CD Review: Various Artists - Oriental Metal Vol. 1

Written by Colin McNamara Thursday, 12 April 2012 10:25

Artist: Various Artists
Title: Oriental Metal Vol. 1
Genre: Oriental Metal
Release Date: 27th February 2012
Label: Century Media

Album Review

When considering Oriental Metal… the genre tends to stretch a bit. It’s hard to generalize or categorize any one band into this area because it is called so many things. Middle Eastern Metal, Cultural Metal… what have you. On this compilation here, some of these artists fit the category of what some might consider “Oriental Metal” through the use of Middle Eastern riffs on the guitar, sitars, percussion, and overall giving off a very clean, spiritual and organic feeling that doesn’t feel forced. Perhaps the two biggest names on this list is NILE- extreme Egyptian Death Metal- and MELECHESH- Blackened Sumerian Thrash- both of which have the strongest elements of being recognized in how their guitars are layered with the other elements such as acoustic percussion and sitars, saz, and bouzouki so there is a hard, heavy sound to the music but plenty of well placed softer moments that show off these instruments to great effect.

 Other groups like AHL SINA are more full on culturally influenced as far as Oriental Metal goes, opting for less guitar and overall a more ambient instrumental structure that definitely defines the genre. Other bands like AMASEFFER showcase a more Power/ Operatic Metal style mixed with the Middle Eastern hymns and soft percussion that offer the other side of how this style in mixed in with the sub genres of Metal with the cleanest flow. As far as artists go on this album, this is perhaps the biggest style that is used throughout each track; Death Metal and Black Metal oriented music is harder to find and ARKAN is one of the few Melodic Death Metal outputs that features the cultural influences. Some artists though just don’t really feel like they belong here. PENTAGRAM, originally a Heavy Metal group, has only one or two tracks that have the Oriental sound with the guitar.

‘Lions In A Cage’ is one of them, but pick up a full length album by these guys and one won’t hear much that is similar to it. ORPHANED LAND is also questionable; some sections such as with the female vocals definitely have Oriental flavouring but overall the band that originally defined the sub genre has moved more into the Symphonic/ Folk Metal area, which is similar, but doesn’t quite fit the overall sound. Still, most of the artists altogether have an excellent sound that fits Oriental/ Middle Eastern Metal, but it is a shame that they didn’t branch out more for a broader sound. The large population of Gothic/ Symphonic Metal can be a bit dry after a while; fortunately the Black and Death Metal bands are well spaced to break up the monotony and it makes them stand out even more. Overall, this is a good mix for those who want to get introduced to more culturally charged Metal that isn’t the simple Black or Symphonic or Death Metal style that tends to overflow Metal these days.


Tracklist

01. Orphaned Land – Sapari - 4:04
02. Amaseffer - Slaves For Life - 6:43
03. Arkan - Deus Vult - 4:58
04. Pentagram - Lions In A Cage - 6:13
05. Myrath - Merciless Times - 3:25
06. Almana Shchora – Elohim - 3:53
07. Nervecell - The Taste Of Betrayal - 3:39
08. Khalas - Haz El Adala Mayel - 2:47
09. Nile – Kaffir - 6:49
10. Melechesh - Grand Gathas Of Baal Sin - 5:54
11. Ahl Sina - Fountains Of Muses - 3:32


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 7
Sound: 7
Total: 7 / 10


Buy the album here!