Since the 90s, the lands of Israel became fertile to Metal. In those years, the first bands started to appear for the entire world to see (and hear) what they could do. Even Israel being a country ripped by wars and conflicts, the Israeli bands show particular features that you can find on the Metal bands from that region. One of the pioneers on extreme Metal genres is MELECHESH. Now, we have in hands a reissue of their first work, "As Jerusalem Burns... Al'Intisar".

They are the ones who started the fusion of Black Metal with the regional rhythms of their native region. Of course that their music is far from what we all know from their recent works as "Pyogenesys" or "Enki", it's not as brilliant as those albums, because here we have a trio where the influences from European Black Metal bands as BATHORY and others can be heard. But their musical personality, that makes MELECHESH a very particular band, is on this album, even in a brutal stage.

Harsh and crude is the sonority of the album. But having in mind that "As Jerusalem Burns... Al'Intisar" was born as an independent Demo Tape released back on 1995 that became an EP later on 1996, the sound quality is not so bad. You can understand what the band is playing, even with this raw sonority. In this new release of "As Jerusalem Burns... Al'Intisar", the Demo Tape is presented along with two songs from the 7 inch EP "The Siege of Lachish". So it has an historical importance as well.

For now, songs as the fast and brutal "Sultan of Mischief", the long, oppressive experimental "Assyrian Spirit" (here, the band shows their Oriental influences in many parts, especially on the drums), the excellent rhythmic work show on the bitter "Planetary Rites" (what a great work from bass guitar and drums), the short and violent "Hymn to Gibil" (fine guitars and vocals, indeed), the extremist musical insight of "Baphomet's Lust", and the intense and with many tempo changes "As Jerusalem Burns...Al'Intisar". The last ones are the songs of the 7" Single: "The Siege of Lachish", where once more their Oriental music influences can be heard; and on "Malek Al'Nar" shows a more traditional Black Metal insight with fine melodies.

Once more: of course it's far from what MELECHESH is now, but this new release of "As Jerusalem Burns... Al'Intisar" deserves to be on our collections due its historical importance.