Orphaned Land: All Is One – new video

 

 

Israel's own “warriors of light” (and, right after Ofra Haza and Dana International, our biggest musical export), ORPHANED LAND, have a new video out; ‘All Is One’, directed by Shahar Hamo for Plain-Studio, is the title-track from the group's latest album, issued through Century Media in June 2013. Adding a well-made video to their countless achievements, (they have been petitioned for Nobel Prize by their numerous fans (as many a metal band often is), and have been offered a Turkish citizenship during the strenuous time between Turkey and their homeland), ‘All Is One’, mixed by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Recording Studios, was recorded in three different countries: Israel, Turkey and Sweden. (Century Media confirms: “Ironically, these countries are Jewish, Muslim and Christian respectively, which strengthens the ORPHANED LAND message of unity through music. Over 40 musicians were used to flesh out the sound of ‘All Is One’, including 25 choir singers and eight classical violin, viola and cello players from Turkey.”) Fascination Studio confirms: “This album is nothing less than fantastic, featuring more instruments and elements than any other metal album we’ve heard! And with matters addressed on this album, most other releases this year feels pretty… well, plain.” In keeping with ORPHANED LAND's beliefs (“People should be judged by their hearts and inner sincerity, not their religious beliefs”), ‘All Is One’ cover sport symbols of just those. And, in case you haven’t heard the album yet, the matters addressed on it are of political nature. According to singer Kobi Farhi, lyrics are “politically charged most of the time but not from the point of taking sides”. He elaborated:

“I could never imagine in my wildest imagination that one day an Israeli band would be followed by thousands of Muslims from all over the world. If we do a show in Istanbul, Turkey - which is the only Muslim country where we’re allowed to play - people come all the way from Iran, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan just to see us. These are enemies that are fighting each other coming to see us as one group of people. I’d say that historically the Jews and Arabs are brothers because we are all descendants of Abraham, but the conflict and the differences are so big that we’ve forgotten that. Discovering the fact that our music is the instrument to remind people that we are all one is shocking to me. I never imagined that blood enemies would open their eyes because of it. That’s why the title of the album is ‘All Is One’.”

[About.com's Natalie Zed listened:] “ORPHANED LAND have always walked a fine balance between engaging, exotic and fun music, and metal that is politically motivated and activist in tone. As the conflict in the Middle East has bubbled over in violence more and more in recent years, ORPHANED LAND have continue[ed] to spread a message of unity, and with ‘All Is One’ have grown quieter in response to the noise of war,” [more here]

ORPHANED LAND's fifth album is being described as “a breathtaking, indefinable masterpiece” by Zero Tolerance, as a “potent musical rebellion against religious prejudice with the solution of unity through music” by Terrorizer UK and as “an indispensable jewel” by France's Rock Hard. Buy ‘All Is One’ here (CM Distro Europe), here (CM Distro North America), here (ORPHANED LAND site), on iTunes and Amazon.

ORPHANED LAND features: Kobi Farhi – vocals, Yossi Sassi – guitar and “Middle Eastern strings”, Chen Balbus – guitar, Uri Zelcha – bass and Matan Shmuely – drums