SEVDAH METAL

Emir Hot is a known and respected guitarist in his own country and with the time pass by he begun to be more well known worldwide. He manage to graduate Berklee musical colage, he sign with major label Lion Music, and aswell release his first solo album under his name in 2008. He got involved in some obscure metal bands from his country in his teens, but this album with the line up showed here make him very dangerous, methaphorical speaking of course. Even is very young in age he pull some very intrsting and solid line up here, big names in progressive metal and music in general like - John West / Vocals and Mike Terrana / Drums among another guest. The music offered is progressive metal with a neo classical attitude here and there, but what makes him more intristing then the usual album or usual aproach to this kind of music, is the combination of the traditional music from these parts of the world, specialy from countries from ex Zugoslavia and evn from mz countrz Romania, the combinatioan of old trad. music with prog metal give him a special stus in this genre. Now, the album was issued in 2008 at Lion Music and is named Sevdah metal, the word sevdah comes from turkish language and in free translation means as booklet show something like amorous yearning or ecstasy of love, so combined with metal implies pasionate metal or something like this, from the heart . Music is ok , even great in places, the guests done a good job here , is even a romanian maestro on violin named Grigoras Dinicu and he is responsable for the piece 8 named Hora martisorului, is in romanian language and is almost imposoble to translate in other language thats whz the piece remains on the album in mz language even is instrumental. Lots of other guests on acordion, on kezboards is Brandon Morris, etc. The music is intristing, specialz on first couple of tunes, progressive metal who relies more on the great voice of John West and fiercy guitar of Hot, other wise is quite ok but nothing more. He gets realy intristing on guitar on the longest piece from here and the best named Sevdah Metal Rhapsody, showing how he can translate on guitar old folklore and done some fantastic arrangements aswell, 12 min of greatness. Overall is more then ok album, has good guitar parts, some very good vocal arrangemnts, druming is great, but to me is only a 3 star album, 3,5 for sure in places, for sure good, but overall something is missing and I can,t put my finger on what is it. Still recommended to prog metal listners to discover some very intristing combination of traditional bosnian, serbian, romanian folklore music with prog metal. Good cover art and , great booklet.