Desert Call-Myrath-2010

[Iceni]

Metal has a foothold in even the most obscure corners of the earth. Chaska blast some powerful folk-death from the Andes. Shngren represents the folk of China with their blackened folk/death metal. Ulytau's interesting instrumental combo hails from Kazakhstan. But what of Africa? Metal usually gets a hearing where there's a good GDP per capita, something most African countries lack. Sure, there are some bands from South Africa, Namibia and Botswana, but none of them really knocked me out with their talent. Then I heard about Myrath, this progressive metal band out of Tunisia, so I went to check them out. I was quite well-rewarded. 'Desert Call' was the album I got. We start with some muezzin call, progress into some folk drumming, and get whacked with a great riff which has heavy Arab influences yet still retains a great groove. The keyboards switch between many different folk instruments, and the vocalist sings in very clear English. And this is just the first song. 'Tempests of Sorrows' comes next. It's more heavy on the guitar but nevertheless retains a very North African flavor. The title track, 'Desert Call' is longer and more progressive, switching between riffs more regularly. We even get treated to a little bass solo. Then comes 'Madness'. This is my favorite off the album, even though it probably reuses some riffs too much. But they're great riffs - they have a wonderful Michael Romeo-esque catchiness to them. 'Ironic Destiny' and 'Empty Word' both have the progressive sound to them that you might expect from Empyrios, but with a definite North African interpretation. 'No Turning Back' is an odd man out because it blends the melodic sensibilities of bands like Serenity with the bands natural sound. Nevertheless, it's a strong track with good lyrics: Life is a game you can always play until you die. I won't give up, I'll carry on and fight. Like a lightning that strikes to shine on the darkest night, Believe in my faith, survive the deepest dark. 'Hard Times' is probably the most progressive tack. it drifts easily between Western-style riffs, more contemplative solos mixed with sitar and folk drumming, Arabic groove, and a bit of bass. You could certainly claim that Orphaned Land did it first, but (A) they are more Hebrew than Arab and ( they are not this technical. I like them, but I'm of the opinion that Myrath is a cut above. Perhaps, with a bit more support, this band could become well-known and lead a new generation of North African metalheads from Morocco, Algeria and possibly Egypt (if their nascent democracy stabilizes). Goodness knows we could do with more prog-heads, anyway. AkselJ and I are getting lonely. So, if you like high-quality progressive metal, definitely add this to your collection. http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Call-Myrath/dp/B0034ZU5BC (I used this link since the album code is really odd, and doesn't display the album.)