Amaseffer is one of the best rising Prog Metal bands. If you like oriental influenced prog, this album is for you.
Now I see a lot of shitty tags under progressive oriental metal, but I assure you that this one is for real. I enjoyed the release 5 months ago, and I still enjoy it now.
Highlights: Slaves for Life, Ten Plagues.
You will hear one of the most amazing riffs, and one of the most talented vocals ever ! Catchiness is included as well. Synthesizers and effects dominate throughout the whole album, giving the songs an orchestral like composition. Possibly the best oriental themes you will ever hear in your life ! Way better than Orphaned Land.
The band is from Israel, and so far, (according to my listening experience off course), middle eastern bands have always delivered great work in that oriental domain. If we had to compare Amaseffer’s sound, it would be a mix of Myrath, definitely Orphaned Land and Therion (the vocalist in Amaseffer is Therion’s vocalist which does an incredible job on the album). The whole album is a story, it’s like a theater, a concept album just like “Scenes of a Memory”, but this time the stories are from the bible, and they follow a chronological order:
The album starts with an Jewish like intro that would definitely put your imagination back 5000 ago, in ” The Land of Two Horizons”. “Sorrow” puts you in that misery ambiance that was dominating in the slavery era. (Jewish people were enslaved by Egyptians, where pharaohs rules).
“Slaves for Life”: the epic track in the album (not the literal sense of epic since all the tracks are). The tune starts exactly like any oriental metal fan would die to hear. The song builds up, and the vocalist starts singing with his lovely high pitch. It talks about a biblical concept, the story at the times of Moses. The music is in sync with the story.
(I quote something from the song which is really important: “look for a sign in the big red sky, look for something we might never find, if god exists please tell us why, must we die in the clutchy hands of evil”, now i don t really want to go into politics, but that sentence is fundamental to all jews around the world who remember the days of their suffering till this day, but funny how they contradict themselves, and now that Israelis have become the pharaohs, and the Palestinians have become the Jews…)
“Birth of Deliverance ” starts with an epic “glory” like symphony, as if hope was finally in the hands of the jews. The song turns into a “him” like tune, with a happy tune. The solo is very well executed, do not expect Petrucci shreds like, but more of David Gilmour feel.
“Midian”: 4 minutes of total symphony, then guitars join in with very tasteful “arabiesque” riffing (reference to Therion riffs), progressive song 100 % with some screams and growls (the first appearance of them in the whole album), with so much anger, you can feel the anger pumping… NO need to talk about the vocalist’s monstrous vocal techniques, accompanied by the guitarist’s growls. At 9:00, the guitarist pays a wonderful melodic high riffing, and the song ‘starts’ to end…
“Zipporah”: Nothing metal about that song, close to Marcel Khalife tunes and Julio Inglesias: Duet Jewish girl and lead vocals. If you are fan of “tarab”, this song is for you.
“Burning Bush”: A nice non catchy balad with a nice solo at the end.
“The Wooden Staff”: Starts with an epic guitar solo, battle like, representing the power that the wooden stick of Moses held. The song is the INSTRUMENTAL of the album, where the guitarist does a fantastic guitar work… Progressive work all the way, the song progresses with amazing metal riffs, and amazing guitar solo and clean works. Must check catchy and ambient.
“Return to Egypt”: Another instrumental, but this time no significant guitar work, and mostly focus on the symphonic power of an orchestra… sort of like a movie soundtrack
“Ten Plagues”: I can write a full article about that song. THIS IS THE SONG. It’s one of my favorite tracks of all time. BEST VOCALS WORK I HAVE EVER HEARD. MOST CATCHY RIFFS AND TUNES. BEST RIFF I HAVE EVER HEARD ON 4: 33, the best best best riff in the world >>> PROGRESSIVE GUITAR WORK + AMAZING KEYBOARD ACCOMPANIMENT. Everytime i want someone to listen to the band, i give him THIS SONG, because it’s absolutely a killer track. 200 /10 >> yes THAT amazing.
“Land of the Dead”: You’ve listened to Ten Plagues, and you still have the will to listen to Land of the Dead ??? No i don t think so, i think your media player will keep on repeating ten plagues for 1 month, too bad you won t listen to Land of the Dead, cause it’s a good track, but of course 0 compared to Ten Plagues!
