Band:	Orphaned Land
Album:	All Is One
Style:	Oriental folk metal, Progressive metal, Symphonic metal
Release date:	June 24, 2013
A review by:	R'Vannith

Disc I
01. All Is One
02. The Simple Man
03. Brother
04. Let The Truce Be Known
05. Through Fire And Water
06. Fail
07. Freedom
08. Shama'im
09. Ya Benaye
10. Our Own Messiah
11. Children
12. As I Stare At The Ocean Alone [Limited edition bonus]
13. All Is One [Turkish version] [Limited edition bonus]
14. Children [Arabic chorus version] [Limited edition bonus]

Disc II [Limited edition DVD]
01. Documentary - Creating "All Is One"
02. Studio Clips
    1 - Brother
    2 - Freedom
03. Art Clips
    1 - In Thy Never Ending Way
    2 - Vayehi Or
    3 - M I?
    4 - Bereft In The Abyss

The sons of the blazing sun and brothers of the orient are a musical force which have received due attention as few bands have a sound as defined, identifiable or unique as Orphaned Land. The folk instrumentation and vocal arrangements incorporated into their music carry a strong cultural resonance that reaches the ears of many listeners from all corners of the globe and from all walks of life. An equally remarkable and noble aspect to their sound has been and remains to be the conviction they show toward spreading a message. Their studio efforts have become increasingly inspired by their undying desire to state the necessity to progress beyond the violence and hostility that afflicts us in this war torn world.

Peace and a unity in all things is the message they seek to spread and the music of All Is One reflects this with poise and stringent purpose. The album forgoes complexity for a simpler approach and one which more directly engages its audience as all of the compositional components are closely aligned. The sound is tight, the track lengths more concise and any semblance of their death/folk heritage which formed an element in the band's previous releases, albeit one receiving reduced significance over time, has been forgotten in favour of a streamlined focus on melody and vocal delivery.

The dominant orchestra and the folk elements are matched and mixed together to produce a considerably different interpretation of their own sound. I find the record's symphonic to folk interplay is best displayed in tracks such as "Brother" which blend the two expertly effectively making them one and the same, or "Through Fire And Water" and the lengthier closer "Children" which shift from orchestral to folk instrumentation with ease. The vocal work which is granted particular attention is mostly of the clean variety and delivered with an obvious passion which can be heard in such songs as "Fail" which, with much fervor, questions "Why do we fail to see? And why in this jail are we?"

The folk instrumentation carries less of its own weight in the strength gained in its union with the orchestra. It isn't granted the same freedoms or breathing space as on prior albums and consequently doesn't reach the levels of creativity such as that achieved with Mabool. On the other hand the disparate nature of that record isn't to be found here, which may make All Is One a less fascinating listen but it is granted a core solidarity from its well produced sound.

All Is One is Orphaned Land's most accessible album to date and such is befitting the urgency with which they seek to convey their message via music. They are very upfront about it as reflected in the lyrics which clearly convey their intended meaning. The musical approach is direct and carries the band's unique oriental sound in a melodically appealing record.