Arallu Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording of the new album?

B: hello from Jerusalem , I'm Butchered the main member of the band .
We recorded our new album around January to march of this year. When we finished all including the album cover art we sent all to our label to start work for this new release and we out for our new tour around Czech republic, Slovakia and Germany of 9 shows with some songs from this upcoming album, now we're just waiting to see if people will like the album and we hope for invitations to perform from europe, the US and asia.

2.In September you have a new album coming out, how would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the recording and also how does it differ from the stuff you have released in the past?

B:  Musically, we describe our style as Middle Eastern black metal. We're inspired by the old school black metal roots mix with our special Middle Eastern elements. So I believe it's coming naturally inside our style because we live it since we was born.


3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the newer music?

B: The full concept of Arallu is around the ultimate war over the Middle East because we living it "SIX" like the other albums of the band is talking about the situation around the Middle East as it crawls to Europe and the US, and some personal issues we deal with our everyday life.
Like the song "Adonay" is talking about a simple man from Jerusalem killed by terrorist attack and left behind him a huge world of people who loved him, but actually this song was talking about the last days of my grandfather who really suffered before he died a few months ago…. He was my model and I really admired him. The song "Possessed by Sleep" that's about the murder of a little girl named Hilel Yafe Ariel while she was sleeping and the terrorist killed her in bed. When you live around Jerusalem and you have 3 children all you're thinking about is how to keep them safe in this horrible world. From the other aspect we have the song "Soulless Soldier" is about a soldier in the army service that is fighting the wars around Israel and when he killed a terrorist who tried to kill soldiers the government put him to trail for that. Its absurd. Arallu is the horn of the situation in the Middle East and specially the horn of the wars all around the years in Jerusalem. We don't look for paper news Headlines. We play and live black metal from the 90's.  Its more than a decade that Arallu screaming about the global terror. "Satanic War In Jerusalem" our second album from 2002 ,talking about the situation in Jerusalem that spread to the all-world. I write this album in 2001 when the Islamic terror attack everywhere in Israel and especially in Jerusalem. Unfortunately "Satanic War In Jerusalem become a self-fulfilling prophecy and today we all know it. "The War On The Wailing Wall" our debut album from 1999,was the mixed between our day life and extreme black metal Against religions. We play a risky music. Those who understand the main idea behind our music will like it but not every magazine really listens for what he received from bands all around the world. When I writing my music and  my lyrics I'm not looking for some victories.  This album talking about  the wars of today as ISIS are trying to destroy and kill anyone who doesn’t agree with their religious views. Like in the song "Only One Truth". Arallu concept is the mirror of the human race, hypocrisy of the governments all around the world including Israel, and the unwillingness and fear to fight against the extreme religion leaders. We live in the Middle East as u know. the situations here are not easy here in Jerusalem and Israel. We live in days of war religions, and religions hatred that inspired our music and lyrics. i mean I'm looking for something fresh ,something no one touched before.  Because our music is a mix with extremely black metal music and Arabian / Middle Eastern music is very hard to understand it in the first listening. Usually people who like extreme black metal don’t like the Middle Eastern parts and vise versa, when we wrote this album we knew its risky and we know it from the debut album from 1999, but Arallu always looks to bring something different to the global metal scene and we are doing it in a small steps…

4.I know that the bands name comes from Mesopotamian Mythology, can you tell us a little bit more about your interest in this topic?

B: The name Arallu comes from the ancient  world in the Middle Eastern culture of Mesopotamia. He is one of the strongest demons that live inside the wailing wall under the golden dome and shocking the ground from Jerusalem to the entire world. The ground of Mesopotamia is Soaked with blood from ancient times until the battles of today. This  area is cursed by  the ancient demons and  peace will never see here. Arallu talk about exactly this, and the link between the ancient world and the modern world, that very much resembles each other. We wake up every day to new horror in our life, and we are explore the reasons why, and the religions process from then to today.
We come from Jerusalem and there's never been stability in the area, and I think never will be, but let's hope for good.

5.On the earlier albums a lot of the lyrics leaned more towards the occult and satanic side, do any of these practices still play a role in your life?

B: Arallu concepts never change. we are artist. to use always the word Satan or Lucifer is Meaningless, we trying  to describe the situation around the middle east . we  like to  use a big Vocabulary to explain the situation and not ro repeat ourselves.

6.In the beginning the band was a solo project, what was the decision behind forming a full line up?

B: to write the music was not a problem, I didn’t want to play alone. The human binges live as a society u knows. In groups. To play with more people is more fun.

7.In the mid 90's when you formed the band there was not many middle eastern black metal bands or many from Israel except for you and a few more famous ones, do you feel you have had a huge influence on the later black metal bands from your part of the world?

B: I think you're right .even if the bands don’t tell it they know it…

8.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

B: one of the best shows of Arallu for my opinion is the show with Behemoth in Israel of 2014, our show in "Metalgate fest" in Cz was great as well, and our release album show from "GENIEWAR" album as well. When the people react like a maniacs in your show u can know that is a good one. We bring 666% from ourselves every show . we play from our heart and u can see it in our YouTube channel. I think Arallu as a band give really cool shows.

9.Do you have any touring or show plans once the new album is released?

B: for now we have nothing for sure . we are in contact with a few metal festivals and Europe tour and its will be a honor for us to come play in your great country as well!

10.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your newer music by fans of black and extreme metal?

B: some people like our music and some other hate it. When you're  working for a special sound its normally that u split the listeners into two groups. But I follow after the album reviews, and like our lasts album "GENIEWAR"  SIX touched people and we recieve great reviews all around the world so we are all happy.

11.Are any of the band members currently involved with any other bands or musical projects these days?

B: Omri and Assaf are involved in an Israeli alternative rock band name "fixed Stars" and Gal play guitar in the Israeli death metal band name "Lehavoth".

12.Where do you see the band heading into musically during the future?

B: we hope to keep with full force of creating unique music, and we really hope to play on the main stage of Brutal Assault and Hell Fest…. Who knows maybe we finally will do it….

13.What are some of the bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

B: Arallu main roots inspired by the old school black metal band as ,Venom, old Slayer, Bathory, Celtic frost .I'm inspired a lot from King Diamond, deicide, morbid Angel, I really liked the new Satyricon, the last album by Paradise Lost, Abbath, and Watain. The last Mayhem is great as well.

14.Before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

B: thank u for your great interview , and for your great review and I hope to come play for u in the near future.

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