Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way Of Orwarrior
By Pete Angell
When thinking of Israel, metal isn’t usually the first thought to pop up, but countrymen Orphaned Land aim to change all that. ‘The Never Ending Way Of Orwarrior’ is the outfit’s fourth release and one that pushes their boundaries the most.
With their metal tight and explosive, they further stretch their Israeli individuality with samples of their homeland’s music. Whilst not something usually associated with going hand in hand, the juxtaposition of two very diverse styles is blended exceptionally well during numerous opportunities. Opener ‘Sapari’ kicks off with some traditional Arab folk before smashing into gear via some unique fusion.
The album itself is a concept piece delving into the mindset of a hero within a battle between light and dark. The meaning of Orwarrior is ‘warrior of light’, making the title clearer and a clue of what the overall theme is all about. Some of the greatest stories ever told are set in this far away land of conflict, mystery and mystique, and the band taps into that feeling to great effect. Never before has there been an Arabic tale serenaded by such minstrels of metal, which gives a fresh experience.
There has obviously been a lot of thought piled into this, as listening to the intricate arrangements will show. Whilst some instrumental areas seem long in hindsight, things actually get compelling. Suspense and drama is built up well, but if this will survive repeated listening as a whole is a matter of debate. ‘From Broken Vessels’ is a key example - sure, there is some tidy work here. Killer rock and raw metallic vocals are seamlessly slotted with aforementioned extended instrumentals to create an epic vibe, but after a few admiring listens you begin to feel you’ve heard this already. The stark worry is that the rest of the album may go this way given a few airings. Perhaps this works more as an on occasional party piece to be dusted off every once in a while where you can enjoy approvingly, before putting back to rest ready for next time. This seems to be the catch with many metal concept albums. Not many can be like Coheed & Cambria, for example, where you can live in them for weeks at a time. This, despite all its grand musicianship, isn’t such an example. The length reaching almost an hour and a half soon works against them too. After the first few listens you can be truly proud of, and maybe left wowed at, experiencing such a journey. You might even feel accomplished and triumphant. But anything after that it becomes a bit more of an endurance, and breaking up listens becomes more appealing.
There are songs that slide ideally into an iPod shuffle mode. ‘Bereft in the Abyss’, ‘Olat Ha'tamid’ and ‘New Jerusalem’ are the ones that should be championed, representing most what that Orphaned Land are all about. But, maybe it’s just me, despite standing fairly well on their own the bigger picture does seem to be lacking. The end result though is really a record that operates best with time to breath between popping back on play. Then you really can step back applaud what’s going on here.
