one of their albums. It didn’t totally blow my socks off but it wasn’t too shabby either. It was one of those albums that linger between. I don’t know if it is I that has changed or if the and has done something different this time around but I like what I hear. This is chaos. Black metal that is so raw that it feels like being dug up from a grave listening to this. The band has the good sense to have some breaks in the songs so that you can catch your breath before the chaos breaks out again. As with anything this could have been even more chaotic, even more insane but I am not complaining about what I get on this album. I have no idea if this is what is called war metal but I like it.

 

http://battlehelm.com/