Band:	Orphaned Land
Album:	Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs
Style:	Oriental folk metal, Progressive metal, Symphonic metal
Release date:	January 26, 2018
A review by:	Darkside Momo

01. The Cave
02. We Do Not Resist
03. In Propaganda
04. All Knowing Eye
05. Yedidi
06. Chains Fall To Gravity
07. Like Orpheus
08. Poets Of Prophetic Messianism
09. Left Behind
10. My Brother's Keeper
11. Take My Hand
12. Only The Dead Have Seen The End of War
13. The Manifest - Epilogue

According to most Orphaned Land fans, the quality went downhill - if ever so slowly - since Mabool... but a masterpiece is hard to top anyway. So, what about Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs? (NB: that'll be UP&DM for short)
First thing you'll probably notice is that it really follows up on All Is One with its symphonic leanings and choirs, clean-sung choruses, and general oriental-take-on-metal songwriting. But there are some differences, though.

UP&DM is a bit more adventurous and complex than All Is One. Sure, it still heavily features the pop-rock / easily accessible sound of All Is One, so just like previously it also tends to drag down a bit. And well, at times it really feels more Myrath than Orphaned Land, like on "Take My Hand" or "Like Orpheus" (the bands influencing each other works both ways it seems!).

But, thankfully, we have proggier songs, starting with the tremendous opener "The Cave"... And we've also got some aggression back, with grunts! Yes, Kobi's growling again - even if it's not that much. Oh, sure, if you liked All Is One because of Kobi's fantastic clean soulful vocals, you're in for a treat here, as I'm wondering if he didn't get even better. The choirs are used to great effect on the whole (still, I found the 'propaganda' chorus shout to be cringe-worthy), but nowhere better than on "Chains Fall To Gravity". My oh my, they're why this fantastic song is so moving - and the solo Genesis's Steve Hackett performs does add a nice touch too .

As usual with Orphaned Land, you'll find Middle-Eastern folk influence throughout... But I have to say that "Yedidi", the traditional number, is seriously their worse by far, and doesn't stand the comparison with any of their previous (be it "Aldiar Al Mukadisa", "Olat Ha'tamid", "Norra El Norra"...). Otherwise, well, it obviously works fine as always!


"Like Orpheus", the first single, introduces the album's second guest, Blind Guardian's Hansi Kürsch? But most importantly it offered a first vision of UP&DM's concept and leading red line: Plato's Cave. That, and also the will to face reality and change the world, exit thy confort zone and break your (and other's) chains - or lack of said will. The duality / paradox of it all is easily demonstrated by the situation of metalheads in the Middle-East, still bound by society yet freed by music.

All the album revolves around these themes, hinting at various mythological or real-world assassinated prophets and apostles of peace. It shows in the lyrics of course - and Kobi still greatly uses speech and whispers when needed. But that's also blatant in the samples used, or with some sound effects they played with (drums that sound like cannon fire, sirens, machinegun shots?). Or those four censoring bleeps. I understand they [url= https://www.facebook.com/OrphanedLandOfficial/photos/a.10150705945323036.405048.8776213035/10155317885138036/?type=3&theater]serve the general concept[/url], but I'm sorry, music-wise they ruin the songs they're in.

The anger the band feels seeing the state of the world shows in the harsher songs. "Only The Dead Have Seen The End Of War" is pretty violent and dark, with Thomas 'Tompa' Lindberg of At The Gates fame adding loads to the darkness and urgency of the song. This "Codeword Uprising" feeling is even made stronger by the fact it serves the same climax role in the album, with an epilogue following - but that one, given the overall tone of UP&DM, is a bit darker.

So? This is the first album written and recorded without Yossi 'Sassi' Saharon. That's probably why there weren't that many guitar solos - which, even if they didn't shine, did the job. Let's say the band, even with this huge loss (we'll surely miss him live), managed to move forward and deliver a very good and emotionally intense album. Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs's listen is filled with great moments, but some less memorable ones too, which makes it sounding a bit too long for its own good. And while by no mean you should expect another Mabool or ORWarrior, UP&DM is All Is One's continuation, but only much better. A recommended listen, as Orphaned Land clearly are on a roll again!

Don't be afraid of the light?!