Narjahanam - "Undama Tath'hur Al Shams Mn Al Gharb" [2007]

Artist: نار جهنم

Title: عندما تظهر الشمس من الغرب
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Bahrain
Release date: 2007

Track List:

1. That Alamat Al Nujoom / تحت علامات النجوم
2. Laheeb Al Nar / لهيب النار
3. Al Jihad / الجهاد
4. Al Shar Wa Aljan / الشر والجن
5. Rayat Al Mowt / رايات الموت
6. Nehaya Wa Bedaya / نهاية وبداية
7. Huroob Al Zaman Al Akheer / حروب الزمن الأخير
8. Yown Al Maw’oud / اليوم الموعود
9. Al Aukhera / الآخرة

Although Bahrain is only a small island in the Persian Gulf, it has a considerably bigger metal scene than in many other Middle Easten countries. Narjahanam (which means "Hellfire" in Arabic, I believe) is a pagan/black metal duo from Bahrain formed in 2004. According to the official biography:

"Narjahanam started off as a side project of Gravedom in the middle of the year 2004. The only reason Narjahanam started is because the ideas and concepts of the songs and lyrical theme did not fit with Gravedom since the lyrics are only in Arabic for Narjahanam, so both Gravedom and Narjahanam have different concepts"

Although the quality of production isn't perfect, and the sound of whole whole album is too "old school", "Undama Tath'hur Al Shams Mn Al Gharb" features a very interesting mix of dark metal (whatever it may mean) and oriental melodies. For some it may seem somewhat monotonous, but nevertheless it contains several really catchy tracks ("Al Jihad", for instance).

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Damaar - "Triumph Through Spears of Sacrilege" [2006]

Artist: Damaar (دمار)

Title: Triumph Through Spears of Sacrilege
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Lebanon
Release date: 2006

Track List:

1. فسق
2. Preaching for Mass Suicide
3. The Goatphoenix
4. Desecration (Blasphemy cover)
5. Ode to Blasphemy (Onward to the Gates of Mekka)

One more Lebanese band who knows how to play really brutal black metal! As far as I know, the name "Damaar" means "Destruction" in Arabic, and they haven't released anything beside this 2006 demo (they seem to have relocated to Australia after 2006 Israeli-Lebanese war, and then split up). Anyway, the demo is just great, and definitely recommended to any fan of extreme metal.

"While most bands fantasize about war and glorify violence they have never witnessed; Damaar hail from Lebanon (formed in 2004) where war perpetually looms. Furthermore, Damaar’s devotion to metal can hardly be questioned. In order to protect themselves from retaliation by the government, they were forced to distribute their demo by mp3 rather than tape or CD. Thus in the face powerful religious zealots, Damaar persisted in pursuing its evil directives. After relocating to Australia, Damaar was able to finally send out a proper (non-mp3) master and collect artwork for the vinyl release of their demo on NWN! This assault is pure aural bestial blasphemy in the style of Black Witchery, Revenge and others. Conceptually, Damaar invoke anti-religious warfare towards all those weak and feeble-minded followers of all false gods. The band is currently inactive following its move to Australia and its future is uncertain"

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Ayat - "Six Years Of Dormant Hatred" [2008]

Artist: Ayat

Title: Six Years Of Dormant Hatred
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Lebanon
Release date: 2008

Track List:

1. Ilahiya Khinzir! (All Hail Allah the Swine)
2. Fornication And Murder
3. The Fine Art of Arrogance Part One (The Icon And The Cattle)
4. Collective Suicide in The Boudoir (Feeling Wonderful Tonight)
5. Puking Under Radiant Moonlight (Followed by a Century Long Ejaculation)
6. Misogyny When We Embrace
7. Necronarcos (Tame You Death)
8. Curses! Curses! and Never Sleep...
9. Thousands of Pissed Motherfuckers...
10. Such a Beautiful Day! (The Exaltation of Saint Francis)

I'm continuing to explore the Middle Eastern black metal scene, and now here's a band from a country that has experienced two wars in the last 50 years (including a 15 year-long civil war between various religious factions - that, however, failed to solve the problem of sectarian hatred within the population of Lebanon...) Their music is surprisingly good - brutal, raw, "punkish" industrial black metal that can be described as "Aborym using Middle Eastern melodies". Ayat isn't specifically an anti-Islamic band, but they're speaking against any forms of religious establishment.

LINK REMOVED

Nokturnal Forest - "To Embrace the Nocturnal Hymns" [2010]

Artist: Nokturnal Forest

Title: To Embrace the Nocturnal Hymns
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Syria
Release date: 2010

Track List:

1. Through A Winter Night...
2. Transylvanian Darkness
3. Bloodied Tears
4. March Of The Nocturnal Path
5. Black Millenium (Mutiilation Cover)

"To Embrace the Nocturnal Hymns" is the latest release by Nokturnal Forest up to date. It's much better produced and more atmospheric than "Cleansed By The Evil Hand", so I'd say the band is moving in the right direction. They definitely need a better vocalist, though... but I guess it's very hard to find any metal musicians in Syria.

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Nokturnal Forest - "Cleansed By The Evil Hand" [2010]

Artist: Nokturnal Forest

Title: Cleansed By The Evil Hand
Genre: Black Metal
Country: Syria
Release date: 2010

Track List:

1. Intro
2. Transilvanian Darkness
3. Sabbath Of A Thousand Young
4. Sacrifice The Immolation
5. The Nocturnal Forest
6. With Wrath So Divine (Dhul-Qarnayn Cover)
7. Outro
8. Evil Church (Enthroned Cover)

One more raw black metal demo from a Middle Eastern country which is currently in state of civil war. Hope al-Assad will find a compromise with the rebels, and Syria won't follow the path of Libya...

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The Silver Shine - "Same Old Song" [2011]

Artist: The Silver Shine

Title: Same Old Song
Genre: Psychobilly
Country: Hungary
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Homeward Bound
2. I Sold my Soul for Rock and Roll
3. Screeeaam!!! (Timmy Version)
4. Forbidden Zone
5. Anyhow
6. Kamikaze Stomp
7. Crazy Babe
8. Power Cut
9. Angels to Some
10. Burning Dices

This new release from The Silver Shine isn't disappointing, although it isn't really a new album, just a collection of re-recorded old tracks (hence the name "Same Old Song"). By the way, they're not just a psychobilly band, but a straight edge psychobilly band! Although I'm not really SxE (I do drink alcohol... but only a little, and on very rare occasions), it's a good thing in my book (unless it's hardline/militant/nazi SxE... but I guess it's apparently not the case with Silver Shine).

Where to download it? Well... just type in google "Silver Shine Same Old Song mediafire", and you most likely will immediately find the link you need.

Kids Of The Streets - "Get Off!" [2011]

Artist: Kids Of The Streets

Title: Get Off!
Genre: Oi!
Country: Russia
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. A Good Day
2. One Of Us
3. Get Off!
4. Mountain River

Another Russian punk (more precisely: oi!/streetpunk) band who can play good music by international standards, and sing in English without heavy accent. Kids Of The Streets are S.H.A.R.P. skinheads from Moscow region who released their debut LP in 2010. Here's their newest 4-track EP, "Get Off!".

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Cracked Core & Brandkommando - "The Root Causes of Social Dysfunction" [2011]

Artist: Cracked Core + Brandkommando
Title: The Root Causes of Social Dysfunction
Label: Mental Excitement
Genre: Industrial / Noise / Power Electronics
Country: Russia / Poland
Release date: 2011

Track List:

1. Bioconverter
2. Ma$$ Media
3. Under Pressure
4. Social Phobia
5. TV Noise

This product of collaboration between two experimental/industrial musicians - Cracked Core (Russia) and Brandkommando (Poland) - is one of the most interesting noise/PE albums of the last year, and the first release I'll post here in this year. AFAIK Brandkommando is known for his laconic manner of speech, so I'll follow his example and be brief: it's very noisy release. Much more noisy than any of the solo works by Cracked Core.

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