Live Review: Lehavoth/Dukatalon/MooM/Aphotik @ Tmuna Theatre, Tel Aviv [29th December 2017]

Lehavoth
Dukatalon
MooM
Aphotik


I think it's been a while since I've been to/reviewed a local metal show, so tonight sees me at the Tmuna Theatre in Tel Aviv to witness 4 local bands who all appear on slightly different parts of the metal spectrum.

Aphotik

First up tonight is local band Aphotik. I can't specify how local as none of their profiles suggest where they are from but Tel Aviv-ish would be a good guess. On stage, they are a very competent death metal band with the odd beatdown reminiscent of more metallic hardcore bands like Irate. Their Theocracy EP/demo is a bit misleading as the vocals lead more towards grindcore growling whereas the live vocals are so much more audible and therefore just a little bit more enjoyable. Think of a more death metal sounding Lamb of God and that's the kind of thing Aphotik do. As new blood goes, Aphotik are a nice surprise.

3.5/5

MooM

Not that it's too much of a surprise to anyone who knows me or even to anyone who reads this blog regularly, MooM are one of the main reasons I am here tonight. Consisting of people from other punk and hardcore bands, MooM are the most exciting powerviolence band in the country (there's just about enough of them for that statement to have any significance). Fronted by Sima (also singer for melodic punk band Not On Tour), MooM manage to blend powerviolence, sludge and hardcore punk perfectly in a way that they can not only play on punk bills like they have mostly been doing but also play a metal show like this and not seem out of place. Sometimes, it's all about the intensity and the enthusiasm put into the playing and MooM have that in spades, as everybody spasms about the stage ferociously hammering and shouting away. As well as regular crowd pleasers like Sacred Scripts and Piguey D'Kirot, there's some newer, more hardcore material which gets people head banging and pushing each other like crazy. MooM have definitely deserved their places on European festival billings and may they be met with many more!

5/5

 Dukatalon

As well as MooM, Dukatalon are my other main reason for being here tonight. Sludge and doom can be a bit hit or miss with me but sometimes I can just hear a band playing and get immersed in their grooves - this Tel Aviv trio is a prime example. I don't think I can name a single song of theirs...but I just know I love them nevertheless.
Although guitarist/singer Zafrir (Tsori)and the rest of the band don't really talk much on stage, it doesn't make the performance any less enjoyable. The band just blasts out their slow, low and heavy riffs which blend with pounding drums and echoey vocals to fill the venue like some sort of cloud of intensity over the crowd. Although the band's music in general has strong Crowbar influences, Zafrir's vocal are more gruff. The newer yet unreleased material even sounds like what Kingdom Of Sorrow (featuring Kirk Windstein of Crowbar and Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed) could have sounded like if the music leaned more towards Crowbar's sludge sound and had tons of reverb on Jasta's vocals.
It is good to see Dukatalon again after all this time. Although original drummer Yariv isn't around to make over-exaggerated expressions, set off confetti canons and generally hype up the crowd, new drummer Maayan does the job of knocking out the grooves with the greatest of ease. I'm now eagerly awaiting the new album!

4.5/5

Lehvaoth

I'll be honest, by the end of the night, I wasn't fully awake and can't remember much. However, what I can say is that I was quite pleasantly surprised by final act Lehavoth.
Having technically been around since 1995, the Tel Aviv band have gone through a few line-up changes. I think this is my first time seeing them. I can't be 100% certain but if I have seen them before, I must have been way more tired than I was tonight or else I would not have forgotten them. The band have a lot of life on stage and actually seem to have a lot of fun while playing their mix of grind and death metal.
Although there isn't normally much room for originality in those genres, Lehavoth are quite refreshing. There's almost a punk-like energy to their performance while still being very much metal - sort of like Napalm Death but sounding much darker. They might not be a band I would choose to see on a regular basis...but I definitely want to give them another go. I would definitely recommend listening to their latest EP Grinder.

4/5 

Photos by David "Doh Doh" Rosen - www.dohphoto.com

Review: Diabolus - Wasted Air (2-Track EP) [2015]

 Every now and again, I am fortunate to get my blog noticed simply via the wonders of the internet and a bit of facebook promotion. Recently, I got sent a 2 track EP by Diabolus. Hailing from Andover, UK, Diabolus play a mixture of first wave black metal and death metal with just a hint of hardcore reminiscent of bands like Liar and Arkangel.

   The title track, which already starts off sounding like a very professional recording with a spooky sample of, what sounds like, a dripping tap, creaking doors, girl screams and some intense build up music, is about 4 minutes of pure evil. For those into black metal and death metal, this is familiar territory. Vocalist Luke (if indeed it his him doing all parts) supplies brutal low pitched growls and the slightly more "possessed by the devil" style shrieking. It's so good that it makes you wonder if he's actually Scandinavian. There's fast riffing (Adam - lead guitar, Tim - rhythm guitar) and thunderous drumming (Kurt - drums), as is signature of death metal, but there is also slow heavy grooves, including a pretty heavy "beatdown" and a keyboard accompanied melodic section near the end. The melodic part, instead of making them sound like any other black metal band, is more reminiscent of an old British band called As She Screams, who used to incorporate keyboard into their mixture of death metal and hardcore.
  Second track, The Bay Harbour Butcher, starts off soft and melodic but then the blasts and growling join in and it's a scary ride from there on. As well as sounding far more black metal than Wasted Air throughout most of it, it also keeps in with modern metalcore, with the use of a slow, simple yet effective spacious groove which would make some people want to break things.

There's definitely something here which is a bit new compared to other bands out there, at least as far as I'm aware. As well as being perfectly suited to a black, grind or death metal show, they have something about them that would also go down well with hardcore fans, especially those of the early more metallic European sound. This EP is brutal and just polished enough to sound both professional and gritty at the same time. Although this isn't what I'm normally into and I'm not 100% taken in by the name, I'm hoping the band get themselves an album out soon and more people will become aware of Diabolus.

4/5

NEW MUSIC VIDEO FROM OBITUARY

   It has been just under a year since the release of Obituary's latest album, Inked In Blood, and they only now have put out a video for the the song Violence. Admittedly, I haven't listened to the album properly yet, but I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Obituary. Violence is true to form Obituary, albeit probably one of the shorter tracks they've ever done. The video, on the other hand, is not something you'd ever expect from the demonic sounding band. The cartoon style is very comical, more like something a punk band will use. Somehow, the comical story telling of a band going on the rampage fits remarkably well with the heavy, angry track. 
  Sweet dreams!

Live Review: Hayehudonim/The Turbans/Sadistikus @ Koro, Tel Aviv [6 June 2015]

   Tonight, I come back to Koro to check out some bands I haven't seen before for an event entitled Happy Slayer Day, despite not really having any connection to Slayer. It is actually a mixed bag, featuring some death metal, rock and roll and fairly more traditional punk rock.

I'm going to keep this as short a review as possible.

Sadistikus

    Sadistikus are a (seemingly) young band from somewhere around these parts who play blasting death metal. They, of course, all have amazing hair and have donned death metal t-shirts for tonight's performance; nothing new there. The actual songs have impressively heavy riffs and generally had me and many others headbanging. Most of the band seem pretty static, which is a bit of a let down. However, I guess, when the music is this heavy, you don't really need to move. I did worry about the drummer, though. Poor bugger! Have any of you tried playing blast beats over and over again? You have to be strong for that kind of thing. I can't do it. Unfortunately, I could see the effect it was having on the drummer, as he sometimes fell out of time and even had to stop and get back into the song at some points. That aside, I was actually disappointed their set was short. I was into it.

3/5

The Turbans

    Now we get to the rock and rolllll!! The Turbans are a trio from Jerusalem, consisting of two guitarists, Eyal and Gilad, and drummer Yadin. They are one of those bands whose name I have heard and seen listed for shows but I have somehow not seem them yet. I'm glad to have finally managed to watch them because they scratch that little psychedelic rock itch I get from time to time. 
   The band have an interesting stage presence. The two guitarists actually place themselves in front of the stage, with Gilad having his pedals and tiny keyboard on a stand next to him. Both guitarists sing (although Eyal seems to be the lead) as Yadin, from his spot on stage, does some simple yet perfectly impactful drumming. 

   The songs themselves run in the psychedelic garage rock vein, with good usage of cool melodies, grooves, noises and joyous dual vocals. They're one of those bands your parents could definitely dance to. In fact, a part of me would have really liked to have bust a move but I think a lot of us there (which wasn't very many) felt restricted due to the band being "in our area". But that's more our problem than theirs. I've seen footage of hardcore shows where the crowd is "moshing" right in front of the band and even knocking into them....but everyone's having a blast! It shouldn't really be a problem. 
   Despite not really knowing the words, I have had the melody of their song entitled I Should Have Known in my head ever since the show. That's a sign of a good song.

4/5

Hayehudonim (The Yids)

   Whether it's a playful take on the more popular Israeli band Hayehudim (The Jews) or simply a something that sprung to mind, you got to hand it to Hayehudonim on their name choice. This is another band whose name I have come across, although I am actually not too sure if I have seen them before.

    Some of the songs in the set sounded quite familiar. They play very fuzzy and distorted rock and roll. (That's not just the sound tonight, it's how they sound on record too.) Compared to the rest of the bands and even crowd tonight, Hayehudonim seem to be of an older generation. The drummer, who looks like a more muscly and tattooed version of well known actor and Simpsons cast member Hank Azaria, isn't the best drummer I have ever seen or heard. His playing seems very stiff at times and he drops his sticks on occasion. The rest are also not all that impressive, but what they lack in technical ability they make up for in pure energy. Although still pretty static, everyone is playing like their lives depended on it as the vocalist uses his full lung capacity to project his venom, as echoey and inaudible as it may be. 

   Hayehudonim have been around for many years, as is seen by a few people here tonight singing along. Unfortunately, being veterans does not always mean that you're the best. That said, I have checked them out on record and it sounds a whole lot better. The songs are there, it was just an awkward performance. 

 3/5

Special thanks to Aviv Liplis Hadar on the use of his camera which is a good deal better than mine.

Live Review and Album Review: Sintax: Sway For A Better Day release show @ Gargarin, Tel Aviv [30th May 2015]

   Although there was a show at Koro tonight I could have gone to review (my apologies to both Jeronimo and Krokodil Popular, whom I was hoping to give support to, and Regel Sabres, who I don't really know), I have ended up tonight at Gagarin in South Tel Aviv for yet another metal show. Tonight celebrates the release of Jerusalem Metal band Sintax's new album, Sway For A Better Day. As most of the set consists of songs from the new album, I shall be doing my first ever 2-in-1, reviewing both the show and the album.

         Photo by Sharon Shapira

   I have seen Sintax once or twice (I can't really remember) over the last few years and never really paid proper attention to them. I always thought they were good but never all that memorable. Tonight, I have come to check them out with the proper attention deserved and also give support to the two Sintax members I know from hardcore band "03" (Efes Shalosh), Lemmy and Misha. Misha has even turned up in a No Turning Back shirt, which has to be a first for out here.
    There were two supporting bands, Mechanigod and Sinnery, who I missed due to tardiness, but managed to turn up just in time for the main act. Ascending the stage to the sounds of sirens and under quite blinding lights, it is quite an epic entrance despite a low turn out. The band then kicks in to the set opener, the weirdly named Fine Line To Sodomy (track 5 on the album). The song has an amazing opening riff with thrash drumming and basically stays pretty old school throughout the song. The chorus is very headbang inducing, although I'm not really seeing much of that amongst the crowd. The band are putting a lot of energy into the performance. I already know that Lemmy (rhythm guitar) and Misha (bass) are great performers from their 03 shows. Lemmy is jumping every chance he gets as Misha strums his bass with gusto and an aggressive (although incredibly content) expression on his face. Lead guitarist Roi (ex-Shworchtsechaye) keeps reminding me of Shane Embury of Napalm Death; he's a mature (in age) fellow with big hair and a goatee (technically, Embury has a Van Dyke) who plays standing quite still but still oozing coolness. Frontman Yehi (frontman of Caveman King and owner of Blaze Bar in Jerusalem) has great vocals and a proper metal presence but sometimes lacks on the enthusiasm and energy that the rest of the band shows.

    Photo by Sharon Shapira

Next song, Up For The Physical (track 8), is quite classic metal in style, especially with its long and haunting melodic intro. The "Stop wasting my time" refrain is infectious and can be used in any pissed off situation. Throughout the song, the style switches from the more classic metal sound to pure thrash, ending with an amazing thrashy climax. Drummer Nir, who, from where I am standing, is pretty hidden in darkness, seems a bit off in this song. The cymbal crashes didn't seem to be in the right places and the fills often seemed like he was squeezing too much in. Despite that, he continued to play spot on throughout the show. 
    Shooting Starts is a very new song which is set to be put on the next record. It's a heavy and groovy track. The vocal rhythm and general feel of parts of the song reminded me of the heavy parts of a song called Fundamental by PUYA. It's almost on the verge of rap metal and I for one am not complaining. Lemmy is encouraging the crowd with all his might like some sort of knight leading his men to victory. He's so metal, it's not even cheesy...just brilliant. The band then invite Orel from Mechanigod to join in on guitar for I Get It Now (track 7). The song has a frantic intro, with fast paced riffing and chaotic drumming. The song stays pretty thrash throughout and causes major headbanging. At the show, the sound was a bit muffled so everything was a bit unclear. On record, however, the song is clearly a banger with an awesome ending. 
   Title track Sway For A Better Day (track 2) takes us back to a more old school vibe with some solid standard 4/4 drumming which then switches to 6/8 at around the 1:30 mark (yeh...I'm getting all technical on your asses right now!) and back to straight up metal. There's a more modern metal groove near the middle of the song which, at the show, got me swinging my head as Lemmy bounced over the place. Let's Get Mental (track 3) starts slow, heavy and demonic. The guitar melody could easily be summoning Satan [Punkalovich does not endorse Satan worship or the black arts in anyway...although The Craft is a great movie]. The pace then picks up and the "pit" here tonight eventually opens up, although there's still not a lot of people. The song is a great thrash number with changing drums patterns and interesting breakdowns. The "Let's get mental" refrain near the end of the song is something that, with time, all fans will be throwing their horns and shouting along to. 
  The following few songs in the set are newer songs lined up for the next release. Moti (Spawn of Evil vocalist) joins the band for a song entitled Pen Sword, which starts off groovy and then goes full on thrash. Finally, there's a bit more excitement on stage as Moti is properly engaging the crowd with eye contact, hand gestures, a lot of hair swinging and an evil yet incredibly pleasurable smirk. I already liked Moti from when I saw Spawn of Evil first time I came to Gargarin so I'm not really all that surprised. Both Hate People and Most Hated Man In The Universe give us a dosage of both thrash and groove, with the pit opening up again during the latter. 
     The Answer...The Name... (track 6) marches itself into thunderous double kick and chugging guitars followed by blast beats and fast riffing. The song itself, especially on record, sounds a lot like classic Metallica, which isn't a bad thing at all. I didn't really get that feeling live; it just came off as raw death metal. Either way, it's good old fashioned fun!

Photo by Sharon Shapira

   The band then treat us to two covers. The first song turned out to be You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks by Seasick Steve. Unexpected and interesting cover song choices are always a thumbs up in my book. Even though I had a feeling the original was not even a metal song (the slide guitar was a bit of a giveaway), they still played it their own way which had me far from thinking it was a Seasick Steve cover. This song was then followed by a proper hardcore bassline from Misha. As soon as it started I thought to myself "Don't I know this?" Ex-Instinct frontman/current 03 frontman/current Best bassist Jenia who was standing next to me then asks me "This id Pro-Pain, right?" Pro-Pain are one of my favourite bands so I was going to kill myself if I didn't recognise this. It wasn't until the "Outta my way! I'm coming like a freight train right on through ya" part of the chorus that I realised that this was Don't Kill Yourself To Live and my wish for a band out here to cover Pro-Pain is actually coming to fruition. I thought it might be one of the more hardcore or crossover bands so this is a great surprise. I of course move from my comfy spot at the bar to try and put some life in the empty space by singing along at the front of the stage. Even Lemmy coming down into the crowd for the whole song didn't really get anyone excited. THIS IS PRO-PAIN, PEOPLE!
   After a new, more hardcore sounding song entitled Lunch Time Funeral and the fairly progressive and melodic Four More Years (track 4), the band treat us to yet another new song which doesn't even have a name. The song itself reminds me of the Stampin' Ground song Officer Down. The vocals seemed to run the same and had a very similar groove (I'm using "groove" a lot in this, aren't I? I need to find a new word...) 

   All in all, I am glad I came tonight to celebrate with the band and see and hear them properly. They both surprised and impressed me with there mixture of classic metal, hardcore and thrash. The newer songs sound great and I am now very eager to hear what is yet to come. Sway For A Better Day is a great listen. The fact that it's mixed, mastered and partly recorded by the legendary (in my eyes) Mark Mynett of long forgotten Manchester electronic metal band Kill II This in itself is pretty cool. Everything is played to perfection and Yehi's vocals sound immense, sometimes even more heavy on certain tracks than others. The only thing that bugged me at first were the toms. Maybe it's because I am a drummer and I pay more attention to these things, but the toms are incredibly high pitched and also quite high in the mix. After a while, former drummer Rom's impressive musicianship trumps the actual tom sounds and it all seems to work. Although this album didn't make me jump for joy and isn't breaking any boundaries, it has it's moments and will please many a metal fan.

Live: 4/5
Album: 3.5/5

Thanks to Sharon Shapira [Facebook] for the photos. 

ARALLU VIDEO FOR "BLOODSHED AROUND"

    After having enjoyed Jerusalem black metal band Arallu live some months back, I was also impressed by their album Geniewar released earlier this year. From that album, the band have now released a new video for the song Bloodshed Around. As cool as the song is musically, with its insane blast beats, thunderous riffing, evil vocals and Middle Eastern rhythms, I have to say that the video is pretty disappointing. There's nothing wrong with doing a video on a budget but there's doing a video for cheap and then there's doing a cheap video; not quite the same thing. I am still confused as to whether there is some form of synopsis here or if it's just random things happening. Either way, I think the song itself is heavy and interesting enough on its own.

NEW TRACKS FROM RECENT AND UPCOMING RELEASES

  I came across a few tracks and videos from recent and upcoming releases by some great bands.

Millencolin - Sense & Sensibility

  Sense & Sensibility, not to be confused with the Jane Austin novel and period drama of the same name, is the first track to be released off of Swedish punk band Millencolin's upcoming album True Brew. Back in my mid teens, I was aware of Millencolin because of the music videos for songs like Fox and Kemp. I don't think I ever properly liked them back then; same thing could be said about a number of skate-punk bands. It took me until recent years to check out albums such as Pennybridge Pioneers, which I remember the release of, and For Monkeys to really get the band. This new track stays true to the Millencolin sound, including the unmistakable voice of frontman Nikola Sarcevic and the bouncy rhythm. The song tackles the subject of racism and I guess the irony behind having just as much hate for racists as the racists do against the minorities. The "You're just a racist clown to me" line of the chorus is catchy and poignant enough to get stuck in your head. The video is cool and simple, being shot in the back of a van..or at least made to look as such. For those who like videos of the band just rocking out, this will not disappoint.
If this track is anything to go by, True Brew has the potential to be another great Millencolin record for the adoring fans. Due for release April 28th.

Dead Sara - Mona Lisa

   I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but I only realised yesterday that I no longer liked Dead Sara on Facebook and had therefore completely missed the release of this single and video for Mona Lisa from upcoming second album Pleasure To Meet You. I fell in love with Dead Sara upon the discovery of the song and video for Weatherman. It's a bit of a task to label Dead Sara. They are a rock band but not simply a rock band. Their self titled debut is an array of groovy riffs, frontwoman Emily Armstrong's powerful vocals, heavy drumming and cool harmonies, managing to showcase both heavy headbanging tunes and beautiful ballads. I am hoping for the same, maybe even a tad more, from the followup. Mona Lisa, certainly seems to show off the band's more (dare I say it) "hipster" side, especially in the video. The song itself is certainly not a disappointment; it still has that familiar heavy Dead Sara sound which builds up to an "explosion" which you know must be getting everyone at their shows going nuts. I know I would be. They once again manage to come up with a catchy refrain in "I know what you want but it's not gonna be what you like". This is definitely a great easer for the album and I'm hoping to be "on it like a car bonnet" when Pleasure To Meet You drops late March.

Shredhead - Walk With The Dead 

   Shredhead are an Israeli metal band who are slowly but surely making a name for themselves abroad, having even relocated to Berlin during the recording of latest album Death is Righteous released back in January. The album was mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen (Suicide Silence, The Haunted, Sick Ot It All etc.). I haven't yet heard the album but if Walk With The Dead is anything to go by, it must be pretty damn cool. I have to admit, though, it's not really my thing. The video, however, is an absolute must-see. The South Park-esque animations show the band in different situations and encountering an absolute smorgasbord of celebrities and TV/Movie characters, including some Israeli local celebrities that I recognise who have helped the band throughout the career with both promotion, videos and shows. The video is worth seeing with friends so you can play a game where you need to write down everyone you see. The one with the most names wins!

 Bloodshot Eyes - Happy Ever After (Summer's Gone)

  I don't know that much about Bloodshot Eyes except that they are a melodic punk (I guess..) band from Hod Hasharon, Israel. If you like melodic pop punk, then check out their recent single Happy Ever After (Summer's Gone). Personally, for me, I think it may take time for me to really like it. There's something there...I just need to keep going back and looking for it. It's certainly not 2 dimensional, with dynamic changes which should appease a variety of punk/hardcore music lovers. It is, however, the vocals that I am finding slightly off putting but you can't do much about an accent. 

Raiden - The Devil's Handprint

  Finally, previewed this passed weekend, I bring you the heaviest track on this post. Raiden from Essex (which is basically very far east London, for those who don't know) are a band who I never thought would emerge with anything new. I knew they were doing the odd show here and there once or twice a year but they have actually brought out a new track. Raiden are one of those bands I was aware of in my teens when I was knocking about the HC scene in London. I believe they had a track on a compilation which at first I thought was too metal for me, but after a while appreciated it. I still never properly followed the band; I'm not even too sure I've ever seen them. They were/still are part of the EBD (Essex BeatDown) scene which is basically the insane younger brother to the LBU (London Black Up) scene. 
  New track, The Devil's Handprint, starts off with some beautiful yet also menacing classical guitar playing. Seeing as I was already familiar with the band, I knew this wouldn't last for long. As expected, after about a minute, the blastbeats, shredding and blood curdling screams kick in and we are treated to some proper metal. Also as standard, we get a beatdown near the end. It's short, which I normally prefer but I actually wish there was more. Hopefully this means there's a new record on the way and more tracks for me to check out.
  If you like death metal, black metal and/or beatdown hardcore, check out Raiden. 

Live Review: SPAWNFEST @ Gagarin, Tel Aviv [22nd November 2014]

Magor

Spawn Of Evil

State Of The Fart

Arallu

Canine 

Mechanigod

In Israel, music festivals of the literal sense are very rare, if not completely inexistent. No real festivals in a massive field with 2 main stages, a local band stage and an acoustic tent. No selection of big name international bands all coming to perform together. No camping for around 3 nights putting up with mud and littering. To someone like me, the term "festival" gets used too freely out here and loses it's meaning. Tonight, the Israeli metal scene sees "Spawnfest" arrive to the hidden live music hub Gagarin. When I first came to a Gagarin show, I didn't even know that this yard which also includes a studio and a gym, amongst other things, was even there. It lies behind the Naim dance studio opposite where the Sublime venue once was. I am unsure if Gagarin was always here but it has certainly acted as a replacement since Sublime's closure/move. Sublime used to be one of the main places for metal shows and "festivals" of this ilk. Now I have the chance to see if the smaller Gagarin is able to cope with drunken Israeli metallers.

Mechanigod

First up tonight is melodic metallers Mechanigod. Like most of the bands on the bill tonight, I don't really know much about this band. Despite having technically been a band since around 2008-9, the band's first album "Realms" was released last year. I have seen their name floating around a fair bit and assumed they were quite a big deal, so I'm surprised that they are the first band on this bill of 6 bands. 

Their opening song has that sort epic vibe a good opener always needs. We hear from the start the vocalist's (Eylon) range, which can switch from gruff Lamb of God style vocals to almost mizrachi (Middle Eastern) style singing. Eylon's vocals are actually quite flawless. Throughout the performance, I don't believe I hear a single bum note, loss of breath or crack in his voice. Upon further research, I've discovered that Eylon's a Canterbury lad. Whether that has any relevance to him being a good singer, I don't know. It is, however, interesting to me, a fellow British expat. I'm guessing he's one of those "I moved here when I was 3" types. 

The Lamb of God resemblance continues with the band's actual music style. I also cannot really fault the musicianship of the rest of the band. For a considerably young band, they have that essence of a big band. The guitar playing and drumming is all just at the right level of complicated that doesn't come off as over the top. My main issue is that it just doesn't seem all that new. Eylon, as great as I said he is, even has a typical "metal beard". (Not literally a beard made of metal...that would be uncomfortable and unnecessary.) The crowd seem to be enjoying it, though, with an actual "front row" of fans and the odd circle pit here and there. Nearer the end of their set, they played something with a Middle Eastern flavour. Having not yet heard their album, I do not know if it is included on it or what it is called. Hearing that suddenly perked me up a bit as it was a little different, although not totally unexpected for an Israeli band. It did help demonstrate the vocalist's range and that was a pleasure to witness. Personally, I think they could have been put on further up the bill but they acted as a more than suitable opening band. 

3.5/5

Canine

I have a confession to make. Originally Modiin based metalcore outfit Canine are the main reason I am here tonight. Them and I have a bit of a history. Some time last year, I joined them on drums for about a month. In the end, I wasn't really the most suit....Ok, I was practically told I wasn't good enough for them. Despite that, I have supported Eliav and Yuval (guitars) over the passed year in their search for the right  new members. In this most recent line-up, they have (Ben) Sadda on vocals, Bar on bass and Matan on drums.  I really like Canine, not just because I was once a part of them but because I genuinely like their songs. It's metalcore, but it has a bouncy groove and some good breakdowns. Especially the stuff off their Degeneration EP. Tonight, however, seemed to consist mostly of new songs; some I am familiar from my time with them and others that were brand spanking new. "Silence Before Chaos" is a killer of a tune that I enjoyed singing along to. "Mutiny" and "With The Crows In Sight" are almost unrecognisable to how I remember them. In a good way! They've perfected the songs into solid arrangements and have come together as a tight unit. An even newer song, Last Words Live Forever, seems to have some people in the crowd singing along. I don't know if I am just ridiculously uneducated and this was a cover song or that they have played it at a few other shows recently and people have become accustomed to it. Either way, the atmosphere was great during that song.
One thing the band does which I really like is the breakdowns. Having been into tuff guy and beatdown since my teens, I'm used to that lull just before the "chug-chug". That lull where the guitars are ringing out and you know that in the next few seconds all hell is going to break loose. Canine don't quite do it in the same way that I am used to; they do more metalcore breakdowns rather than hardcore beatdowns. Being more of a metal crowd, this gains the typical Israeli metal scene reaction of headbanging all round.
Making good use of his wireless pack, guitarist Eliav loves getting amongst the crowd during the set and getting people even more revved up. I find this sort of thing in general sometimes a bit too much, but the crowd did need a little bit of encouragement. The only criticisms to make of the band tonight are the fact that some of their best work was missing from the set and also the quality of clean vocals. Now, I for one know how difficult singing can be, but unfortunately Sadda couldn't quite hit his high notes in songs like Mutiny. Yuval's harmonies luckily helped in the other songs. Sadda could have just been having a bad night and I'm hoping he'll sound so much better next time I see them and on record.
3.5/5

Arallu

Now we start the part of the evening where I am not familiar with any of the bands. It begins with Jerusalem metal legends Arallu. I say legends despite not having heard of them before. Just goes to prove how out of the Israeli metal loop I am as later research shows they have technically been around for around 13 years. Arallu perform with combat face paint stripes which help add to the theatrics of their thrashy, Middle Eastern tinged death metal. At times sounding like Slayer, at other times sounding like Behemoth, Arallu are simply heavy. Adding to the theatrics, they use samples that seem to focus around war. That seems to be the essence of Arallu at the moment. There are also posters all over the place in regards to the album launch show at the beginning on the new year for their new album Geniewar.
I can't really be specific about songs as I am still unfamiliar with their material, but what I loved the most about this band was the Middle Eastern flavours. The drummer even had a darbuka on a stand and made good use of it. This addition didn't seem forced. The metal and the Middle Eastern rhythms just seem to flow into each other seamlessly. It's actually a shame there aren't more people here tonight. It's a good crowd for an underground show, but these guys are considered legends. Not only that, but they're giving a legendary performance which, albeit still getting circle pits and headbanging galore, should be in front of a much larger audience.
3.5/5

State Of The Fart

I may have very well got the order of Arallu and State Of The Fart mixed up as I ended up getting distracted by the band and didn't make any notes. State Of The Fart are not as sophisticated as they sound. Haha. Once again, this is a band I didn't bother checking out before hand. Wanted to leave it as a surprise. And boy, was I surprised.
So, you know that friend of yours who has a party trick he's been doing since he was a kid? Imagine if he started a band that was based around that party trick. That is essentially what State Of The Fart are. Tonight, the band plays a short setlist of 4-5 (like I say, I didn't make notes) cover songs incorporating the frontman's talent of making fart noises with his hands. It took me a while to actually notice he was using his hands mic'ed up and it wasn't the keyboardist. As my Hebrew is still not brilliant, I was unable to tell if the covers were exact word-for-word translations or not, apart from the acoustic version of Slayer's Angel of Death which was in English. That was probably the highlight of the set. They are definitely fun, but I really can't help but feel that this is an idea that should have stopped after high school graduation. Their friends seemed to love it. I personally just found them as a weird choice for this line-up.
2/5

Spawn Of Evil

Although the penultimate act of the night, Hadera based death metallers Spawn Of Evil are the band tonight's "festival" seems to be named after. Once again, this is a band I have heard nothing about before but they have been in existence for around 14 years in one form or another. Not only is that a reason I should have heard of them but they are really good.
The main vibe I got off the band is that they remind me a lot of Napalm Death. Not in a rip of way, but just similar intensity, similar stylings and even a frontman who looks quite a fair bit like ND's own "Barney" Greenway. Well....more like Dom Lawson (ex singer of Matter, singer/guitarist in Oaf and Metal Hammer writer). Anyway, that's not a bad thing. I love Napalm Death. Spawn Of Evil flip between thrashy parts and grooves and are basically just bloody heavy. I've decided that I need to really to do some more research on this band and listen to more of their stuff. I've discovered that they have done a death metal cover of Therapy's Screamager. That gets a major thumbs up from me on its own.
4/5

Magor

Final act tonight is Israeli black metallers Magor. Black metal could be considered by many in this world as a joke, mainly due to the black and white make-up, how silly the subject matter can sometimes be and because the videos are almost always set in dark forests. Magor tend to normally perform without face paint which makes them easier to take more seriously as musicians. Tonight, they have decided to paint the bottom half of their faces a sort of brown colour, almost giving the effect of restraint masks a la Hannibal Lecter. I actually find it to be a good look. Looks aside, let's focus on the music.
I can give or take black metal. Once in a while, I hear a great track and really get into it. It is the same here tonight. Magor played a great mixture of blast beats, melodic keyboard parts and metal grooves. They have that Behemoth sound and the crowd love it. Pumping their fists and chanting "hey" at every possible moment. I normally find that quite annoying and think it should really only be allowed at stadium shows for really big bands. Tonight, however, it all seems fitting as Magor put on a great performance and their musicianship is bang on. Obviously, being black metal, nothing really sticks in my head, but the music is diverse enough that it doesn't just sound like the same song over and over.
The main stand out point was the use of the long shofar. The shofar is traditionally a ram's horn that is blown in Jewish culture to mark both the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. I spotted it hanging off the mic stand at the beginning of the set and was unsure if it was just for show. I then got my answer when the frontman, Aviv, plays the shofar mid one of the songs. As interesting as it is to hear a shofar amidst a black metal song, I don't really see its significance. The shofar pretty much just has one tone and I don't feel it added anything special to the song.
If you like black metal and want to check out something a bit different, Magor's debut album Drawn To The Dark came out earlier this year. They are also worth checking out live. They got to play Wacken this year and I'm sure will be touring other areas in due course.
4/5