(We welcome Israeli metal writer Rafi Yovell to NCS, and for his inaugural review he brings us the following discussion of a new album by the Middle Eastern Black Metal band Arallu which was released by Arallu and Satanath Records on October 31st of this year and comes recommended for fans of Melechesh, Al-Namrood, and Behemoth.)
20 years ago, Israeli black/folk metal band Arallu released Demon from the Ancient World, which many fans consider to be among the group’s finest work yet. Since then, most of their earlier albums got remasters, so it seemed making one for Demon from the Ancient World was only a matter of time. But instead, this Halloween, we got hit with a full-blown re-recording under the title DMoon from the Ancient World.
That begs the question, however: how does it compare to the original? Is it a worthy remake, or just another failed experiment?
You know the drill by now. Stick around and find out!
Before we get into the contents of DMoon, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, the thing that makes it vastly different from the original version: the production.
Demon from the Ancient World’s production was as stripped-down and bare-bones as one could possibly hope to imagine, and though people eventually came to recognize this as a strength, the album was hated by critics upon release.
And yeah, Demon from the Ancient World’s sound design isn’t meant to be accommodating, but what I think is awesome about it is that you can hear every single instrument in the mix. Don’t get me wrong, it still sounds like it was recorded in a basement with the instruments all replaced by cheap knockoffs built by cavemen, yet everything’s surprisingly balanced.
For example, just listen to this song from the original release:
Now, compare that song to the version from the DMoon remake:
As you can hear, DMoon sounds a lot more crisp in comparison. Very much the complete opposite of the original. Surprisingly enough, however, it still holds onto a lot of the qualities that made the 2005 release so great. The melody’s still there, the excellent songwriting hasn’t lost a step, and given the region’s events preceding the releases of both albums, they share a similar savagery in tone.
Arallu have always drawn their intensity from regional conflicts, and without getting into politics, it’s safe to say they’ve had their fair share to work with recently. Consequently, I don’t think we’ve gotten an Arallu album this angry since 2002’s Satanic War in Jerusalem.
On top of that, the Middle Eastern folk influences are much more pronounced in the remake than the original, providing a whole new layer of atmosphere while doubling as a perfect excuse to add moody intros to “Dingir Xul”, “The Devil’s Massacre”, and “War Spirit”.
As far as band performance is concerned, the musicianship has been sharpened to a diamond-cutting edge. Butchered’s vocal performance is as awesome as ever, but I think the addition of Gal “Pixel” and Haim Nakav on guitars, as well as drum wizard Nir Nakav, help elevate DMoon’s musicianship far above its source material. We’ve even gotten some new guitar solos!
However, my enthusiasm for DMoon is tempered by concerns about the mix. As stated earlier, Demon from the Ancient World’s production was raw, yet nothing stood out more than it should have. In DMoon, the hi-hat cymbals are loud, and too often overpower the mix. Given a typical drum kit’s layout, that’s often a potential problem but one that producers and sound technicians can overcome.
It’s worth mentioning that DMoon shares the same producer as Arallu’s two previous albums, En Olam and Death Covenant: Dory Bar-Or (check out his death metal band Eternal Gray, they’re really good!). En Olam and Death Covenant both sound great, and neither one had anything resembling DMoon’s hi-hat volume issue, so the reason why this snag wasn’t fixed here is a mystery.
To be clear, I mention this drawback in an effort to be constructive. I love Arallu with all my heart and soul, and want them to improve in the future. Hell, one of my most frequently used picks is an Arallu pick with Butchered’s signature; this band means a lot to me:
Perhaps I’m making too big a deal out of this, in the context of an album that otherwise would have been easy to rate 10/10. Others may not have the same reaction. In my case Arallu’s phenomenal track record has built astronomical expectations, and that makes it difficult to overlook perceived shortcomings. I remain eager to hear how Arallu follow up this new album.
Follow Arallu on social media, and to those who wish to give DMoon a listen, I’ll be providing a link to its Bandcamp page. And for all intents and purposes, stay metal, my friends!
Arallu’s socials:
Bandcamp
Spotify
Apple Music
YouTube
Instagram
Facebook
