Band:	Melechesh
Album:	The Epigenesis
Style:	Melodic black metal, Oriental folk metal
Release date:	October 2010

01. Ghouls Of Nineveh
02. Grand Gathas Of Baal Sin
03. Sacred Geometry
04. The Magickan And The Drones
05. Mystics Of The Pillar
06. When Halos Of Candles Collide
07. Defeating The Giants
08. Illumination - The Face Of Shamash
09. Negative Theology
10. A Greater Chain Of Being
11. The Epigenesis

The Epigenesis marks the first we've heard from the Sultans of Sumerian Sonic Slaughter since Emissaries was released four years ago. The band continues pretty much where they left off, playing what is basically at it's core midpaced melodic black metal.

Melodic black metal. Ho-hum. Don't we see enough of this?

Well, not quite like this.

The band, originally from Israel (they have since migrated to the Netherlands for personal and professional reasons) draw their primary influence from the ancient history of the region, going back to Sumerian and Mesopotamian times for imagery and lyrical themes. They also incorporate loads of scales and instruments that are foreign to many of our western ears. Or even our metal ears. (Quick. Name five albums that also feature a baglama saz, bendir, tar, and saz. )

The result is exceptional.

Thanks to the sneer of vocalist Ashmadi, and his teaming with ninja-guitarist Moloch for some great riffs with a fantastic tone provide what would be upper-rent melodic black metal if they just played it straight. These guys are undoubtedly quality musicians.

Now when you add to that foundation all of the exotic scales and instruments most of us have likely never heard of (right, sure, you have a santur lying around your house just gathering dust) it creates a wondrous atmosphere. The midpaced pieces, like "Sacred Geometry" and "Mystics Of The Pillar" have an almost ceremonial feel to them. The faster pieces on the album, such as "Grand Gathas Of Baal Sin" feel like the heated, whipping winds of a sirocco when they do surface, and punish the listener.

The album also features a couple wondrous instrumentals that further the mood of the album, while also providing a short respite from the assault.

The Epigenesis concludes with the vast and sprawling title track, an ambitious piece which goes of for 12 minutes, capturing the various moods and modes of the album into one hell of a closer.

I suppose in trying to describe the band and album, people might jump to "Melechesh is to melodic BM what Nile is to DM"... but that is only a partially accurate way of looking at it. With Nile, it's an Egyptian-enthusiast's Egyptian themed metal band. This has a more organic, natural feel. It's not a "Sumerian themed" metal album so much as a Sumerian metal album. If that makes sense.

While the songs are enjoyable, largely for their "uniqueness" when projected against most of the MDM landscape, the album is perhaps a bit long - it's about a full hour in before the epic closer starts... but if the band continues to put out albums only during World Cup years, I'd rather get too much than not enough.