Preliminary Album Review: The Never Ending Way Of OrWarrior by Orphaned Land

Well, it’s the big day. 25 January 2010. After waiting six years for Israeli folk/death metallers Orphaned Land to follow their masterpiece Mabool, an album I christened one of the best metal albums of the 2000s, they have finally put out another album. The Never Ending Way Of OrWarrior (“warrior of light” in Hebrew) was originally tentatively slated for a late 2007 release, but given the band took eight years to put out Mabool after 1996’s El Norra Alila, I suppose it is just par for the course that it did not come out until now! Those of you in the US still have a tad more of a wait ahead of you: the album isn’t out there until the 9th of February.

This album is astonishingly complex and dense, both compositionally and thematically. I am currently on my fourth listen, but it is going to take longer than that for the album to fully sink in. The following represent just my earliest impressions.

Weekly Round Up 2

So we had a much slower week this week compared to last but none the less here’s the round up

Reviews
Ashley’s reivew of Big Country’s The Crossing
Ax reviews Mabool by Orphaned Land
Ax reviews Opeth’s Melbourne concert
John’s review of Tracers by Ash

Musings
Travis laments the downfall of Weezer
Ashley on why Tom Petty matters

Ashley on why Rihanna needs Timbaland

Best Metal Albums of the 2000s, vol. I: Mabool

This blog so far has a disturbing lack of metal. Well, I guess that’s why I’m here. I love metal. I think it is one of the most diverse and fascinating genres. You’ll pick up my biases in due course, but at a glance, they tend towards atmospheric albums (as in any genre I like), they focus on extreme genres such as black metal and progressive death metal, and I most love my metal when it 1). has something socio-political to say and/or 2). evokes the grandeur of winter and frigid, forsaken forests flanking the white mountains on which you will die.

Yes, metal has a bit of a bad reputation amongst the general public. Thanks to thrash bands and non-metal rubbish like metalcore (it’s derived from hardcore punk, people!) and nu-metal (do I even need to explain why every metal fan worth their salt will not associate their beloved genre with this bastard child of music?), many people seem to just write the genrre off. I have very little time for the false impression that metal is juvenile, rebellious music by teenagers that requires little talent and even less thought, and that you quickly grow out of it. Every genre has examples of that, and judging them by it would be absurd. Many of the most talented musicians alive play in metal bands, and I am not referring just to those with prodigious talent (though you’ll find few more accomplished bassists than Sean Malone or drummers than Jan Axel “Hellhammer” Blomberg). I am also referring to those who realise less is more, who are in love with atmosphere, who have something to say, and who realise that metal can be a very primal medium but at the same time can be exploited to say something complex directly to the core of the listener. I would like to introduce you to these people.

Let’s start with Orphaned Land. Specifically, their masterpiece from 2004, Mabool: The Story of the Three Sons of Seven.