Label: Century Media
Genre: Progressive Symphonic Metal
Release Date EU: January 26th, 2018
Line Up:
Kobi Farhi – Vocals
Chen Balbus – Guitars
Idan Amsalem – Guitars
Uri Zelcha – Bass
Matan Shmuely – Drums
Tracklist:
- The Cave
- We Do Not Resist
- In Propaganda
- All Knowing Eye
- Yedidi
- Chains Fall To Gravity
- Like Orpheus
- Poets of Prophetic Messianism
- Left Behind
- My Brother’s Keeper
- Take My Hand
- Only the Dead Have Seen the End of War
- The Manifest – Epilogue
Orphaned Land is more than just a band. The outfit, founded in 1991, went on a journey that includes excellent metal music with the inclusion of thought-through lyrics, which contain a positive and peaceful message.
The band from Israel released so far five longplayers, all with a conceptual depth. Orphaned Land is a band that successfully tries to bridge all gaps and boarders in the Middle East, having fans in all parts of the area. In addition Kobi Farhi and bandmates gained a worldwide popularity.
These days the new album, number 6, is in the starting blocks. The record is entitled “Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs”, featuring in total 13 tracks. Fahri managed to get some well-known metal musicians having guest appearances on this album. Next to At The Gates frontman Tomas Lindberg it is no less than Blind Guardian singer Hani Kürsch and guitar icon Steve Hackett contributing to this creative metal record.
After having heard the album several times I must say that it Fahri and band created music that stands out from the masses. It’s mainly the oriental touch that’s weaved into each of the songs, giving the band an own identity. Already the opener “The Cave” includes this feature, leading to an eight minutes epos the band decided to begin with.
“Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs” contains more of these extra-long tracks. “Chains Fall to Gravity” is getting close to 10 minutes and shows the entire finesse the band has in their offer. The calm start, the prog-rock approach and a bombastic expression lifts this piece of music from ‘song’ to ‘composition’.
Next to these longer rock endeavors there are the more spot-on songs, tracks like the crispy “My Brother’s Keeper”, which reminded me in parts of an oriental version of Queensryche in their “Empire”-days.
To keep the level of excitement high throughout the entire album, Orphaned Land added some short songs to the tracklist. I almost had the feeling that tunes like “Yedidi” act as a kind of interlude. In general I must say the band manages to create an arc of suspense by the way the order of songs is done. Epical composition interact with spot-on songs. Louder moments shift to calmer notes while deep vocal, almost growls, and clean sections go hand in hand too.
“Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs” became an exciting record that includes excellent metal music with a lyrical concept that has the ambition to unite rather than to divide. Thumbs up.
Written by: Markus Wiedenmann
Ratings: 8/10
About Author
