Orphaned Land - All Is One (2013)

The oriental, Middle Eastern region is enriched with thousand years of music culture. It's only come to a time when the music of Oud (perl shape Lute or guitar) or Saz (stringed instrument from Persia, similar to guitar), come along with distorted guitar and metal drum set. The combination of such folk music with metal then give birth to a genre called Oriental Metal. On surface of Oriental Metal population is a band from Israel, Orphaned Land. They were quite long running already, the trace of the band can be back far to 1991's. Staying in exotic places that so damn destroyed by human incapability of tolerances to different faiths, the band get much inspiration from all three Abrahamic religions. So long being existed, the band only equipped with five studio albums, including our 2013 releases All Is One. Full of sad stories and inspirational message to the land, All Is One is beautiful creation that put metal under serious tone of folk metal and act as ambassador of cultural differences in the area.

We open with tasty folk stringed instrument lick, that followed with grander choruses, and landed into a Middle Eastern scale metal song. All Is One is a metal song played under exotic time signature and layer of oriental instrumentation, this opening song is quickly become my favorite tune. Still same structure followed in The Simple Man. If you like Indiana Jones or the Mummy soundtrack, this song will capture your attention. Odd time guitar riff with bass lick fill in, an desert chanting all combined in this great composition. Brother is then a straightforward easy to grab slower tempo song with complex orchestration. Let The Truce Be Known again hold the water cold with a song that preferred to be go rather slow. Not enough with that, Through Fire and Water return us to desert camp fire feel, lengthy introduction with percussion and folk guitar. The present of female voices is only natural to encountered here. Fail, bring us back to modern day. This is Dave Mustaine-like speech thrash metal. Freedom is folk dance beat metal song that can really bring you jumping around in the light of Arab Spring victories over the region. All the rest followed strickly Orphaned Land formula of getting one oriental lick followed with heavy guitar riffs.

Cleverly put the metal in the container of religion-theme lyric and finished with awesome oriental - Hellenistic - Central Asia music, Orphaned Land had one more time succeed combining these world. I enjoy much this album. Something beyond our regular listening and it's not cheekily done. All Is One show the creative musicianship with high skill support. Yossi Sassi the guitarist come with arsenal of Israeli licks that kick nicely before the metal part begin. If you like to met him, Yossi also offer his solo album The Melting Clock. Credit to the singer, whose accent is clear for most Asian listener, the story telling lyric is easy to follow. Young drummer Matan Shmuely and rest of band the guitarist Chen Balbus and Uri Zelcha are supportive forces. This album not really gone heavy, neither too instrumental solos as in most progressive band. It's help us to see peaceful side on the Israel hills and valleys. It is a hope to destroy terrorism that bring religion as their weapon. All Is One, is heavy oriental scale based metal album. If you like creative music in metal here is a great album to listen.

Metal Harem class: ******** eight stars out of ten

Orphaned Land - All Is One (2013)
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1. All Is One
2. The Simple Man
3. Brother
4. Let the Truce Be Known
5. Through Fire and Water
6. Fail
7. Freedom
8. Shama'im
9. Ya Benaye
10. Our Own Messiah
11. Children

Lineup:
Kobi Farhi - Vocals
Yossi Sassi - Guitars & Middle East Folk instruments: Oud, Saz, Chumbush
Chen Balbus - Guitars
Uri Zelcha - Bass
Matan Shmuely - Drums
Record Label: Century Media

Israel Folk Metal band, Orphaned Land All is One album review