Orphaned Land

Orphaned Land
Orphaned Land performin at Wacken Open Air in August 2010
Background information
Forby kent as	Resurrection
Oreigin	Bat Yam/Petah Tikva, Israel
Genres	Fowk metal, Oriental metal, progressive metal, daith/doom, progressive rock
Years active	1991–present
Labels	Century Media
Associate acts	Mahavatar
Wabsteid	www.orphaned-land.com
Members	Kobi Farhi Uri Zelcha Yossi Sa'aron Sassi Shlomit Levi Matan Shmuely Chen Balbus
Past members	Sami Bachar Eden Rabin Itzik Levy Yatziv Caspi Eran Asias Avi Diamond Matti Svatizky

Orphaned Land is an Israeli progressive metal baund, formit in 1991, that combines daith/doom, Jewish an Arabic influences.

In 1992, the baund chyngit its name frae the oreeginal Resurrection^[1] tae Orphaned Land. Orphaned Land fuse progressive, doom, an daith metal as well as Middle-Eastren fowk muisic an Arabic traditions in a form o Oriental metal. Each album haes some concept relatit tae twa extremes: a meetin o East an Wast, past an present, licht an daurkness, an God an Satan.^[2]

The baund’s first album wis Sahara (1994) which was oreeginally released as a demo. The second album, El Norra Alila (1996), haed mony Eastren/Oriental influences, such as "El Norra Alila" ("Illustrious God"), based on a poem sung durin Yom Kippur as a plea o forgiveness. It includit sangs wi traditional oriental Jewish piyyut an Arabic melodies an aw. The album splorit the themes o licht an darkness, as well as conveyin the message o commonality atween the three main Aubrahamic releegions (Judaism, Islam, an Christianity).^[3]

The third album, Mabool: The Story of the Three Sons of Seven (the Ebreu name for the Deluge, depictit in the Bible an Noah's story), released in 2004, wis seven years in the makkin. It tells the story o three sons (ane for each Aubrahamic releegion) who try tae warn humanity o a flood comin as punishment for their sins. Musically, the album contains oriental instruments, twa choruses, traditional Yemenite chants sung bi Shlomit Levi, an quotes o biblical verses frae the story o the deluge, read bi vocalist Kobi Farhi. Efter Mabool, Orphaned Land released an EP, Ararat (2005) namit efter Munt Ararat. Despite their sangs drawin on biblical themes, the baund hae said that they are no releegious.^[4]

On Januar, 2010, Orphaned Land released the follae-up tae Mabool, entitled The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR. ORWarriOR means "Warrior o Licht", an the concept is the battle atween licht an darkness. The album haes a different soond than Mabool, an wis mixed bi Steven Wilson o Porcupine Tree.^[5] The first single frae the CD wis titled "Sapari" an wis put on Myspace wi twa ither tracks, "Vayehi OR" an "Disciples of the Sacred Oath II".^[6] In early 2011, ORWarriOR wis ratit the Metal Storm number ane progressive metal album o 2010 bi uisers wi 421/1130 total votes.^[7]

In 2008, Orphaned Land wis featured in the documentary Global Metal, a film bi the creators o Metal: A Headbanger's Journey.^[8]

On 22 Mey 2010, Orphaned Land performed as the openin act tae Metallica's show in Israel. Follaein this, the baund went on a festival tour in the simmer o 2010, promotin their latest album, The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR, wi appearances at such festivals as Wacken Open Air, Summer Breeze Open Air, Sonisphere Festival, Gods of Metal, Rock Hard Festival an mair. Efter the simmer festival tour, the baund went on a North American tour in support o Katatonia, alang wi Swallow the Sun. This wis follaeed bi a tour o Europe supportin Amorphis alang wi Ghost Brigade.

They performit on 19 Juin 2011, at the French Metal Festival Hellfest held in Clisson, near Nantes. In Februar 2012, they performit at the festival Alcheringa at Indien Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT), Indie.

On 11 Juin 2012, guitarist Matty Svatizky annooncit his depairtur frae the baund, due tae personal issues.

• The Beloved's Cry (1993)

• The Calm Before the Flood (2004)
• Promo Split MCD (2005) – (with Sentenced)
• Ararat (2005)

• Sahara (1994)
• El Norra Alila (1996)
• Mabool (2004)
• The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR (2010)

Music videos

• "Ocean Land" (2004) – Mabool
• "Norra El Norra" (2004) – Mabool
• "Sapari" (2010) – The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR

Documentaries

• "A Heaven You May Create" – The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR Limited Edition DVD (2010)
• The Road to OR-Shalem (2011)^[9]

Current members

• Kobi Farhi – leadin chants, grouls, narrations, choir & backin vocals (1991–present)
• Yossi Sassi (Sa'aron) – lead electric & acoustic guitars, oud, saz, bouzouki, chumbush, piano (1991–present)
• Uri Zelcha – electric, acoustic & fretless bass (1991–present)
• Matan Shmuely – drums, percussion (2007–present)
• Chen Balbus – lead electric & acoustic guitars, bouzouki, backin vocals (2011–present)

Former members

• Eden Rabin – keybuirds, backin vocals (2001–2005)
• Yatziv Caspi – percussion (2004–2007)
• Avi Diamond – drums, percussion (2004–2007)
• Itzik Levy – keybuirds, piano (1991–2000)
• Eran Asias – drums, percussion (2000–2004)
• Sami Bachar – drums, percussion (1991–2000)
• Matti Svatitzki – rhythm electric & acoustic guitars (1991–2012)

Tourin members

• Chen Balbus – lead electric & acoustic guitars, bouzouki, backin vocals (2011–present)
• Shlomit Levi – female vocals (2004–present)
• Steven Wilson – keybuirds (2010)

Wikimedia Commons haes media relatit tae Orphaned Land.

• Offeecial wabsteid
• Century Media Records steid Archived 2012-02-18 at the Wayback Machine
• Holy Records steid Archived 2008-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
• Interview wi Orphaned Land on Avantgarde-metal.com (2010) Archived 2012-06-08 at the Wayback Machine
• An interview wi Matti Svatitzki on Prog Sphere (2011) Archived 2012-03-07 at the Wayback Machine