The Awaking

Syria is in a troubled part of the world where conflict is a part of day-to-day life. Being home to some sort of black metal band based on aggressive soundscapes and themes of war might make sense, but this band, Olive, aren’t like that at all. This band were stated to be atmospheric doom metal, which is presumably what this is supposed to be and have now transformed into an alternative metal band, which is a side of their strange persona I am yet to hear. Syria, which is an Arab country in Southwest Asia, is situated next to war torn countries like Iraq and Israel. The conflicts in this part of the world are well known, with America invading the former alongside some of their allies, and the latter being in constant danger of spilling over into a war with neighboring Palestine given the religious difficulties the two have that stretches way back into history. So, to discovered a band like this was surprising, but given their lyrical themes of sadness and war, it isn’t difficult to imagine why people from regions like this form bands that send out a message of significant importance to the rest of the world. The sorrow that spills off the pages from this depressing book is unnerving in many ways.

When one considers the historical background to countries like this, and its limited relations with metal, its difficult to understand why countries like this haven’t turned to the depressing genres like black and most notably the aptly named doom genre before now. There is a feeling that metal is frowned upon in nations like Syria, what with it being the devils music and all. With strife due to religious difficulties in these areas, bands like Olive are a shining light in the dark history of metal from this part of the world. Is it strange to see bands from this area? Even more so than possible underground bands from Korea and other places in the world that have had troublesome pasts, or even present day quarries? I’d say it is. Olive deserve recognition for the bravery it has taken to construct a band like this, given the fact that only traditional music to the country seems to be acceptable to most war torn countries that still face problems with government oppression and religious groups condemning the deviant nature of genres like metal, on the whole. Having not listened to Olive many times before, I thought it was time to address this sadness inflicting band and their debut full-length, ‘The Awaking’. There are a lot of problems with it, given the horrendous production and thin sound it enforces on the distorted guitars, but there is a charm to the music and the vocals that makes me feel warm inside when I listen to music like this, despite the connotations of despair, sorrow and war in the tragically portrayed lyrics.

Thankfully, areas like the vocals do the lyrics justice. The male and female vocals combine on occasions, but usually tend to express the lyrics in their own person, individual ways, completely separate from one another. This allows both vocalists a chance to showcase their own feelings on the subjects they dabble in, like the aforementioned portrayal of love and loss in regards to how war affects a nation and its people, specifically those left over after the devastation has visibly cleared. This could also be applied as a metaphor to the music on offer. Despite the devastatingly poor production, which doesn’t do the simplistic instrumentation any favours, the undertow is where the strengths lie in regards to this record. When war has ended on a physical level, the mental affects will last a lifetime, or even generations and that sort of pain can be felt in the vocalists’ voices. The echoing feel of the male vocalists voice gives the impression that he is singing from the afterlife to his lover, the female vocalist, who is still alive and tormented by the crushing affects of war and how its torn her life in two by taking her partner away from her. Obviously, this is just my interpretation. There is nothing to suggest this is actually the case, but what I’ve forged in my own imagination.

The interpretation we are allowed to conjure up for ourselves is the most interesting aspect of the record. The instrumentation is simplistic and isn’t played very well. The musicians are accomplished enough not to make unlimited mistakes, but the vision and portrayal isn’t too convincing. I don’t feel that this is a doom band at all, but it certainly isn’t an alternative metal band either. There is a feeling the drab production and the horrid distortion of the guitars is meant to symbolise the doom metal characteristics, but it doesn’t do so with any conviction. The band aren’t the most talented as a group, or even as individuals, but you have to admire the sheer heart that has gone into this record. The band have, according to the additional notes, replaced the vocalist and will switch styles, whether this will make them any more affective, I do not know as of yet, but there needed to be a change. Heart and bravery isn’t enough to make this sound work and it doesn’t. Even with the introduction of a piano, Olive don’t appeal on any greater scale because of this attempt at experimentation. This is a limited record, with a thin production that contorts the instrumentation from decent to mediocre in seconds. Unfortunately, this isn’t a good reflection upon Syrian metal, though every scene has to start somewhere and the fact that this has been self-released tells its own stories about Syrian metal and lack of support. Perhaps this is a stepping stone to greater things? We shall see.