"Let the Truce Be Known"
by Orphaned Land
Today’s band is another band I learned about indirectly from the Aftershock festival 2014. This website interviewed K’noup Tomopoulos and Orbel Babayan of VI*ZA, who both named Orphaned Land as one of the bands that had found its way onto their iPod playlists this year. A little research into this band has given me a deep respect for all that they stand for and the bravery the band displays just by existing. And their music is as outstanding as their message.
Formed as far back as the early 90’s, Israeli-based Orphaned Land has released a great deal of music, however it is their moving video to “Let the Truce Be Known” that is the subject of today’s short piece. I encourage you to watch this video through to the end, and give some real thought to its outstanding message to us all.
Formed as far back as the early 90’s, Israeli-based Orphaned Land has released a great deal of music, however it is their moving video to “Let the Truce Be Known” that is the subject of today’s short piece. I encourage you to watch this video through to the end, and give some real thought to its outstanding message to us all.
Like the famous Christmas Truce of World War I, this video chronicles the ability of two young children to form a short respite from their battle. In that brief interlude the video shows the promise of peace and all that is possible. As the children play freely, and romp through the ocean, and enjoy their time together, they get to experience that wonderful carefree sense of childhood that must be sorely lacking in such a difficult situation as The Middle East. Unfortunately, much like the Christmas Truce, the kids return to the battle, and the separation and hatred returns.
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Beyond the message that is included in a lot of their songs, the music itself is a wonderful mix of Middle Eastern music and metal, with fantastic guitar work and versatile vocals. There is a lot of music here to like, and two decades of music to explore. The new CD, All is One has its share of fantastic music; “Brother” a beautiful ballad, and the title track, “All is One” are worth taking some time checking out.
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Orphaned Land won the title as Global Metal Band of the Year at the Metal Hammer Golden God Awards 2014. In the tradition of brotherhood, the band decided to share this honor with the Palestinian band Khalas. Furthermore, an online petition was started to nominate Orphaned Land for the Nobel Peace Prize for their dedication to peace in the Middle East. While it may seem unusual to nominate a metal band for such an award, it is important to take a minute out just to think about how brave these guys are to sing and perform passionately about peace in a land that is bereft of trust. I am not sure if I would be up for it.
Finally, I just want to thank K’noup for the outstanding heads up about this talented and entertaining band. Much like VI*ZA itself, Orphaned Land has a lot to offer the musical world, and it is a real shame that more people don’t know these incredible bands.
Orphaned Land Website
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Orphaned Land Website
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 | Dan Adler was raised in Southern California to a mom and dad, one of whom appreciated Creedence and left wing anti-war politics. By the teenage years, Dan became obsessed with Black Sabbath, listening to the same seven albums repeatedly for 5 years. During this time, his favorite concert experience was seeing Metallica open for a bunch of bands that no longer exist and winning the 1st ever Santa Cruz Air Guitar contest. After several years in Africa listening and dancing to Chimurenga music, Dan returned to have the two best children in the world, one of whom spends a lot of time at concerts with him. What a lucky dad! |
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