Arallu “Battleground”
Israeli extreme metal band Arallu returns with a new version of the track “Battleground”.
Being a black metal band hailing from a “holy” city constantly involved in wars, battles and terrorism has certainly coloured Arallu’s creative output. The immense clash of cultures has resulted in an extreme metal band with a difference. The Arallu album “The Demon from the Ancient World” was released in 2005. It had a bunch of great songs but weak production. Now the band has addressed that by re-recording it. The new version of the album will be released with the slightly amended title “D-Moon from the Ancient World”.
The first single from the re-recorded album is “Battleground”. It is a fascinating and sinister track. It is full of twists, but, for the most part, this is a runaway freight train kind of track. Arallu is perhaps best described as raw black metal with thrash metal parts and Middle Eastern influences. Arallu consists of Butchered, aka Genie King Arallu, on vocals and bass, Gal Pixel and Haim Death Nakav on guitars and Nir Death Nakav on drums.
Butchered has led this band from the front since he founded it in Jerusalem in 1997. Managing an extreme metal band based in Israel has never been easy for Butchered. Religious wars tend to be obstacles but have also inspired the band’s lyrical themes. Somehow Butchered has soldiered on and managed to keep the band going with records being released and some (but enough) gigs happening. With a promising new album in the works, let’s hope that Arallu will get to play plenty of gigs. They have a terrific catalogue of great music that hasn’t been performed live as much as it deserves.
Arallu’s single “Battleground” will be released on 29th November. The full re-recorded album is expected to be released in 2025.
Photo credit: Maria Engler
