AL-NAMROOD – Diaji Al Joor [2015 Blindspot]

Al-Namrood – Diaji Al Joor (2015, Shaytan Productions)

Saudi Arabia and Black metal, two things that are not really suited to be together one would guess. But the link between those two worlds was made by Al-Namrood, formed in 2008 in Saudi Arabia and their music would be at first compared to Melechesh because of their geographical location. But, the comparison stops here for me. Al-Namrood contains more sonorities and grooves from their origins than the pretentious overrated Melechesch.

The vocals by Humbaba remind me of incantations of Arabian grand masters. The percussions are as important as the vocals and have a center place in the music of Al-Namrood. This duty is separated between Ostro and Mephisto and it is very loud on the album. In fact, the album is mixed with loudness in their beatings.

Their music is labeled mostly as Black metal but it is in their attitude that they carry this genre. Songs like ‘’Ejhaph’’ have intros of native instruments that place a grand scale that can sound like some interludes of the best Nile albums. But we are thousands of miles from the Ancient Egypt Brutal Death metal bands territory.

6.0