Jihad Against Islam

Black metal may be a style of music that's best known for its anti-Christian sentiment, but as the past decade has proven, part of metal's magic is that it can be transposed effectively into any culture. However, the last place I would have thought a black metal band would be coming from -particularly an anti-religious one- is Iraq. The past decade has shown Iraq to be a troubled nation with a history of oppression, often with the tyrants citing Islam as their raison d'etre. Newcomers Seeds of Iblis certain have reason for their vocal opposition of the religion. On top of having a fresh change from the typical anti-Christian ritual we're used to hearing outside of black metal, 'Jihad Against Islam' is an EP borne against all odds, it seems. Not to mention that half the members of this band are female- something that isn't even well-accepted in any black metal scene- Seeds Of Iblis do not suffer any lack of balls or 'fuck you' attitude, and it translates well into their music. The result of their expression is raw, aggressive, atmospheric, and graced with a touch of Middle-Eastern music. In short, a promising EP.

Like many metalheads, the first I ever heard of the Iraqi metal scene was the traditional metal act Acrassicauda and their film 'Heavy Metal In Baghdad'. In that film, it was clear that they were fighting against large odds; the Hussein regime was certainly not one to embrace thick riffs and heavy drumming, and it was even mentioned there that the only way they would be able to remain a band was to have part of their material praising their now-deposed leader. With that at the back of my mind, Seeds Of Iblis is all the more intriguing of an act, and for what it's worth, Seeds Of Iblis are hopefully planting the seeds for a greater Iraqi black metal scene to come in the future. The music here may be best described as atmospheric black metal, although there is the rich aggression and revved up energy of Venom and early Bathory at work. 'Jihad Against Islam' is a raw work, but it does not sound amateurish. The band's take at the aging black metal sound is powerful, although one may be disappointed by how fundamentally similar it is to Western black metal. Although there are some interesting samples of Middle-Eastern music and vocalizations, they are never well-integrated into the songwriting. Regardless, Seeds Of Iblis get the black metal sound right on their first try. They balance the atmospheric and aggressive quite well, and although there are moments where one side may be more dominant than the other, the EP as a whole feels like a strong middle-ground. At only sixteen minutes, 'Jihad Against Islam' does leave the listener wanting more, and while the music that Seeds Of Iblis has presented us with does not revolutionize black metal, it is very promising. Suffice to say, the band has more going for them than simply being 'that black metal band from Iraq', and as such, I await the release of their full-length, which is sure to be even more impressive.