need to rush sightless into its thick, no screaming terror that it will vanish deftly as Houdini.
There is instead a permanency to the motion, an endless spring, a weight eternally lifted which
drives the mind into a cultural inferno of perpetuation, as if an eternal law of symbiosis retains all
submissive.
The people don’t stop and think, they just go go go. What time is there to read books
when ski jets graze above water? What grimness can be nurtured when the grey sky blight is a
non-entity, a figment discontinued? Brains thus chug forward as frantic batteries, solar powered
and hosted by the light…
In this incubation The Villa Winona is supplanted. Somewhere in this miraculous mess of
activity we come together to scratch our heads. We devour life more so then the locals, for in
their blind rush of summer they lack the urgency that it will be taken in seasonal clockwork. They
don’t understand the climate of fear and hopelessness that embodies Detroit. They know not the
prison camp foundations of our lives.
In their gleaming paradise Detroit is but a vague image, an untraveled trademark of
stereotypes. Thus they have had the luxury of relaxation, of slower impulse. This is why, in any
mass social interaction, when we gallop into open community we seem the detachment of a
barbarian horde. We pillage like Vikings, carrying the weight of every successful hustle and food
snatch back to the compound, where we live the economy of barter. Neo-tribal, this spinning
nucleus of confusion, forever ogled & entranced as if San Diego were Disneyland.
This rugged patch of terrain and class warfare, palm trees and motor debris… This far-
reaching octopus of steel and black tar… Flower patches brimming like swarms of larvae…
Ocean currents grate against the course pull of sand… Hills everywhere, like great walls
surrounding us, at night the villages shine like magnificent dots of fire… The endless maze of
alleyways, dripping graffiti and fever… The outer crest of cement breaks rural, landscape
unfurling homes sutured amateur…
The cawing of roosters even amidst the concrete… The porn shop filth bowl and glass
shrapnel motorway… Gaudy taco huts drifting charred effluvium… The black top vapor evap of
mid-day rush… Motor police and orange coats, haggard winos swarming as hive… Car lot
archipelagos & four wheeled mortgage tombs… Whore houses and jet rays, iPod’s and
colonoscopies… Aristotle enveloping the technological undercurrent, Plato redefined… Bail
bond advertisements on every park bench and flagpole…
34
TRANSMISSION AMSTERDAM
In 5 minutes, Melechesh is going to call The Villa Winona. Melechesh, the first black metal band
in the history of the Middle East, who rose from Israel in 1993 to give the world its first glimpse
of Sumerian thrash. Bullet belts, leather pants, demonology & eardrum convulsions…
On par with West Virginia’s NILE -- who are legends for their unique breed of Egyptian
death metal -- Melechesh are hailed internationally for their original use of exotic scales and
modes. They’ve rearranged the death/thrash formula into an even more extreme and hypnotic
potent by blending an array of Middle Eastern folk instruments into their lavish compositions. In
this, they’ve become an undeniably massive influence in America, guitarists far and wide
emulating their brazen deviations.
Dr. Santiago, still bleeding, still picking scabs, is to be my intern. He reaches over, as an
unabashed fan, to enthusiastically read the text on Melechesh’s promo pack. I don’t need to for I
know the story all too well – 14 years of chaos and 4 solid records of endless acclaim. Simply
withdrawing into that inner-lair of zine quotes like stock market statistics I can cascade an
avalanche of them at will: “Melechesh, the sonic bludgeoning killers of napalm infused whatever,
driving the brains of their listeners into rust-belt meat-grinders, beating them senseless with fiery
tides of revulsion and primal terror, and blah blah blah…”
“Melechesh, those horrendous sons of the Aeonic gods, blast forth a highly complex,
hook-driven & eerie blah blah blah. Worldwide, like the looming threat of Jihad, the poor
metalhead consumes their audio cancer, driving them into a conspiracy movement of hooligan
frenzied shenanigans – pouring acid on the face of the Lincoln Memorial, wiping their buttocks
with the Magna Carta, dropping grand piano’s from skyscrapers at haphazard immigrant
taxicabs -- a plasma-drenched maelstrom of blah blah blah blood and fumigation. With their new
release ‘Emissaries,’ Melechesh blah blah, world tour beside Marduk blah blah…”
“So you’re calling from Amsterdam today? Did Melechesh just have a show?”
Ashmedi: “We live here actually. We had a show a few weeks ago.”
“Tell me about your new record “Emissaries” and what you hoped to accomplish with
the album…”
“I think I did accomplish what I wanted – you can say death, Mesopotamian metal or
Sumerian thrashing black metal at it’s finest, I guess. It’s an expression of the band, and
expression of mine as well, since I write most of the music. I feel that I’ve achieved that with
Emissaries and it’s an album I’m very proud of. On the media level and the fans at least it’s being
received very well. They had a lot of expectations for us especially after SPHINX was released.
It’s been hailed by the public, especially here in Europe and now it’s starting in North America.”
“What elements do you think you were able to make Melechesh stronger coming from
the critically acclaimed “Sphinx” album?”
“I don’t think I could answer ‘better or worse,’ because it’s very subjective. I know some
people that think our first album is the best, because its very raw. I think the majority considers
SPHINX our best album. I think of course the natural maturity and progression of the sound-work
in the past two years has allowed me to grow musically, hence the improvement. Lyrically it’s
very elaborate and we were able to include newer elements of the band. I think what I like about
“Emissaries” is that I felt less cornered, like ‘fuck it I’ll just write whatever I feel like writing.’
With that liberation, I think the music came out even more sincere.”
“Lyrically what are some of the concepts and ideas you talk about on ‘Emissaries?’”
“Generally we play around with the ideas of Sumerian deities coming back from another
planet onto earth. It is one that we like to elaborate on and in this album it is mentioned as well. It
is just such a fascinating idea. I also have a song about my personal view of the occult side of
Jerusalem, the city I was born in and where Melechesh started back in ’93. There’s also a track
about the kabala. There’s also one song based on a very ancient text that is adapted slightly. It
35
coincides with some ideas I had which is really amazing and almost surrealistic. In general its
Mediterranean mysticism and Middle Eastern occult, specifically the Mesopotamian.”
“What was it like originating in Jerusalem? I know many of the Arabic countries are
very opposed to heavy metal and anything they would view as dark or satanic…”
“Speaking of the Arabic countries the atmosphere is really different. In that world there is
a huge scene. In some countries it’s legal, in some countries it’s been banned then allowed again.
It’s still brewing and its brewing big. I think that within 5, maybe 10 years it’s going to be very
normal to hear of a signed Arabic band. As for the situation in Jerusalem there has always been
metal. On sheer nightlife I find it more interesting in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv then Amsterdam. It’s
not conservative at all, and on a cultural level they are less conservative. Of course the
Palestinians are more conservative.”
“But as a band with dark occult imagery, did you catch a lot of flack?”
“We did a black metal band in Jerusalem -- we were actually the first black metal band
ever in Jerusalem, now there’s a scene there. When we said we were a metal band it was all okay
in East Jerusalem and the Israeli area, but in the Palestinian areas I was a cast out. I’m neither
Israeli nor Palestinian myself, but I lived there. It wasn’t polarized in Jerusalem until a newspaper
wrote a kind of lie thing about us being a satanic cult and not a black metal band. Then we were
wanted by the authorities because that was not allowed. There was no rule, there was nothing
illegal that you weren’t allowed to have. But they didn’t know how to handle it because it was the
Holy City and there was a “satanic cult” there… Now people are very interested in it. We’ve
achieved a lot since then, and it kind of vanished with time. We moved out in ’98. We did one
album while living there, recorded in Jerusalem. After that we did several albums in Europe.”
“I have one of my editorial interns with me, he’s a big fan of your work. He’s got a few
questions for you so I’ll be turning you over to him…”
Dr. Santiago: “Nice to speak with you... First, a lot of people who may hear your music
might consider it to have a dark influence or negative impact on your listeners. I believe
otherwise, but I was curious what your response…”
“If they don’t comprehend what we do you mean? You can take that question into
various meanings – it could possess you, it could tend to do something like make you cry or make
you commit suicide or…”
Dr. Santiago: “Well as far as your philosophies of the occult, would you consider it to
be a negative or positive influence on your listeners?”
“I think that its enlightenment. With Melechesh if you don’t read the lyrics you can still
enjoy the music. The lyrics offer a lot of profound substance. If they really comprehend them, it
won’t hinder towards a negative. They question a lot of things, the lyrics. The subjects we talk
about are rather fascinating. Are they dark? Well, of course, but its very subjective.”
Dr. Santiago: “So you believe it’s either one or the other – either they love your music
or they’re going to hate it…”
“I think at a musical level it’s like everything else. If you listen to it and you understand
it, you might like it. And if not, that’s fair enough. From what I see our fan base is always
growing. Musically people could relate to it unless they are looking at it from a very skeptical
point of view. Lyrically I think that yes, it is dark in some sense. It’s not very happy stuff.”
Dr. Santiago: “How do you feel about different genres of music with similar
philosophies coming together and not necessarily collaborating as far as music, but definitely
coming together with shows?”
“I think it’s a positive thing. We’re going to be touring with a bunch of bands in Europe –
Marduk, Enslaved, Keep Of Kalessin -- all over Europe in May. I think it’s great, so long as it’s
not overwhelming with so many bands that you can’t see all of them. I usually like to do shows
with two or three bands, but if you have five or six bands and enough time, why not? It depends
on the bands attitude. I think you can benefit from that by looking at other perspectives, you can
36
learn from each other. I think that creates a lot of synergy. A little kid could show you another
perspective than an old man could, you know?”
Dr. Santiago: “One thing I love about your music is that there is a wealth of
experience and influences – what if any specific roots that contributed to the overall sound of
‘Emissaries?’”
“I think it’s a process of evolution and conscious thought, but then it becomes your
character. What you hear on Melechesh is my character of composing, so maybe that’s one, but
how is that formed? I was raised on thrash and heavy metal, black metal. My attitude is a
combination of the three. I feel that Mediterranean music fits perfectly in the percussion area, and
with the guitar. That combination in my own character makes the sound of Melechesh.”
Dr. Santiago: “Are there any specific bands that you have a lot of respect for?”
“I respect a lot of bands of course, but acknowledging them for crafting the sound of
Melechesh today? No, I can’t. But we started because I was so into the Bathory The Return album
that I wanted to do something similar as in raw but that of course was the first period. I enjoy lots
of rock and black metal and thrash, especially when they have their own sound going. But I don’t
think you can relate any of them to us now.”
Dr. Santiago: “What is your favorite country to play live in?”
“I like playing in Israel because it’s so inspiring there. It’s a holy place, there’s a lot of
metal, the audience is very, very, very aggressive. France is nice to play, Germany. Sometimes
the Dutch audiences are considered timid, because that seems part of the culture. But when we
play its insane here. I liked playing Canada.”
Dr. Santiago: “Does Melechesh have any political views? Being from Israel how do
you feel about holy wars and the jihad situation going on in the Middle East?”
“As a band we don’t have a political opinion because we don’t deal with mundane
aspects… As an individual of course… We’re all free thinkers and we all have our opinions. Not
all of them are in agreement of course. Personally my political opinions are best summed up with
it takes “2 to tango.’ Every action has a reaction, just like Einstein said in physics. That applies. It
becomes a vicious circle. They don’t ask what the source of the problem is, they just kill back and
forth. I think a lot of people are hypnotized and easy to manipulate. Its ignorance ruling rather
than enlightenment, and they outnumber us at least a hundred to one. I don’t believe what I hear
on the TV. I know for a fact that there a lot of lies…”
DESPERATELY AWAITING THE NEEDLES
Onyx’ wife takes me to the homeless shelter Downtown, a Lutheran Church where dinner is
served at 4pm and the free medical clinic offers a variety of services, including free
acupuncture…
You look down from the second story balcony at the swarming courtyard mass of them.