Islam Is Dead

Here's hoping that with a split album called "Islam is Dead", these Iranian BM acts aren't on the run from the Revolutionary Guards with fatwas over their heads. Apart from that fear, this recording is a fusion of black metal and native Iranian / Middle Eastern music traditions. There is some cheesy 1970s/1980s synthesiser work included but on the whole the album is an eye-opening load of fun travel through a different musical tradition in the company of a more familiar music genre. I swear I have not heard so much native traditional Middle Eastern music before the start of 2014 when first I came across a couple of Iranian and Iraqi BM acts than I have since then. It's astounding how two such different genres with seemingly nothing in common have been melded into an agreeable if not always harmonious whole.

Mogh lead off with four tracks showcasing an experimental BM / Iranian folk fusion that at times reminds me of some of the more wacky ambient experimental projects associated with the French Black Legions. Western and Persian instruments, field recordings of muezzins' calls to prayer and sprinkling water, and BM vocals are combined with Middle Eastern melodies, choirs and music structures to create a very dark and sinister music with a lot of exotic ambience. Incidentally the band is as much influenced by occult belief systems such as Thelema, founded by Aleister Crowley in the UK in the 20th century, and by Zurvanism, an ancient cult that arose from the Zoroastrian religion about 1500 years ago during the Sassanid empire in Persia, which fact explains the band's mysterious and idiosyncratic style and image.

Of the four tracks offered, the best is "Get Lost Islam from Paganland" which is a perfect melding of eccentric scratchy BM vocal, guttural death metal counter-vocal and roaring guitar background with Western blast-beats and Persian rhythms and beats. The track builds to a bizarre climax with lots of thundering drum rolls, urgent tremolo guitar frills and a duet of barmy screeching and dyspeptic rumble. "Ey Lashgare Saheb Zaman" is not a bad track either for listeners who like some runaway lead guitar soloing indulgence and creepy whispery singing.

Cold Cry's side is more ambient than BM and on some tracks the only obvious BM element is the singing. Violin, piano, synthesiser and drums (or a drum machine) are the main instruments used along with a hefty dose of cold, near-empty space ambience. The impression I come away with is a fairly subdued set of songs with a great deal of tightly controlled anger that seems all the more enraged for its repression. One track "Be Afraid of Aryan Blood" (relax folks, the Aryan bit refers to the Iranian spirit and the song is actually about how the Iranians will one day rebel against Islam and what it stands for) suggests a great deal of deep inner turbulence beneath the plaintive piano, the sweeping violin lines and quietly tapping percussion.

The connection between the two bands in spite of their very different styles is the sole member of Cold Cry used to be a member of Mogh. Some listeners might also add an adventurous spirit in welding together elements of BM with other styles of music to create some unique and experimental fusions. The results aren't always consistent - Cold Cry's set of songs is uneven with some dull drum programming alongside the deliriously demented vocals and layered music - but the album is worth hearing at least once if only to appreciate the versatility of the black metal genre in accommodating Persian and other music fusion partners.

Well, here's a neat little rarity from a couple of rather experimental Iranian projects. Let's jump right in, shall we?

Mogh are up first. This band presents a very dark atmosphere, utilizing ambient sounds, Persian singing and traditional instruments alongside distorted guitars and very harsh rasping. The songs presented here are mostly slow to mid-tempo, and best listened to with some good headphones. There's a great deal of texture to take in. For example, track 4's intro is designed like a radio broadcast (maybe it is, I don't know); and when it cuts out, we're treated to an eerie piano section with whispered vocals until the song proper begins. This is yet intercut with ambient keyboard work and voice samples. The metal element of this track is a little weak, though. The intro for "Desperate Existance" gives us a cool traditional folk sound before breaking into memorable, culturally infused black metal riffing. "Get Lost Islam From Paganland" is the highlight of Mogh's side of the split, starting with a strong ambient base and building into melodic riffing, occasional blast-beats, drum fills and throat-mangling raspy vocals. Near the end of the song there's a bit of catchy lead riffing as well. Over-all an interesting and unique band, I must say.

Cold Cry's contribution is more ambient than metal. This is fine by me, as they're pretty good at it. You'll find piano/synth work, spoken passages, samples (like the storm on "Hidden Grudge") and violin. Vocals are, like with Mogh, quite raspy, but are louder in the mix. "Cold Forest" is a bit of a dud, with the drum programming rather annoying. On the other songs, it's unobtrusive and fits well enough, especially when coupled with the rasps and strings on track 7, though the song drags on a bit. The last song is Cold Cry's highlight - very emotional, texturally entertaining track that I'd describe as "folk doom". Cool stuff.

These two bands fit well together and are somewhat similar. Makes sense, as Count Dracula (Cold Cry) used to be a part of Mogh. I exclusively listen to this on headphones, this split is packed with what you might call 'layered music' - lots of ambient texture. If you're looking for an unusual, well-written blend of ambient/black/folk, Mogh and Cold Cry should satisfy.