Cain and Abel 90210 seem different in their new video...

Israeli rock/metal trio Cain and Abel 90210 have released their new album/Ep/whatever Videodrome (which I will review all in good time) and from it comes first single and video for Lakach Zman. For those already familiar with the band, you'd know that their previous music videos and even live performances in the past have been done wearing masks and the whole concept of the band seemed really fun and pretty mental. This video shows the band in quite a different light...or cloud-covered shade, as the case may be. It is simply just the band, unmasked, rocking out at the beach on a bit of a dreary day. Although some of the lyrical content is still quite witty, the concept of "it takes time to understand things" is quite a poignant and relatable one. Musically, I have been unable to get the song out of my head since I first heard it. I'm a sucker for catchy melodies and this song has it. It is also simple enough Hebrew for me to enjoy it, which is kind of what I always liked about the band. The track has almost a later era Type O Negative feel...and you have to love that, right?

For those who read and understand Hebrew, the lyrics are included in the video description for you to follow. For those of you who don't but would like to understand the song...you can try google translate...but I wouldn't trust it. Morfix has a chance of working better.

Live Review: DUST/Lunamore/Woolly Boy @ Syrup, Haifa [23rd January 2015]

  This review is going to be quite brief but it should not diminish its' importance. Not only is this the first show in Haifa (north of Israel) that I am writing about but it is also my band's first ever show.

Woolly Boy

Obviously, I'm not going to rate my own my band. I will however say thanks to Sasha of hardcore04 for putting us on this show, thanks to the sound engineer and barman at Syrup and to all who came to watch us. For a first show, we just sort of went with it. We had a few mess ups due to not enough practices but I like to think the stuff we played well sounded good. Unfortunately no-one filmed us. 

Next time....

Lunamore

Lunamore are one of those bands who do that emotional, well orchestrated, experimental "screamo" type music that is quite popular. The young 3-piece, as always, gave a great performance. They set themselves up on stage as they would in rehearsal; they stand in a triangle facing one another. This is a good idea as they are able to still stay in communication with one another and in sync even while playing ever changing time signatures, dynamics and rhythm patterns. Lunamore are the type of band that you do not need to have listened to their stuff before to enjoy live. A good part of their set is mostly instrumental and moves from being beautiful to frantic within seconds. Yam explores his guitar pedals while Bar shows how varied his drumming repertoire is and Naama handles bass duties effortlessly. Having seen them live a few times before, there is the odd riff here and there that has me smiling and whirling my head around. I believe they have been in the studio working on something and I can't wait to hear that.

4/5

DUST

I simply love Dust. Not only do I love that they're really the only Israeli band playing this style of groove-lead hardcore and doing it right, I've gotten to know them a little bit better as people and they are great guys. As well as playing tracks off of their self titled ep (namely Midas Touch, Slipping Away, Numb and PMA), the band also plays some tracks that I recognise from other shows (such as the one including the "I'm tired of being sick and I'm sick of being tired" refrain) and some brand new songs. The band are tight, which is not easy when you're also switching time signatures within song. I hope these guys bring some new record out soon and start making a name for themselves outside of Israel.

4.5/5 

BODY COUNT'S AMAZING COVER FINALLY HAS A VIDEO

One of the most awaited albums of last year for hardcore and rap metal fans was Body Count's Manslaughter. We were first given a taste with the single and video release of Talk Shit, Get Shot. That helped set the tone of the album, continuing with the band's tongue-in-cheek ultra-violent storytelling and expressions of anger. The album was no disappointment to fans; almost every song is killer. One of the highlights is their hilarious rendition of the Suicidal Tendencies classic Institutionalized. Rapper/Actor Ice T takes the classic track and updates it with "modern day annoyances" such as stupid customer service reps and VEGANS!! (No offense. Ok....some offense.) When listening to the track, you are already playing out the situations in your head. It was only about time that they would make a video. 

And here it finally is!! Like the song, the video pays tribute to the original, basically acting out the song word for word. If anything, this proves to us that BC are not to be taken too seriously. Even those who don't like BC will enjoy this video.

Live Review: The 1840s @ Rothschild 12, Tel Aviv [20th January 2015]

  

  I have heard of Rothschild 12 in passing but have never been there; neither for a show, for a meal or simply to hang out. I actually wasn't too sure if I got the right place when I turned up tonight. After asking if there was a show, I was directed into the establishment's main room which seemed fairly packed for a weekday night. There is a stage with the gear set up at one end of the room and almost everyone is seated at tables. Straight away, this seemed like one of those strange places to be holding a show. I certainly wouldn't have a punk show here...unless they moved the tables. That could work, I guess. 

  An hour later than expected (which was pretty late already), The 1840s take to the stage. I have come tonight in support of the band who I have not seen in quite some time. They were one of those bands I had gotten into during my first year or so living here. They might not be punk or hardcore, but they have great songs. They have also had a recent line-up change. Eviatar, who used to play bass, is now on lead guitar with new addition Dani taking over bass duties. Avishai (Efrat) is still the lead singer and Adam remains on drums. Once upon a time, the band was called Avishai Efrat and the 1840s but this new line-up helps to show them as a full force and one coherent unit.
  With the room already filled with a mostly seated audience pretty much right up to the front of the stage, I decide to stand in a small corner right by the stage. They start the set with new track Get To Me which we have already been treated to with a rehearsal room video. Despite being a new track, the song very much sets the tone of the rest of the set and doesn't deviate from the 1840s sound we are already familiar with. It's a sweet alt rock number with nice melodies and beautiful catchy harmonies sung by Avishai and Eviatar. It's very much reminiscent of Brit Pop and even American alt rock...basically that "90s sound" that people of my generation were treated to all over the radio and TV instead of the weak hip hop the kids get now. There seems to be a bit of an issue with the kick drum moving forward. This can happen to many a drummer at shows and although it happened tonight, drummer Adam showed no real sign of worry and it was most probably barely noticeable to the majority of tonight's crowd. 
  The rest of the set carries on in the same fashion as the band plays a mix of old and brand new tracks. We get to hear crowd pleaser This Different Life and the "heavier Beatles"-esque Rainbow both from the band's Pushing Squares Down Back To Size EP, as well as other memorable tracks from previous shows such as the thumping I Call Mine and the "track to end all proms", No. Newer songs do not disappoint; Heart Of Midnight especially stands out for me. The dreamy guitars on a bed of almost tribal drumming gives the song quite a psychedelic quality. The song is a bit repetitive but not dull in the slightest. The band also treats us to a cover of The Smiths' There Is A Light That Never Goes Out. As opposed to a straight forward cover, the song was quite unrecognisable to start with until I started paying close attention to the lyrics. It had the 1840s twist to it; slightly higher in pitch harmonies and just generally a different rhythm to the original.
  As much as I love the band, there is not much else to say apart from that they play sweet songs with beautiful vocal harmonies. I am not saying the songs sound the same but they do practically have the same blue print. If you ever liked bands such as Pavement, Flaming Lips, Ash and/or The Bluetones, then The 1840s are worth checking out.
 Whether it's because of the style of the genre or just how they perform, I feel like the band needs to put some more life into their performance. Everyone is competent at their instruments, but really only Adam is giving good drum face. In all fairness, tonight is a pretty formal affair so there's no real need for a lot of movement or head nodding.
4/5

The 1840s are planned to play Punkalovich's first show along with (my) new band Woolly Boy at Koro Tel Aviv on 5th February. Come check them out!

https://www.facebook.com/events/716180188489829/?fref=ts

BRAND NEW TRACK FROM THE PRODIGY

THE PRODIGY - NASTY

I've just seen/heard this BRAND NEW track by The Prodigy, Nasty. Nasty comes from the new album The Day Is My Enemy due out March 30th. What do we think? It's pretty typical of The Prodigy that we've known and loved since Omen, so shouldn't really disappoint most fans. 

Promo and Interview: Yawning Dog

   For my first promo and interview article, I have the honour to bring to you YAWNING DOG!! The band have had the privilege of being named 2014 Breakthrough Artist of the Year by Musically Fresh, a well-known music site that this dummy has only just found out about!! 

  Yawning Dog hail from Hemsworth in West Yorkshire, UK and like loading peoples' ears with crazy, distorted grunge. I sent a few questions to guitarist and vocalist Sam and lead guitarist Ryan and they were willing to cooperate.

...Sort of....

1. How and when did the band form?
   
   Ryan: We all met in a room 1 day before our 1st gig and played some music, and we saw that it was good.
2. What kind of material were you playing around with at the beginning?
   
   
   Sam: Cloth.
3. Where was your first show?
   
   
   R: First Show..
   S: Snooty Fox in Wakefield, with Penguin
   R: We were rubbish.
   S: Penguin we(re) awesome.
4. What and when was your first release or upload?
   
   
   R: We have nothing to say on this matter.
   
   :/
5. Who is the main writer of the band?
   
   
   R: We complete each other..
   S:  We're like 4 nuts in a ball sack
   R: Any idea that anybody has is channeled through the inner spirit of the dog and comes out mangled and with more fuzz and shouting.
6. What is the Hemsworth/West Yorkshire scene like?
   
   
   S: We're half of the bands in Hemsworth, and the other is better.
   R: Yeah, Jam Abraham are an awesome band
   S: Hemsworth is a very small town though
   R: The West Yorkshire scene in general is great though.
   S: Check out Allusondrugs, Forever Cult, Treason Kings, NARCS, Valours.
7. What are your dreams for the band?
   
   
   S: I want to win X Factor
   R: I once dreamt we'd play and people would turn up, and then the next week they did… Spooky
8. What's the weirdest thing to happen to you or that you witnessed at one of your shows or on tour?
   
   
   R: Playing in a prison
   S: Thats how we met
   R: I was in for insider trading
   S: I was a Cheese thief
9. What is everyone's aftershow snack of choice?
   
   
   R: We're all too full from the big fat grungeyness
10. What's your poison?
    
    
    S: Arsenic
    
    (They probably would have said that even if I just asked "Favourite drink?")
11. Best venue you played at?
    
    
    R: Probably Parish in Huddersfield, for our single launch
    S: 360 in Leeds is great as well, we want to play there again at some point.
12. Worst venue you played at?
    
    
    R: 'Castonbury'; it was a fundraiser for a rugby club in Castleford and we were really out of place.
13. What was your favourite kids' show growing up?
    
    
    S: Teen Titans
    R: Thomas the Tank Engine
14. What's your favourite show now?
    
    
    R: Collectively we all enjoy Trailer Park Boys
    S: Breaking Bad and Simpsons
15. Pearl Jam or Soundgarden?
    
    
    S: Smashing Pumpkins
    R: Sonic Youth
16. Rancid or NOFX?
    
    
    S: The Clash
    R: Minor Threat
    
    ("Neither" would have sufficed, too, you know?)
17. What's your favourite recent chart/pop song?
    
    
    S: They're all too good
    R: We're all massive fans of Nicki Minaj and you can hear that in the music.
18. What was your favourite release of 2014?

           S: Allusondrugs EP

           R: Led Zeppelin Re-issues

For any of you dotted around the UK, these are Yawning Dog's upcoming dates, including a tour with Bi:Lingual.

17th Jan - Santiagos Bar, Leeds
29th Jan - Mulberry's Tavern, Sheffield*
30th Jan - Players Bar, Wakefield*
31st Jan - Carpe Diem, Leeds*
1st Feb - Parish, Huddersfield*
19th Feb - South Sea, Sheffield
26th Feb - Spread Eagle, York
*Bi:Lingual Tour support

Here are all the links where you can check out the bands work and follow them on their merry journey through life..:

Don't Be Shy, Vlad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGKXSMq71Rc

I've Only Got One Ghost

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgCrMpGJO1c

https://www.facebook.com/yawningdogtheband

https://soundcloud.com/yawningdog

https://twitter.com/Yawning_Dog

Live Review: Lailah and Document @ Ozenbar, Tel Aviv [2nd January 2015]

Tonight, I bring myself to one of Tel Aviv's more well known music venues, the Ozenbar. I used to come here quite a fair bit in the first year or so of moving to Tel Aviv, but there hasn't really been many shows of interest here in quite some time. This evening sees a show put on by club night/line/whatever it is.. Reflektor featuring previously reviewed moody duo Laila and post-punk band Document.

Laila

  As regular readers may know, I already like Laila. I like that there's a singing drummer, the dreaminess of the guitars and, at times, the catchiness of their choruses. Especially tonight, with a shorter set than the headlined show at the Zimmer that I previously reviewed, everything seems more structured. Drummer Maya and guitarist Avishag play physically closer together which helps them to stay even more in time and also helps us as viewers see them more as a team. Laila's style of what I would consider "heavy shoegaze", due to its mixture of dreamy distorted guitars (Avishag), slow pounding drumming and heartfelt belted-out vocals (Maya), does not seem to have gotten that many people at tonight's show all that "pumped up". However, a crowd did form and some Laila virgins may have just found themselves a new band to get into. If they are anything like me, they have probably also gone away with the chorus "We've gone far and landed on Mars" swimming around in their heads.
Girls...when are we going to get some form of record from you two?! I'm sure I'm not the only one eagerly awaiting that.
4/5

Document

  Last band of the night before the Reflektor party is Document. I actually heard the band name in passing recently and was then contacted by frontman Nir directly after he discovered the blog. Despite classing themselves as post-punk, the vibe I got from the tracks and videos I checked out prior to the show was more new wave/electro indie. I guess there's a fine line...
  As the band open their set, we get dark and brooding guitars being played on top of electro beats. It seems pleasant enough, but I can already say that both Nir's vocals and the overall energy of the band could be stronger. Nir seems a little out of tune at times. There can be several reasons for this; the monitors may not be loud enough for him, he might already have a bit of a bad throat today or it could have been purposely out of tune. Either way, was a little off putting, personally. According to the setlist, the song is either called New or is a brand new song they've been working on and not named yet. If it's the case of the latter, that could be another reason why the vocals were not spot on. The band in general also seem quite static, but that can be considered normal for this sort of style.

Photo by: Nastya Levin
  Like the first song, second song "Made A Mess" is also dark with some beautiful jangly guitars (Jude and Yaniv), a solid bassline (Barack) and some ridiculously well played electro beats (Amir). To be honest, Amir's drumming is so good that it became a bit of a focus for me. The following songs Weeks and Can't Decide expose Document's more post-punk side. Weeks, the band's first song of the set to come off of their Reset Your Mind EP, reminds me of bands like Wire and Magazine. It's quite an upbeat and intense song yet I'm still not really getting that in the performance. Nir sings well but there is no real expression. The rest of the band, apart from the drummer, still remain pretty static. Can't Decide has some very nice harmonies, both vocally and instrumentally. It is on this track that the Flaming Lips quality of Nir's vocals shine through. It works with their style of music and does not come off as too much of a copycat. Songs Idiot and On The Wall are both nice, the latter especially having some interestingly menacing sounding verses and a bouncy chorus. Last two songs of the set, Where You Are and Settle Down are both off the EP. Where You Are has a strong Cure-meets-Flaming Lips sounds. Nice and upbeat with just the right amount of post-punk. The song gets a few people dancing but I still can't help but feel that if the band itself, especially Nir as frontman, was more physically active then that would have encouraged the crowd to dance more. Drummer Amir still remains the most enthusiastic and even moving the most...and he's sitting down! Final song Settle Down is also upbeat and quite a rocking number. The vocal melody at times is quite reminiscent of Nirvana's In Bloom but the song itself still sticks to the band's post-punk and electro indie ethic.   
  The band itself is tight and I can't really fault their musicianship. The songs themselves are also well written and the band has potential to really make a name for themselves in the post-punk/indie world. Based on their performance, they are not the most fun or interesting bands I've ever watched. I don't know if this was a one-off and they were all feeling a bit lethargic but even Nir's interaction with the crowd, talking about the EP and about the work they are doing on the album, all seems a bit lacklustre. If the band themselves just had a little bit more vitality in their performance, then they could be competing with the big names.
3/4

Review: Turnstile - Nonstop Feeling (2015)

  It has already been one of the most talked about records for 2015 since the revelation of first track Gravity and the fans were made even more excited by the release of a video for second track Drop. After having treated us with the EPs Step To The Rhythm and Pressure To Succeed, Baltimore's Turnstile, fronted by hardcore band Trapped Under Ice drummer Brendan Yates, are finally releasing their first studio album Nonstop Feeling, expected to come out on January 13th. I am one of those people who are already in love with the band but the teaser tracks have been hinting at slight changes in style which must be investigated.

  As previously mentioned, Gravity and Drop are the first two tracks on the album; both were greeted with mixed reactions. Gravity is groovy with a fairly simple, although in my opinion still catchy, main guitar riff, which I find reminiscent of a song called Independent by Dog Eat Dog spin-off band All Boro Kings. The verses have a bit of a Downset feel about them and the chorus has a hint of 311, especially in the way "It's just the gravity" is being sung. All in all, it has a bit of a Leeway feel, which is what I already liked about the band. Drop starts thrashy and then slips into a groove for the rest of the track with barely any other lyrics. We get more of a 311 echo-style singing. I think this is what is dividing opinion on this record. There's singing...in a hardcore record! SHOCK HORROR! And yes...I am relating it to 311 because a) that's the only band I can think of that has vocals exactly like that and b) I love that band!
  When listening to the rest of the album, you realise that this definitely isn't a typical hardcore record nor is it just a repetition of the first 2 tracks. Although the album still runs along the groove driven, rapcore-ish hc, there's still a mix. Fazed Out and Bad Wave are heavy and more traditionally hardcore with heavy riffs and "mosh" parts , similar to bands like short lived Inside Out (fronted by a pre-RATM Zack de la Rocha), with less of the "singing". Can't Deny It and Bring It Back are also both heavy and danceable. They both lean slightly more towards the style of crossover that we can hear in Leeway albums like Adult Crash and Desperate Measures. Bring It Back also has a bit of a Stuck Mojo vibe about it. Both include the "echoed" singing as mentioned before, but the chorus of Can't Deny It sounds so much like 311 that one could think frontman Nick Hexum is actually guesting on vocals. Actually...is he? Same thing goes for second shortest track on the record Blue By You. Where on earth did this baby come from? Not to be mistaken for a cover of Roy Orbison's Blue Bayou, this basically sounds like a melodic pop punk song...sung by Nick Hexum. It's short, it's energetic and somehow both sweet and haunting at the same time. This, along with penultimate track Love Lasso (a slow and almost country sounding instrumental), are the odd ones out on this record and feel like album fillers. Love Lasso even has an organ part! Beach Temple is also instrumental but at least somewhat keeps in with the more typical Turnstile sound.
  Addicted is the album's no holds barred thrashy hardcore punk track. It zooms along, making you bang your head as Brendan (or maybe someone else...doesn't quite sound like him) sings stuff like "Give it to me! Give it to me right now!", eventually ending in a good old "medium heavy" beatdown. Out Of Rage and album closer Stress could be considered by many as the real rap-metal/nu-metal tracks on the record. One would think a song with the word "rage" in the title would not necessarily sound anything like Rage Against The Machine but this does. Starting off more like the later Leeway stuff, the chorus is full on RATM, which in my book is not a bad thing. Stress is a really good mix, with 2 stepping parts and hip hop grooves which could create dance battles at shows (just imagine!..) It's very heavy on the old guitar harmonics which sounds awesome on first listen but could get annoying.  

TRACK LISTING:
1. Gravity
2. Drop
3. Fazed Out
4. Can’t Deny It
5. Bleach Temple
6. Bad Wave
7. Blue By You
8. Out Of Rage
9. Bring It Back
10. Addicted
11. Love Lasso
12. Stress

For those who already like Turnstile, this not an album to be ignored. For those more into pure tough guy and beatdown hardcore, you should listen to this...but you're probably not going to like it. For anyone who has ever liked any rap metal/rapcore/nu-metal/whatever you wish to call it, this is definitely worth checking out. For a 12 track album, it really doesn't seem all that much longer than each of their Eps. Despite the fact I still think it's just album filler, Blue By You is a stand out track for me because it literally (albeit not physically, for all you grammar lovers) does stand out. Can't Deny It and Stress also make it as my favourites on the record. Is it one of the most groundbreaking records ever, maybe not...but at least they've got the balls to experiment. 
4/5

Review: Arallu - Geniewar [2015]

Back in November, I reviewed a metal show called SPAWNFEST. One of the more interesting bands on that bill were Jerusalem black metallers Arallu. I was impressed by their stage presence, as well as their use of Middle Eastern (Mizrachi) rhythms, samples and traditional instruments. Their 5th studio album, GENIEWAR, released just this passed week on 1st January, brings you so much more of that. The album was produced and mixed along with Dory Bar Or from Eternal Gray and mastered in LA by Maor Applebaum (Rob Halford/Mayhem/Yngwie Malmsteen/etc..). At the show, I saw them as more of a thrash band. In this record, the black metal side to them really shines through.

  Album opener, Evil Finest, really helps set the tone of what we're expected from the record. There is an array of traditional Arabic/Middle Eastern instruments such as darbuka, other such percussion and string instruments such as the saz, oud and kanoon. The heavy guitars join in on the melody, reassuring us that this is indeed a metal record. Second but first proper track, From The Desert To The Ice, follows suit, incorporating similar instruments into the song's own intro. They then unleash a demonic riff that slowly works its way into a Middle Eastern rhythm before showcasing Arallu's Slayer style of metal. Song is over 7 minutes long and has a lot of dynamics and styles, including headbanging grooves, hair spinning thrashy parts and the bouncy Middle Eastern rhythm. If you had forgotten the name of the record, we are luckily reminded of it with the "GENIEWAR" gang chant. Everything already sounds super tight on this first track and the production, with all the extra instrumentation, is very impressive. Vocals by frontman and bassist Moti AKA "Butchered" are heavy and demonic, and we even get treated to a Tom Araya-like scream near the end. 

   Third track Bloodshed Around continues the Slayer theme but also incorporates a bit more of a black metal sound with blasts beats. At one point, the blast beats are accompanied by a Middle Eastern melody played on a traditional woodwind instrument (not sure which). This works surprisingly well and really shows how creative this band are and also how proud they are of their Middle Eastern heritage. Fourth track is a cover of Iron Maiden's Powerslave. This sounds as if it's being sung by someone different. Butchered's vocals are very black metal on this; very harsh and evil sounding, more so than on the previous tracks. They also seem to have managed to incorporate every single traditional Middle Eastern instrument possible throughout the track and especially at the song's middle section. The original track already has a bit of an Egyptian/Middle Eastern, which may be why they relate to it and chose to cover it is. However, it is the addition of traditional instruments and the extra evil vocals that really make this a "cover" and not just a carbon copy. 

  Fifth track Coronation starts with quite a simple riff which you expect is going to lead into slow pounding drums. Instead, we get uplifting 4/4 drumming accompanied by, almost tribal, darbuka rhythms.... which sounds amazing. The song swims in and out of an evil distorted vocal section and proper thrash and black metal bits, including anger-inducing blast beats. Pretty sure I even heard a shofar (ram's horn) at one point. At the 3:38 mark (yes...I find this worthy enough of actually displaying the exact time), there is what I would call a bit of a "beatdown", reminiscent of some of the more tougher hardcore I used to (and sometimes still do) listen to.

  On this album, and what I noticed in their shows, the band use Hebrew spoken word samples. We can hear these on sixth track Metal Troops 666, seventh track Giv'at HaTachmoshet (The Battle of Ammunition Hill) and on ninth track Tzook Eitan ("Operation Protective Edge"). When it comes to hearing Hebrew in this way, I am still not perfect at translating, but it all seems to be "war-based". For a band that considers themselves not to be a political band, they do take pride in their state and the army. This is a bit refreshing for me as a majority of people I meet through the punk scene are the exact opposite, having managed to get exemption from the army do community service instead. Song meanings and band beliefs aside, the album continues its merry way through thrash metal, Middle Eastern rhythms and blast beats, with Giv'at HaTachmoshet really standing as a bit different to the rest of the album. Although not stated on the promo packs (although possibly on the physical copies), both this and final track Hayalim Almonim (Unknown Soldiers) are re-workings of old Hebrew songs. In Giv'at... (original song), a spoken word sample leads into a thrashy riff that starts off reminiscent of the Joe 90 theme (for those unfamiliar, click here). It then has an almost punk feel about the song...like when Slayer covered punk and hardcore songs. There are even gang chant "woahs". This is however contrasted by the blast beats which help make the track just that bit more meNtal. It changes pace a little bit in the middle, sounding a bit more power metal. We then get back to the more punk bit after a mental blast beat section accompanied by more samples. This is almost a proper sing-a-long. Hayalim Almonim finishes off the album, incorporating a choir singing the original song's lyrics as the band play at slow, almost marching pace, building slightly, bit by bit.

  
Track list:
1) Evil Finest
2) From The Desert To The Ice
3) Bloodshed Around
4) Powerslave (Iron Maiden Cover)
5) Coronation
6) Metal Troops 666
7) Giv'at HaTachmoshet
8) Underworld Resistance
9) Tzook Eitan 
10) Hayalim Almonim

  For those of you who like their thrash and black metal (preferably not one or the other) then this is an audio delight. The arabic/Mizrachi flavours might not be for everyone, but if you're worldly and are already aware of bands such as Orphaned Land and even Nile, then this, and even the rest of Arallu's back catalogue, could be an interesting addition to your collection. Guitarists Gal and Omri play tight throughout, not needing to resort to overcomplicated (and sometimes unnecessary) shredding. Drummer Assaf is also impressive; shifting dynamics within songs. I am assuming that most of the additional percussion is also played by him, which is what really makes this album special. Their devotion to the army and acceptance of war certainly will not and does not agree with everyone, but musically this is a ridiculously enjoyable record. Even I, who does not really consider himself much of a metal fan nor fan of Mizrachi music, thinks this is a really interesting listen.

4.5/5

For my Israeli readers, Arallu's official release show takes place this Thursday, 8th January, at Gagarin, Tel Aviv. Doors 20:00. Entry is ₪60, which will include a copy of the album to each ticket holder. BARGAIN!