Metal For Peace

"We always heard about Australia because there's a big Jewish community,” Kobi Farhi comments. “Everyone knows that all Australians are saying 'no worries'. And that's something very inspiring for us as Israelis, coming from the Middle East. Being Jewish we're always worried about so many things,” he chuckles.

“It's always stories that Australia is magical and everybody is living a peaceful life. Of course you probably have your own problems and not everybody is perfect, but when we get to hear about Australia, we always [think] about it in a positive way, that we want that peaceful life as well.”

A first Australian tour is another landmark for the Israeli progressive metallers, now into their third decade, whose career highlights include supporting Metallica in their homeland and playing major festivals like Germany's Wacken. Fans even started an online petition to nominate them for the Nobel Peace Prize. Head-banging for peace, Orphaned Land recently toured Europe with Palestinian band Khalas. 

Their sophisticated aural seduction has gradually seeped into international consciousness, courtesy their being featured in 2007 documentary, Global Metal. “We're living in a free country, we can do whatever we want, speak about whatever we want, so for [filmmaker] Sam Dunn to come here and film it was just the easiest thing in the world.” 

Dunn's film showcases other Israeli musicians acknowledging their everyday reality is infinitely more confronting than the fictional horror often portrayed within metal. In it Farhi emphasised that Orphaned Land try to be the “good news” coming out of Israel. “There is plenty of darkness in this world. I think this is why we should speak about the light.

“We're not using mythology; we're using more stories that are happening these days. It's very interesting, because everyone is familiar with bands from Europe or United States, and there weren't many bands emerging from the Middle East. So for a metal fan it's interesting to explore a heavy metal band from the Middle East, and to hear the stories from first impressions… The story of Orphaned Land is very interesting, because we're an Israeli band, we have Arab fans; we're functioning and writing music in a conflict zone.

“Being Israelis with Arab fans is something that, if you would have told anyone 20 years ago that Arabs will follow an Israeli band, that would have been one of the biggest jokes around. It's happening, because the themes are strong, the music is strong, and the subjects are very deep. People find it interesting, even in Israel or Arab countries, or anywhere in the world. I think Australians should find it interesting as well, because they can be proud as metal fans to see the achievements that metal has succeeded to gain in the Middle East. That's a story for every metal-head everywhere in the world.”