New Artist Promo: Azor

 
    I have really only done one band promo on this blog so far and that was because I was sent a special email requesting it. Luckily, they also happened to be a really cool band (Yawning Dog promo). This artist promo is brought to you purely out of being impressed by the band and thinking they bloody deserve a write-up. Due to illness, I unfortunately missed their debut show at BanditoFest in Tel Aviv. However, their performance was filmed and I really liked what I saw and heard. I also got to see them this passed weekend to a bit of a disappointing turn out. They nevertheless rocked out.
  
   Azor are a "power-trio", comprising of Yuval (ex-Inside Job/Erev Rav/Leah Katamin) on guitar and main vocals, Alon (Almonim Metim) on drums and vocals and Ori (ex-Beats 69/MASTERD) on bass and vocals. Yuval and Alon met for the first time in a crazy jam night; they were having an awesome session and decided that they should actually join up and make some music together. In October 2014, after finishing other music projects and having free time ,the two started to work on songs that Yuval wrote. The idea was to create something new while still hanging on to that old vibe of free and energetic rock music. After working as a duo for a while, old childhood friend of Yuval's, Ori, was brought in as bass player to really bring the whole thing together. The name Azor purely comes, as far as I'm aware, from the name of the area Yuval lives and that the band practises in, which is just south east of Tel Aviv near Holon.

The band takes their influences from a range of places. They take the heavy riffiness of Black Sabbath, the fun rock and roll vibe of bands like MC5 and the "grunge" edge of the likes of Nirvana as well as incorporating Mediterranean and Eastern elements. Having more of a punk background, it is refreshing to see these guys just playing some invigorating rock and roll. It is also nice to see the "punks" at shows getting their groove on to this sort of thing.
All three members are very good musicians. Yuval has written some great riffs and plays some blinding (that's British slang for "really, really good") solos, Ori plays cool bass lines and gives off a very joyous demeanour and Alon is an absolute nutter on the drums. Possibly one of the most creative new drummers I've seen at shows in the scene in a while. I actually first witnessed the band before their first proper show at an acoustic event. Yuval played acoustic guitar while Alon borrowed my cajon and was blasting out some pretty trippy beats.

After only having played their first few shows very recently, Azor are already working on the first album ''High Tempo Flight'', which is due for release in April, and plan to go on a European tour thereafter.  I urge you all to check them out if you ever get the opportunity to see them in person. In the meantime, you can see Beeran Production's filming of the band's debut show.