Orphaned Land 2004 Mabool
Forget everything you know about genres. I'm used of talking about the sound of a band at the beginning of a review. But this album can't be described just by mere genre definitions. They are said to play a mixture of Progressive Death Metal with arabic folk. But, what it's exactly Progressive Death? It sounds like Death? Opeth? This band sounds , at core, like Progressive Metal, with unusual song structures, technical use of instruments, and no choruses at all. Add to that a constant use of arabic folk music, with male and female chanting, use of local instruments and riffing that resembles their music. Then add that minimal death mixture, used as some growling, which doesn't stop the beauty of the album, and the sound of some riffs, making them extremely thick and heavy.
Really, this it's a musical journey you can't avoid. Musically and lyrically, it's almost perfect. If you aren't very openminded, songs like "A'salk", "Norra El Norra (Entering the Ark)" and "The Calm Before the Flood", which may feel a bit overlong, may annoy you. This album it's far beyond ordinary metal. Death metal fans, avoid this: it's not for you. Folk metal fans: this it's very different of typical folk metal, probably because there is almost no arabic folk metal, so you may like this, or maybe not. Progressive metal fans: Take this. Now.