Al-Namrood is a blackened metal band from Saudi Arabia, who formed in 2008. Their latest release, “Al Aqrab,” is their eighth full-length album; they have also released three EPs, two splits, and a compilation. Despite their long history and prolific songwriting, this is my first exposure to their music. Musically, I would say this is somewhat removed from black metal. Of course, it’s heavy and contains extreme vocals but it reaches into dark folklore and ethnic flavors (Arabian, Oriental) far more than black metal. And there is nothing wrong with that as I find this album to be pretty enjoyable. The songs are layered with variety but the album as a whole manages to sound cohesive. The band’s songwriting may be flavorful but they keep it within confines built by tight songwriting; the songs certainly stretch outside the bounds of extreme metal but they always remain heavy, extreme, and with a focus on each element to the degree where it really does sound like a true mix between metal and folk music.

The production is impeccable. It’s clear, concise, and sharp. The vibrancy of the band’s music, which could even be viewed as theatrical, stands out through the intelligent mixing—everything can be heard at once but following an individual instrument will not be a problem either. The album opens with “Ardh Bela Sama,” and it is immediately evident these songs build up both tension and excitement very easily and quickly. As the music rolls along and the music gets heavier, I feel my heart preparing for the drop at 1:10 when the song blossoms into a huge wall of sound. The song structure is somewhat unique, not really following any particular style….it just flows every forward and picks up details and layers along the way.

The drums against the vocals are infectious and I felt like I needed to go on an adventure. Then reality set in and I realized I’m broke and lazy so I’ll just have to settle for listening to this adventurous album instead. “Aqarib Al Petra,” begins mysterious and hazy. Chants and drums fire off in the distance, the fog clearing little by little as the tempo ramps up and the guitars come in. I’m not exactly an expert on non-traditional instruments so I can’t be sure what’s adding in all the bells and whistles but it sounds great mixed in with the blackened vocals. The final minute or so of the song is dark and violent, yet sweeping. The guitars groove, offering a turbulent rhythm in “Al Ghasasina.” Some of the best vocals are on this song, vicious and carrying across the music’s wide field of playing without taking anything from them. After the 2:45 mark, the song settles into a steady beat and it’s one of my favorite moments on the album. So many folk metal bands lean too much into either the folk or the metal but this song is a prime example how to actually get it right.

After a little atmospheric build up, “Abwab Edom” becomes possibly the most intense album on the song. This is very much a riff based affair with the folky elements being a bit more subtle than previous songs. It works very well as a more straight forward song to offer a little change of pace. The final song, “Tarjif” is a raging instrumental that sounds a sped up version of anything from AMORPHIS’ “Tales of the Thousand Lakes.” If that isn’t a compliment, I don’t know what is. The riffs in this song are fantastic, a sterling combination between groove and melodic touches. All in all, AL-NAMROOD’s “Al Aqrab” is something different from most of what I’ve jammed this year and it was a welcomed, and enjoyable, change of scenery for me.