Arallu

Summary

Arallu is an Israeli extreme metal band. As one of the members of the Jerusalem extreme metal scene, Arallu has "thrived off the seeming contradiction of its location within a 'holy' city."[1]

Arallu
OriginMa'ale Adumim
GenresBlack metal, thrash metal, oriental metal, death metal, war metal
Years active1999–present
LabelsRaven Music, Legion of Death, The End, Epidemic
MembersMoti "Butchered" Daniel
Gal "Pixel" Cohen
Assaf Kassimov
Omri Yagen
Eylon Bart
Past membersAvi Caspi
Yossi Darmon
Alex Schuster
Ben Fisher
Sergei "Metalheart" Nemichenitser
Yonathan Dushnitzki
Yaniv Zada

History edit

Arallu was created as the solo project of Moti "Butchered" Daniel, a bass guitarist who has performed live with Melechesh.[2] The debut album The War on the Wailing Wall arrived in 2001 and featured "a drum machine programmed to ludicrous speed".[3] In 2002, Arallu released their "iconoclastic"[citation needed] second album Satanic War in Jerusalem.[1] Nir Nakav from the band Salem was responsible for the drums and the traditional goblet drum while Daniel performed on all other instruments and vocals.[citation needed] The album featured a cover version of Slayer's "Evil Has No Boundaries". Daniel expanded the band's line-up after the release of this album and a DVD Visual Chaos Invasion was released in the following year.[2]

In September 2003, Daniel's brother was kidnapped and held to ransom by guerrillas from the Colombian organisation Ejército de Liberación Nacional. Daniel was successful in negotiating for his brother's release.[2]

The year 2005 saw the release of Arallu's third album The Demon From The Ancient World with guest performers from various Israeli acts including Zeev Tananboim of Salem.[4] Daniel returned the favor with a guest performance on Salem's chart-topping Strings Attached album.[5]

In September 2007, Arallu opened for Mayhem's concert in Tel Aviv. .[6] Their fourth album Desert Battles - Descending to the Sands was released in 2009. The footage from the performance was filmed and is scheduled for release in 2010 as the band's second DVD "The Ultimate War".[6]

In January 2008, Arallu was interviewed for the metal movie Global Metal by Sam Dunn.

On August 28, 2009, the band was the opening act for Behemoth on their show at the Barby club in Tel Aviv, along with Arafel.[7]

In September 2011, the band went on their first European tour, playing five dates between September 9–13, 2011, in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.[8]

In October 2012, the band went on their second European tour, playing 5 dates between October 19–28 in Austria, Switzerland and Hungary Between October 22–25, the band recorded a new single, "Desert Genii Storm", in Sourmash Studio in Switzerland; it was produced by Dave Snow in May 2013 the band open for Enlsaved at riding Tel Aviv, October 2013 the band went their third European tour playing 8 Dates between October 18– November 3 in Austria, Hungary, Switzerland and Germany.

Style edit

Arallu performs black metal with oriental influences and touches of thrash metal. Critic Roberto Marinelli describes their style as "reminiscent of early Venom, Sodom, and Voivod: thrashy, monochromatic, underproduced and full of ideas that far outstrip their abilities".[9] Daniel has remarked in an interview that Arallu's style has to be oriental, thrashy and barbaric "all at once".[10]

Band members edit

  • Moti "Butchered" Daniel - lead vocals, bass (1997–present) drum programming (1997-2001), guitars (1997-2003)
  • Gal "Pixel" Cohen - guitars, backing vocals (2007–present)
  • Omri Yagen - guitars (2014–present)
  • Assaf Kassimov - drums, percussion (2014–present)

Former members edit

  • Yonatan Dushnitzki - drums, percussion (2003–2014)
  • Sergei "Metalheart" Nemichenitser - guitars (2010–2013)
  • Yossi Darmon - guitars (2004–2010)
  • Avi Caspi - guitars (1999–2007)
  • Alex Schuster - guitars (2003–2004)
  • Ben Fisher - drums, percussion (2001–2003)
  • Yaniv Zada - "soul beating" doom percussion instruments, wind instrument (2006–2010)

Timeline edit

Discography edit

Studio albums edit

  • The War on the Wailing Wall (1999, Reissue 2009)
  • Satanic War in Jerusalem (2002, Reissue 2011)
  • The Demon from the Ancient World (2005)
  • Desert Battles - Descending to the Sands (2009)
  • GENIEWAR (2015)
  • Six (2017)
  • En Olam (2019)
  • Death Covenant (2022)

EPs edit

  • At War against God (2001)
  • Magen Jerusalem 7" (2009)

DVDs edit

  • Visual Chaos Invasion (2003)
  • The Ultimate War (2010)
  • Middle Eastern Battlefield (2016)

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b Kahn Harris 2007, p. 115
  2. ^ a b c Sharpe-Young, Garry. "Arallu". Rockdetector. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
  3. ^ Martinelli, Roberto. "Satanic War in Jerusalem review". Maelstrom.nu. Archived from the original on 2007-08-31. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
  4. ^ "ARALLU: Hard At Work On New Album". Blabbermouth.net. 2005-03-14. Retrieved 2008-07-27.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ "SALEM's 'Strings Attached' Tops Israeli Metal Chart". Blabbermouth.net. 2005-06-06. Retrieved 2008-07-27.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ a b "ARALLU: New Album Title Announced". Blabbermouth.net. 2008-02-22. Archived from the original on 2013-02-01. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
  7. ^ "Poster". Archived from the original on 16 July 2012.
  8. ^ "Arallu tours, tickets, shows". Last.fm. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  9. ^ Martinelli, Roberto. "he Demon from the Ancient World review". Maelstrom.nu. Archived from the original on 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
  10. ^ Puhl, Carl. "Interview with Butchered and Yonatan of Arallu". Lordsofmetal.nl. Retrieved 2008-07-27.

References edit

  • Kahn-Harris, Keith (2007). Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge. Oxford: Berg Publishers. ISBN 978-1-84520-399-3.

External links edit

  • Arallu at Myspace
  • Interviews and reviews