Arallu
“Geniewar”
2015
There are several of bands which base themselves on ancient Sumerian/Mesopotamian influences. But I think musically few went as close as these Israelites. Arallu bast a discography going as back as 1997 and they haven’t gone tame yet.
The bands intro immediately takes you to the ancient imagery. And the rest of the album takes you through different emotions. This makes a lot of sense, considering the affiliation of the band with the similar band, Melecesh. But while Melecesh have that epic grandiose might, these went closer to blending metal, root and twig, with the haunting sounds of the ancient past. The drums are technical but not overwhelming. Still, they employ a large range of metal drumbeats. The vocals are strong and feel organic; pleasant to listen to. The band uses a decent.
The sound is also great, having a full sound which does not push at the sound ceiling. SO it’s musically great and has a great sound to complimenting. No sounds are lost and all the notes are clear and vocals fit into place perfectly as well as the drums.
The album cover is rather underwhelming but on the same token, shows a middle-eastern landscape which is my favorite type of geographic imagery.
Will I listen to it again? For sure! I think this is a great release for this year. I couldn’t stop moving my body while listening to this masterpiece. They have an almost perfect mixture of classic metal and death/black overtones which make for a very satisfying release. I’m going to get more stuff. I also love how they sell their album in their currency and not resorting to dollars or euros. It makes me respect such a band. Plus, Kudos to an awesome cover.
Tracklist:
1. Evil Finest
2. From the Desert to the Ice
3. Bloodshed Around
4. Powerslave
5. Coronation
6. Metal Troops 666
7. Givat Hatachmoshet
8. Underworld Resistance
9. Tzook Eitan
10. Hayalim Almonim
Favorite track is #5
https://www.facebook.com/ARALLU666
Members:
Butchered – Bass/Vocals
Pixel – Guitars/Backing Vocals
Assaf Kassimov – Drums/Percussion
Omri Yagen – Guitars
Rating: 9 out of 10
~Carnivean