Of all the places that metal has found a point to grow from across the globe, one of the places that I find to be the most intriguing whenever I hear new material from it has to undoubtedly be the Middle East. From Lelahell to Azooma to Al-Namrood, there is plenty of talent to go around to make for one of the most interesting scenes on the planet in my opinion. Arallu is definitely one of the acts at the forefront of the Middle Eastern scene with their great mix of black and folk metal bringing their culture’s musical influence to metal in a great way, and it’s with their seventh effort they astound yet again.
Even if I wasn’t aware of the power behind Arallu, just the very sight of the cover art would be enough for my eyebrows to raise in intrigue because the idea of any metal with a Middle Eastern theme sounds incredibly interesting to me. Arallu had already mastered the sound that they’ve been going for by the time they released their last effort a few years ago that’s easily their best, and it’s with “En Olam” that they only continue that positive streak. With ten tracks of unadulterated power and flavorful musicianship taken to the maximum for this band, there isn’t a single moment of what Arallu has risen here that isn’t meant to devastate to an apocalyptic degree as they tear through subjects of cruel slavery to immense sorcery to an unnerving interlude track that is all but perfect for this unrelenting effort. It all comes together with such ease that it’s incredibly clear to see how Arallu have earned a name for themselves with the brilliant array of Middle Eastern instruments that make tactical appearances throughout their work that help make “En Olam” become a much more interesting album to listen to. Even without them, this would be a compelling record as Arallu definitely know their way around some vicious black metal that’s immensely gripping to listen to that no matter which angle you view it from, “En Olam” is a voracious record that demands to be heard.
There are many noticeable releases that we get with each and every year, and yet, somehow, Arallu always manages to impress and this year is no different with this being arguably their most potent offering to date even after getting better with each record. There isn’t a single piece of “En Olam” that isn’t utterly compelling and it’s only by the end of this fiery experience that you can see the glorious destruction that has befallen us.
LISTEN to the title track from “En Olam” on Bandcamp here.
LIKE Arallu on Facebook here.
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