THE NEVER ENDING WAY OF ORWARRIOR

For European like me, Israel is quite exotic country. It's not Arabic and Israelites would take this probably as offense, but some elements they are incorporating in their music are the same. Let's just call it "Middle-Eastern". There for sure has to be something in the water.

Strings, wild rhythms, choral singing at times, wild pace and complex ' n ' promising song, that's intro - Sapari. Unfortunately, this song (and others) are sometimes so unclear that I don't understand what they are actually singing. Hopefully, lyrics are in English (thank you for choosing to do it this way so people like me can understand without Hebrew dictionary).

But this is not Prog Metal at all costs, sometimes we get some kind of Post Metal guitar sweep picking or sometimes just plucking of strings.

Hell, this is (as Hellboy says) helluva record, these M-Eastern flavours are everywhere through this record and Death Metal growls are of low amount (so Marty is happy because I believe in a world where you can get "tough" music without them, but don't believe me, many people like them so what). So many influences, so many melody twists, so interesting and rewarding experience, this album is real deal that treats listener very well.

There is story, but I wouldn't bother myself with understanding it for now, it will come later (same procedure I did with Scenes From a Memory).

Words simply cannot define how extremely beautiful "The Never Ending Way of ORwarriPR" is. Because what you get here is definitely one of the most interesting experiences of 2010. Truth is that this year brought many albums so far and only some of them are good.

Some simply aren't, but this happens when you have so many releases here.

They simply cannot please everyone and they aren't even trying to do it.

But "Orphaned Land's" fourth installment to world of Prog Rock,

that's something different. Real deal they say, attractive title.

Mysterious cover, even looking like common tattoes.

Unlike this review's row width, this album isn't

descending in quality, on the contrary, it

is evolving, growing on you not with

each listen, but with each track.

Of course, except last one

which serves as some

kind of outro. This

is usual, I'm

used to it.

So

5(-),

nothing

bad really to

mention, because

this record is almost flawless.

Of course, I'm leaving some kind of

backdoor here because you know, let's give it

few weeks or even months and we'll see what's the final result of this

really unique album. So far one of the best ones I've heard from this year to be honest.

OK, let's promise poor old Marty this little expressionist form of designing review, I don't do this regularly (I never did this actually)

I have listened to The Never Ending Way of the ORwarriOR a few times and, while very impressed with the musicianship, ethnic influences, production, and songwriting, it just doesn't grab me! I admit that I am not a lyric-driven music lover (Jon Anderson vs. Robert Wyatt or Peter Hammill to me is a contest of melody--the voice as an additional instrument--not verbiage), I seek melody, harmony, subtlety, and innovative twists, tricks, progressions. Also, I am not very tolerant or attracted to musics employing a preponderance of "heavy" or "metal" stylisms. A well-crafted and performed CD that lacks . . . something! (Plus, I like what I've heard of "Mabool" a little better.) Good, IMHO, but not essential. Excellent addition for those who like their prog on the heavier side.

After a long wait Orphaned Land finally delivered another piece of their unique mix between Progressive Metal and Jewish/Arabic influences. Just like its predecessor, 2004 release Mabool - The Story Of The Three Sons Of Seven, this is another religiously inspired concept album that presents us with the a classic battle between good and evil. Of course my description of the story arc is very limited since I'm narrowing it down to the very basics. Hopefully once the listener starts digging into the concept of this material there will be a more depth to be discovered.

To me, The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR represents a definite improvement over its somewhat overrated predecessor that, in my opinion, came off shallow when it tried using growl and middle eastern music. It was almost as if these additions to the band's sound were thrown in just to make them sound more original than what their style of melodic metal music actually could give them credit for. Luckily Orphaned Land did improve immensely over the last six years giving more space to their Jewish/Arabic influences while almost eliminating all of Kobi Farhi's rougher growl vocals. This does make the band sound more like an ethnic metal band that adds its surrounding influences into the traditional metal sound but with a definite conceptual and progressive metal element added to it.

It appears that Steven Wilson had once again done miracles since the production on this recording has improved quite a bit since what we heard on Mabool - The Story Of The Three Sons Of Seven. This definitely makes the album a long but very smooth and pleasurable experiemnce. Unfortunately it's the former component that once again manages to make a great recording merely good. I really don't see the point of cramming almost 80 minutes of music into this release since there were bound to be a few distinguishable lesser moment lurking about. Add the fact that none of the compositions actually managed to touch me on the emotional level, meaning no real stand-out moments, and we get another really good but not really excellent album. This is especially noticeable during the ballads that all seem unnatural to my ears since they are mostly here to progress the conceptual story arc and add nothing from the musical point that we couldn't have done without.

I was honestly surprised that this album didn't appeal to me as much as I would have wanted it to especially since the band has improved on almost all of the critical points that I addressed in my review of their previous album. There are even a few jam sessions with prominent spotlight on the Jewish/Arabic influences added! Still, the closest Orphaned Land gets to a masterful performance this time around is the quite versatile composition Disciples Of The Sacred Oath II.

Orphaned Land delivered another quite ambitions offering that isn't without its flaws even though I definitely sense a great improvement in the band's style since the release of Mabool - The Story Of The Three Sons Of Seven. I'm sure that fans of Progressive Metal will love this material but to my utter disappointment this music does very little for me in order to strongly recommend it to anyone else.

**** star songs: Sapari (4:04) From Broken Vessels (7:36) Bereft In The Abyss (2:45) The Path Part 1 - Treading Through Darkness (7:27) The Path Part 2 - The Pilgrimage To Or Shalem (7:45) Olat Ha'tamid (2:38) His Leaf Shall Not Wither (2:31) Disciples Of The Sacred Oath II (8:31) New Jerusalem (6:59) Vayehi Or (2:41) Barakah (4:13) Codeword: Uprising (5:25) In Thy Never Ending Way (Epilogue) (5:09)

*** star songs: The Warrior (7:11) M I ? (3:27)

Previous band's album had it's moments, but didn't attracted me too much. I liked the idea of mixing Middle Eastern folk with some heavy music, but openly too polished sound and too eclectic mixture of styles didn't work properly for me.

So, with this new band's release I was interested what is the direction of their development. Yes, this album is a bit different musically, and it's good (who needs two same sounding albums in row?). But ,as with previous one, I have a mixed feeling there.

Biggest progress is in music elements mixing - there on this release I really hear not two often opposite musical genres, mixed in one music, but real melted music of two equal components. This really works. Whole sound became better balanced, compositions are more professional - this side could be hardly criticized.

Now about not such pleasant things - songs became more straight forward , even if have some inclusion of growling vocals, acoustic strings,etc. In all, this album is great example of melodic Middle Eastern power metal with some prog elements. Sound is too much polished and compositions are too faceless, you like it when you hear it, but can hardly remember even small tune when it finished.

For those new for band's music possibly the best comparison of this album's sound will be next: polished mix of Ophra Haza and System Of A Down/Serj Tankjan, but please note the later is really less commercial, much more heavy and possibly not less proggy.

For me this is a step back in ORPHANED LAND's discography. I even like the much more straight forward "El Norra" to this one, at least it rocks out more.This is more in the style of "Mabool..." just not as good. And this surprised me because Steven Wilson helps out on keys and he also mixed it at "No-Man Studios". Maybe it's just me but there seems to be an OPETH flavour at times on this one while "Mabool..." just seemed so refreshing and new when it came out.

"Sapari" opens with female then male vocals as it kicks in with that Middle Eastern flavour. Female vocals return. "From Broken Vessels" features keyboards as the sound builds and growly vocals join in. Clean vocals are used here as well. "Bereft In The Abyss" is mellow with reserved vocals. "The Path Part 1" and "The Path Part 2" are my favourite songs on here.The atmosphere and guitar to open as laid back vocals come in sounds great. It kicks in after 1 1/2 minutes. Female vocals start part 2.Some brief growly vocals then check out the vocal melodies with guitar after 4 minutes. Nice. It kicks in with growls late. "Olat Hatamid" is like a Middle Eastern Folk song to start. It gets heavier and vocals come in after a minute. "The Warrior" sounds like music out of an epic movie with spoken words. Vocals follow but are almost spoken. Not a fan of this. I like the relaxed guitar before 4 minutes and it becomes more passionate before 6 minutes.

"His Leaf Shall Not Wither" has words taken from one of the Psalms. This is a pastoral Middle Eastern sounding tune. "Disciples Of The Sacred Oath II" is uptempo with vocals. Growls follow as contrasts in vocals continue. "New Jerusalem" is mellow with female vocals. Male vocals 2 minutes in as it picks up. Female vocals are back as contrasts continue. "Vayehi Or" is a good song with vocals and almost spoken vocals too. "M I !" is good too with reserved vocals and a melancholic mood. Almost "Damnation"- like. "Barakah" opens with guitar and drums then it turns heavier with growls. Clean vocals follow and spoken words. "Codeword : Uprising" is an all out assault with growly vocals. Clean vocals follow as it goes back and forth. "In Thy Never Endng Way (Epilogue)" has female vocal melodies and male vocals. It settles right down 3 1/2 minutes in with piano.

I'm not connecting with this one at all sadly. 3 stars it is.

The pilgrimage to Orphaned Land

After having been impressed by the breakthrough release Mabool (the flood), I am once again impressed with this follow-up and to date most recent Orphaned Land album. Once again they give us their totally unique and thrilling fusion of Metal and ethnic music, this time being even more eclectic than before. Various Metal styles (progressive and extreme Metal) is effortlessly mixed with various Middle- Eastern traditional music forms. Oh what original and interesting music this is; and all delivered with such impressive skill and enthusiasm. It did indeed take some time and a bit of effort for me to get into this music (which is true of a lot of great progressive music), but it was certainly rewarding!

There is one problem, however, and that is the length of this album. Even if almost every track is very good in its own right, the sheer amount of music here makes it not so easy to devour. With a running time of nearly 80 minutes, I feel that the album as a whole would have benefitted from being shortened somewhat. Also, the conceptual nature of this album is less evident than that of Mabool. On that previous album, the concept helped to hold it all together and create a coherent and organic whole. On The Neverending Way Of OrWarriOR it is less obvious that there is a story to be told, and this, together with the great musical diversity and immense length, makes the end result slightly erratic. But all the parts remain highly enjoyable, nonetheless.

Production wise, and also in terms of instrumental and vocal skills, the present album can, however, be seen as an improvement over the already impressive Mabool. The alternation between clean and growling vocals was never as natural as this and there is a similar flow and unity between the acoustic and electric elements. There is again a plethora of exotic and traditional instruments among the traditional (Prog) Rock and Metal line-up of guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. The latter together with the occasional operatic female vocals bring with it a tasteful symphonic element. As I pointed out in my review of Mabool, you may easily think that this music is messy due to the, at first sight, disparate musical elements, but it is actually not - it all flows very nicely and effortlessly.

Overall, I cannot say anything less than that this is brilliant music that deserves to be heard by anyone interested in unique and progressive music (this music is certainly very progressive, but it is not, I would say, Prog). Highly recommended!

After six long years, the follow-up to the masterpiece Mabool arrived!

And the surprise was big when the Orphaned Land aficionados realized that this album was some sort of return to their roots, retrieving the formula of El Norra Alila but improving it in a very beautiful and challenging way. The result is an album that is not so epic, diverse and accessible like Mabool, but excellent anyway.

The production is also more straightforward than Mabool, with a not so extensive use of keyboards (played by Steven Wilson by the way, who also appears in writing credits), clear and natural drumming and wonderful guitars. And talking about the guitars, they are the absolute protagonist in ORwarriOR, acting Yoshi Sassi as a true guitar hero!

Sadly, the songwriting is not so incredible like in Mabool, leaving a pair of subpar songs here (the too obviously commercial New Jerusalem, Barakah...) But the overall quality of the album is superb anyway.

Best Tracks: From Broken Vessels, Bereft in the Abyss, The Path, and Disciples of the Sacred Oath II.

Conclusion: improving and expanding the folk-death-prog metal formula of their first two albums and leaving a bit of the grandiloquence of Mabool, Orphaned Land created a truly great record with a ton of memorable songs, an incredible guitar work from Yoshi Sassi and beautiful singing and Arabic melodies, which is still one of the best prog- metal album of this decade, despite its obvious flaws.

Shocking at the beginning, hauting in the long-term.

My rating: ****