Tracks
1. Ghouls Of Nineveh
2. Grand Gathas Of Baal Sin
3. Sacred Geometry
4. The Magickan And The Drones
5. Mystics Of The Pillar
6. When Halos Of Candles Collide
7. Defeating the Giants
8. Illumination - The Face Of Shamash
9. Negative Theology
10. The Greater Chain Of Being
11. The Epigenesis

Band:
Ashmedi – vocals, guitar, Kkyboards
Moloch – guitar
Xul – drums, percussion
Rahm – bass

Discography:
As Jerusalem Burns... (Demo, 1995)
The Siege of Lachish (EP, 1995)
As Jerusalem Burns...Al´Intisar (1996)
Djinn (2001)
Sphynx (2003)
The Ziggurat Scrolls (EP, 2004)
Emissaries (2006)

Guests:

Info
Recorded at the Babajim Studio in Istanbul, Turkey. Mixed by Reuben de Lautour.
Mastered by Pieter Snapper.
Cover art by John Coulthart.

Released 1/10-2010
Reviewed 25/10-201

Links:
melechesh.com
myspace
nuclearblast

Metal with middle eastern influences, can that be something? Well, I am always interested in discovering new and interesting music so why not? The cover looks rather interesting with lots of small and interesting elements, kind of like the musical part of the record, lots of elements that is.

As I already have hinted this has lots of small elements of different musical elements in it. This album has a heavy and massive musical landscape which is scattered with pieces of music from the middle eastern side of things. One thing that musically strikes me is the heavy use of repetitive riffing in the songs and that it is based in the darker side of things, in the extreme metal.

The record is well produced which of course is something positive, what is not so positive though is that the production and cover feels like the only thing that is well thought out. The songs feel more like they are put together through a riff and the some random elements are placed all through the songs and record. It’s a quite heavy task to listen through the entire record and even harder to actually start playing it. It feels more like a random collection of sounds than coherent record with songs.

You might think I am too tough or that I do not understand and sure you might be right in the latter but I do listen to a lot of difficult and different music so I think I am well equipped to understand most kinds of music. The fact is that now that I sit to write about this record I cannot seem to remember how any of the songs sound and it is just fortunate that I was looking ahead and have been writing small notes on what to write while listening to it as it has not given me any lasting impression, well other than boredom.

I think that the most interesting part of this record is the middle eastern, Jerusalem background of the band and the fact that it was recorded and produced in Turkey. Musically it really has nothing to offer me, it has not made any lasting impression on me.

In the end I just say that this record is just a mess of random noises and really nothing whatsoever that appeals to me, no really bad, just boring.

HHHHHHH

Label - Nuclear Blast
Three similar bands - //
Rating: HHHHHHH
Reviewer: Daniel Källmalm