When you think of Black Metal, your mind goes to cold and windy mountainous regions, full of darkness and solitude. You imagine a place desolated by the sins of Christianity and the return of pagan traditions. It’s all extremely Eurocentric, right? Well, I’ve been waiting for this album to drop in my mailbox for a while because Al-Namrood – Al Aqrab comes from the last place you associate with Black Metal. That’s right, I’m talking about Riyadh in Saudi Arabia! We made it, my siblings in faith! We’ve reached all corners of this planet. That’s moving, but is Al Aqrab any good? Time to roll out!
On the surface, Al Aqrab isn’t offering anything new; it’s Black Metal with deep Folk influences, but the way it’s done is well integrated. Both traditions intertwine in a way that enhances their strengths. Instead of imagining snowy mountains in Northern Europe or North America, I’m left with the opposite scenario: a barren desert, devoid almost of all life, that incinerates your flesh in the mornings and freezes your soul at night. This duality is made possible thanks to the balance Al-Namrood offers in its performance. Yes, there can be gimmicky Folk music sections, but they don’t get cheesy.
I’ve had to confront my own prejudices here because I expected True Kvlt production from this album, but in reality, this thing sounds pretty clean and crisp, but not excessively so. There are still tiny specks of dirt that remind you this is still the Black Metal you’ve grown to love/hate. More and more bands are finding ways to properly integrate their Folk traditions into Metal without making it a goofy fetish (Blackbraid and Panopticon are perhaps the most famous examples). I’m happy to say that Al-Namrood can proudly join that club, even if its approach is more familiar in the sub-genre. However, there are things to keep in mind before starting your expedition into the desert.
Al Aqrab is still a relatively safe endeavor (I know this is ridiculous to say considering the human rights track record of the nation and how risky playing extreme Metal can be in some places), but in the sense that it sticks to a formula. One that is performed greatly, but it’s still a formula we know well. There are also interludes and passages I didn’t find as interesting, and though I loved the Thrash changes in “Tarjif,” it did feel like a track from a totally different album. So, it was more of an issue of thematic consistency than anything else.
Still, this is extremely fascinating Metal that doesn’t come around every day. It’s different enough to get you curious but familiar enough to not make you too uncomfortable; you creature of habit! Therefore, I’d give it a chance or even two. Time to ditch your skis and pick up your Toyota Yaris (if you’re Saudi, you get the joke, noob!) for a voyage into a never-ending sandstorm.
Label: Shaytan Productions
Release date: 9 June, 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/alnamroodofficial/
Country: Saudi Arabia
Score: hundreds of scorpions stinging you at once, or 3.5/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 