MELECHESH is a blackened death metal band from Israel, and they’re amazing. Their new album, Enki, is going to be released on March 10 via Nuclear Blast Records. This album is pleasing in every way, and is no less than a masterpiece. MELECHESH isn’t exactly a new band, but they are writing some pretty cool music nonetheless. They are definitely one of the more unique bands I’ve listened to. They have their death metal influences in the actual music, and their black metal influences in the vocals, but what makes them really unique is how they incorporate Middle Eastern influences heavily into the music.
And that’s the best part about MELECHESH. There is no band like them in this way, and it makes them that much better because of it. Their music is definitely still heavy, but you can hear the Middle Eastern influences in all the songs, especially in “The Palm the Eye and Lapis Lazuli.” Their writing is so complex, it’s hard to think about how they actually DO this stuff. They are also very proud of what they stand for; their lyrics incorporate the Middle Eastern influences we’ve talked about so much, but in a black metal form. Their actual sound is also amazing, having very clear tones and very aggressive vocals.
Enki, the name being that of The God of Gods, will be the band’s sixth studio album, and probably the best from them so far. The opening track “Tempest Temper Enlil Enraged” is a great intro. A mesmerizing harmony is played before it gets really heavy, and it’s great! The album is much improved from their previous work, but all of their discography is pretty good. Enki itself is about Judaism, so the name is a very suiting title for it. The album is mixed very well, with good volume and clear sounds from both instruments and vocals; fuck, the album is just so good overall.
The vocals have mostly death metal influences, but they are higher in intensity and pitch as if they were in more of a black metal style. They can’t really be defined with one kind of genre, it’s too much of a mix, but they’re really good and definitely stand out. The entire band can’t even be labeled as a single genre, they have a lot of influences that makes up something really cool and different. The guitars are just as good on this album as the vocals. It has to be very hard to incorporate that kind of Middle Eastern sound into metal guitar rhythms, but MELECHESH does it very well, and they make it seem easy too. Everything about this album is awesome, it has its own kind of unique sound, its own kind of style, and they obviously work very hard on their music.
MELECHESH is an amazing, one of a kind band, with their middle eastern-incorporated sound and their complex writing, they put a lot of time and effort into Enki, that much is obvious; it’s a masterpiece. The music is awesome and they’re definitely worth a try, so go get yourself a copy from Nuclear Blast Records on March 10!
STANDOUT TRACKS: ALL OF THEM
RATING: 10/10
-TANKARD SMITH
