Melechesh's Sphynx kicks my manboobs in!

[JayKeeley]

Last night, I had this playing on my CD walkman in bed in the Holiday Inn Express, Cincinatti, but I felt like I was being transported to Sumeria!! I've always liked this album, but last night, it overtook me and made me pray to the demons of the desert.

Always described as a techy polyrythmic band into the whole Mesopotamian thang, but that description is arse if you ask me. That just makes them sound like a Morbid Angel clone, when in fact, they are quite different.

Melechesh is less 'technical' than Morbid Angel for a start, and that makes their music a tad more approachable - at least to me. The production is excellent, and everything is pretty clearly defined.

Excellent album! Under the right circumstances, it will send you into a trance of mass hypnosis! You can't have this on in the background - get the headphones on and let it rip!

 

[NAD]

That's about the 17th Sepultura lyrics reference in the last 3 days.

Hmm... Morbid Angel comparison, polyrythmic tendencies, praying to desert demons... I think this may be my thing. Well, not my thing thing, but you know, my thing.

 

[JayKeeley]

Papa Josh listed it in his 2003 list. I wish he'd review the bugger.

 

[Papa Josh]

Papa Josh listed it in his 2003 list. I wish he'd review the bugger.

Like you said, this ain't background music, the bitch smokes!!

Djinn is excellent as well.

Their first album isn't near as good as the last two.
But that's mainly because they didn't have Proscriptor.

I will have to get around to reviewing this little mofo....

 

[J.]

Yes, Josh recommended this band to me, and he was spot on. I actually prefer Djinn over SPhynx, but like both. I also have the debut, As Jerusalem Burns, which is solid, but not as good as the latter two, as Josh said.

 

[Krilons Resa]

I love Sphynx. I actually thought it was their best outing. Go figure.

 

[Demonspell]

Sphynx is an excellent album, I also get the feeling of riding through sandstorms while listening to it, I need to get Djinn as I keep hearing it's the better album of the two (what I've heard does rule mightily.)

 

[commandante]

Sphynx > Djinn > ...as Jerusalem burns

 

[Nate The Great]

Terrorizer listed Sphynx pretty high in their top 40 for 2003.

 

[JayKeeley]

The front cover is cool too. It's been done by the graphics guy from Star Wars (LucasArts) apparently.

 

[commandante]

Although the front cover is cool I prefered to buy the digipak version because it has the cool Melechesh logo in gold on a black background and has the booklet inside it anyways.

 

[Papa Josh]

Same here.

 

[JayKeeley]

BUMP.

So consensus in this thread leans towards Sphynx and Djinn being about equal, so I shall get Djinn next anyway.

 

[J.]

Djinn rules. The debut (which was recently re-released) is kinds straight forward black metal with little of their "Mesopatamian" sound.

 

[Allure of the Earth]

I saw them Live at Northern lights, they were incredible!

I got the all members to sign Djinn, and got Proscriptor to sign Absu "tara"

 

[J.]

I'm still up in the air about Absu. Everyone raves about Tara, but none of their other releases.

 

[Krilons Resa]

I started to like Sphynx more but Djinn has had alot longer shelf life for me.

 

[JayKeeley]

Can anyone give me an idea for the debut? As you know, I'm a huge fan, but I've never heard the debut.

Here is a description I found and I wanted to see if you guys agreed with it:

MELECHESH – As Jerusalem Burns… Al’ Intisar Digipak CD. Killer reissue of Melechesh classic cult debut CD includes 2 previously unreleased bonus tracks and a Video clip. Exotic Mesopotamian Black Metal. Raging Nordic-influenced technical Black/Thrash with lots of traditional Middle-Eastern melodies & themes! Sort of like a Eurasian/Oriental version of Russia's NOKTURNAL MORTUM with even more ancient heritage! Superbly packaged in a lavish Digipak.

A reference to the mighty NM?! Wow.

 

[J.]

That's pretty accurate. Just imagine a viking black metal album like early Helheim, and simply replace the viking stuff with mesopatamia and middle-eastern stuffs, and make it thrashier, and there you go. Not bad by any means.

THe re-release shouldn't be too hard to find. In fact, I believe Dark Symphonies has it.

 

[JayKeeley]

Yeah, it's only $10 and plus it will complete my Melechesh collection.

OK I'll get it. I'm curious to hear the BM elements thrown in with the Mesopotamian stuff. On paper at least, the idea sounds phenomenal.