Jerusalem’s Arallu have been forging their own path in extreme metal since 1997. With nine albums, three EPs, live DVDs, and European tours under their belt, they’ve established themselves as pioneers of Middle Eastern black metal. We caught up with founder Daniel Butchered to find out more.
Who are you and where are you from?
Daniel Butchered here. Arallu was founded in Jerusalem in 1997, and today we’re nine albums deep, plus three EPs, live DVD releases, and tour runs across several European countries.
How did the band form?
Due to the tension and conflict between the three monotheistic religions in the city where I was born, Jerusalem, Arallu was formed. The rest is history.
How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you?
We define our style as Middle Eastern black metal. We deliver a unique, different, and original sound that has been shaped over many years of the band’s existence. We put strong emphasis on distinguishing our sound from today’s black metal and religious metal scenes, and that is what truly separates us from any other band in the world.
What bands have shaped what you do?
I grew up listening to bands such as Slayer, Mayhem, Emperor, Deicide, Darkthrone, and King Diamond, along with a wide range of metal from the 1990s, combined with folk and Arabic music. This mixture is what ultimately created Arallu‘s unique sound.
What’s the one song of yours people should hear first?
I think ‘Ishtar Will Rise’, ‘Adonay’, and ‘En Olam’ are great songs to introduce listeners to the atmosphere of Arallu.
Tell us something fans might not know about you?
I think the event in 2003, when my younger brother was kidnapped by the ELN guerrilla underground, had a huge impact on me. I managed to rescue him after three months, and this experience deeply shaped my personality. From that moment on, I understood that there are no limits to willpower and motivation. If you truly believe, you can change reality. In the song ‘Sierra Nevada’ from our new album DMoon, which was just released, you can clearly follow the unfolding of that event.
What’s been your best gig so far?
We’ve been performing since 2001 in many places, countries, and festivals. It’s very hard to choose a single show as the best one, but without a doubt, the two live DVD performances we released are among the best we’ve ever done.
What’s the music scene like where you’re based?
Our style comes from black metal, and unfortunately, there are almost no bands like that here. There are many mainstream metal bands, but extreme metal like what we do is very rare.
What’s next for you?
We are currently looking to perform as much as possible with our new album DMoon. We would be happy to receive offers to play overseas, but in the meantime, we are booked for several events in our home country.
Where can people find you?
We are everywhere! Just search for “Arallu” on Google and you’ll find our Facebook page, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and more.
Anything else you want people to know?
First of all, thank you very much for this wonderful interview. I truly hope we’ll receive an invitation from your country as well so we can come and perform there.