Metal Bulletin Zine: Arallu - new song by Israeli black metal band

Friday, August 8, 2025

Arallu - new song by Israeli black metal band

I have been enjoying this new song by Arallu. It's an intense song!

Arallu

Sierra Nevada Single (single)

July 11, 2025

In September 2003 the brother of the leader of the long-running Israeli black metal band 𝕬𝖗𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖚 was kidnapped by the terrrorist guerrilla organization in Colombia while searching for ancient jungle-shrouded ruins in a remote mountainous region. 𝕬𝖗𝖆𝖑𝖑𝖚's leader went there to search for him and to try to assist in his release. The release happened after 101 days of captivity.

The lyrics are story about the long ordeal, written by the band’s frontman. In the background you hear the voice of Beni Daniel, the frontman’s brother, reading from the journal he wrote while he was held captive by the ELN terrorist outfit.

Arallu fuses black metal with traditional Middle Eastern sounds. Formed in Jerusalem in 1997, the band has become a significant force in the Israeli metal underground. The name "Arallu" refers to the ancient Mesopotamian underworld, a fitting name for a band whose music explores dark and aggressive themes. The project was initially started by Moti "Butchered" Daniel, who remains the band's frontman and core member. His experiences living in a region of intense religious and political conflict have heavily influenced the band's direction. Arallu's signature sound is a mix of black and death metal with authentic Middle Eastern folk elements. They frequently incorporate traditional instruments like the saz (a type of long-necked lute) and the darbuka (a goblet drum) alongside blast beats and distorted guitars.

Their lyrical themes are heavily influenced by their environment, focusing on war, anti-religious sentiments, Mesopotamian mythology, destruction, and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. While their lyrics are provocative, with album titles like The War on the Wailing Wall and Satanic War in Jerusalem, frontman Moti Daniel has stated that the band is not political but rather a radical reflection of the violence and hypocrisy they observe.