El Nabi Mojrem Moghtaseb Dajjal

Pardon the bad Monty Python quote, but holy shit. This by far is one of the vilest, most disgusting, absolutely putrid and hateful recordings to ever come out of the black metal underground. And the fact that it came out of the turmoil of Lebanon, known for banning metal entirely, is nothing short of miraculous. El Nabi Mojrem Moghtaseb Dajjal, the third release of the mighty Ayat, is arguably the defining moment of the band’s career thus far.

Ayat are somewhat of an anomaly in metal, being one of the few bands to have anti-Islamic content in their lyrics. Needless to say, it does not sit very well with folks over in the Middle East. Either way, the admittedly controversial (even for black metal) lyrics are married to some of the most non-melodic, violent music you can possibly imagine. Possession starts with a shouted recitation by vocalist Filthy Fuck, which soon devolves into an absolute banshee scream (the first of many) and the total musical annihilation that follows from guitarist/bassist Sadogoat and session drummer Commander. Ayat take no prisoners here. The guitars sound like the strings are being picked with razors, the bass is just absolutely frightening fuzz buried somewhere in the mix, and the drums pound away recklessly. Add the completely shit (read: totally distorted) production to that and you get the idea. The rest of the demo follows this same blueprint pretty much. Asylum’s title pretty much describes the music, and Laka el Biaa ya Moghtaseb el Adian in particular stands out; one minute and thirty-two seconds of absolute anarchy committed to tape. The House of Sacrilege, For All Those Who Sinned, Sin and Will Sin is probably the slowest track on here, but don’t let the tempo fool you – it’s just as brutal as everything else on display.

Filthy Fuck’s vocal performance on this demo is a major plus. Not since Belketre have such insane and tortured vocals graced a black metal release. One listen to this demo and you will no doubt think Filthy Fuck believes every word he’s singing and the message he’s trying to send out. It’s a commendable performance by any other standard. Sadogoat impresses with some nice riffage, and drummer Commander is a capable drummer who could be a good full-time member if the band ever dares to go on the road (doubtful).

On the whole, this demo is a fine display of Ayat’s collective talent, and one of the better underground releases to be found out there. There’s a lot said about Middle Eastern black metal and its relevance, but this demo is different. Granted, most people would probably only pick it up just because it’s a Lebanese release, and even then, only for curiosity’s sake. Ayat are one of the great hidden treasures to be found in the Asian metal scene. This demo is their defining moment. Buy (download?) or die!

Ok, let's face it, most people who pick up stuff by Ayat do it only out of curiousity, seing as the band is from Lebanon. Finding information about this band is pretty hard, apart from the official site, which doesn't say much. Anyways I was lucky to find some MP3s of this band , and I have to say i'm truly impressed. The only other bands from Lebanon i've heard other than Ayat are Kaoteon and WhoreDom (Sadogoat is also in WhoreDom). The music that is provided here is raw and brutal, and one can easily notice that they're not following any trends or such. Some songs contain sheer brutality, most notably the short 'Laka El Biaa Ya Moghtaseb El Adian', which only last 1:30 but the hateful riffs and especially vocals make you want to repeat the song over and over again. The little oriental chants (like at the end of 'Possession') enhance the experience and give an oriental vibe to the music. 'For All Those Who Sinned' starts off with a hateful speech from the vocalist, with an oriental accent, and it's briefly interrupted for a full 3:39 of agressivity, by either instrument of voice. The 'double' type of vocals where the left side screams the vocals and the right side simply screams make a very hateful effect. Overall maybe a bit short demo, but it's good to hear BM from Lebanon.