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Never Ending Way Of Orwarrior

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I don't believe that we all know whom Orphaned Land is just yet, so I am going to put a short introduction to them to start off. They are a doom/oriental metal band that hails from Israel, fusing traditional Arabic instruments and chants with brutal guitar riffs. Known for their previous release, 2004's Mabool: The Story of the Three Sons of Seven, they also released other albums prior to this, in 1994 they released Sahara, their first ever, which was originally a demo, and in 1996 they also released El Norra Alila. Fast forward to 2010, and we now have The Neverending Way of ORWarriOR, the follow up to Mabool. How does it stack up? In a word, brilliant. Kobi Farhi and the gang pulled out all the stops and it shows.

The album itself is a concept album, like Mabool, therefore a fair amount of care has gone into it's production, as evidenced by the sheer amount of time the tale takes to be woven. It tells of the tale of the "warrior of light" and his battle against darkness from the outside, as well as within himself, and it does so over three parts that divide the overall track listing. To listen to just a few tracks of it would not do it justice at all, to really get the full on feel for it, one needs to listen to the entire album start to finish.

While "Sapari" is a fantastic song, it is just the start, from there, it goes to "From Broken Vessels" which starts off with a piano intro, building up with guitars, and then kicking into gear with some growling vocals and some kickin' riffs. Definitely a great real start to the whole thing if I say so myself, and it goes to show how Orphaned Land has evolved as a group. Of course, there are softer moments in the album, but usually they're no more than 2 - 3 minutes, as shown by the next track "Bereft In the Abyss", a ballad and a pretty nice one at that, definitely not a favorite, but it shows off Kobi's clean vocal skills, which have been polished to a fine shine that if it were something you could see, it'd blind your eyes.

From here, we have "The Path Part 1 - Treading Through Darkness" which starts off slow for the first few minutes, even coming complete with traditional Arabic instruments before an awesomely heavy guitar riff comes through and the growls only serve to enhance the atmosphere. Overall, it's a really nice track, and definitely does not interrupt the flow of things at all. Of course, following that is "The Path Part 2 - The Pilgrimage to Or Shalem" which has female vocalist Shlomit Levi singing all by her lonesome to start with, before you hear a nice guitar riff instrumental backed by orchestral violins that while it doesn't last long before the vocals kick in, is very nice to hear regardless. The Path duology are definitely highlights for sure. Very epic, very fitting, and showcasing Orphaned Land's talents in a fantastic way.

Following is "Olat Ha'tamid" which has what I believe is Hebrew street singing to start off with, before getting into the full song, where Kobi sings in the language as well, the flow is almost seamless, and definitely is a nice fill before the rest of the epicness continues. "The Warrior" starts off with flute and orchestra played by the Arab Orchestra of Nazareth, as well as Kobi speaking in Arabic overarching this orchestral score for the first minute or so before he begins singing with this orchestral background, and then builds to a slow, crunching metal riff that sets the tempo for the rest of the song. Utterly brilliant, it does this without one genre cancelling the other out. It is definitely another stand out track.

Continuing onward, another short ballad comes into play, "His Leaf Shall Not Wither" which I feel is an okay track, not what I'd call great by any stretch of the imagination. It does it's job of giving your ears a brief respite from the heaviness of some of the other tracks before seaguing into "Disciples of the Sacred Oath II" which is a follow-up to "Disciples of the Sacred Oath" which was on El Norra Alila's Deluxe Edition, and this is again, another heavy hitter, it kicks right in off the bat, and doesn't let up either. It's a very interesting piece that I personally love, but others might not appreciate it's flavor.

Another piece sung by Shlomit Levi, "New Jerusalem" is a sad and sombre track, but it showcases her vocals, something that she's never really had a chance to do before with the shorter tracks, and wow, this woman can sing. There is definitely moments of heaviness when the electric guitar and drums kick in, and they enhance, of course, Kobi takes over after about two minutes before it goes back to Shlomit herself, it's another standout, and definitely one of my favorite songs on the album.

"Veyahi Or" is a short but sweet track, consisting of some great guitar, and subtle use of strings throughout, there is just something about this track that combines spoken narration, and some awesome vocals throughout it's short time, that just hits it all on the right chords with me. "MI?" is another short track, starting off with distortion that makes it sound like it's being played through a phonograph, of course, it clears up after a minute, uses echoing a plenty, and while Kobi does a nice job of singing throughout, I feel this is not exactly a favorite, definitely a weaker track on the album.

"Barakah" which follows immediately after, more than makes up for it though, heaviness a plenty here, again with the subtle use of strings in certain places, but for the most part, it's a straight up metal fest with growling a plenty to be heard after a minute and a half into the song or so, before it kicks into something that sounds like it'd be great to dance or headbang like a madman to, with some clean vocal breaks and a spoken narration as well. Another standout track that definitely deserves a listen from start to finish.

"Codeword: Uprising" is the second to last track, and it has such a brutal intro to begin with, easily the heaviest track on this album, some great instrumentation, plenty of growlling, this shows that Orphaned Land can easily go toe to toe with some of the best, it's an awesome track, definitely hit all the right chords, simply put, this does not let go until the end of the song itself.

The last track is the best one, "In Thy Neverending Way" is such a fine conclusion to what I feel is an awesome album. It's a slower track, that in a way, reminds me of a Lacuna Coil piece and that is a good thing as I like that band too. Great use of heavy riffs and traditional Bouzouki throughout, it is such a nice song, and I feel it should be the next single off of ORWarriOR, the way Kobi sings an open call to peace with this song, and then the spoken passage towards the end of it concludes this album on a positive note, Orphaned Land should be applauded for writing such a brilliant piece of music to conclude this album. I feel this is one of their best songs, it just left me saying "Wow" at the end.

What can I say? This is a fantastic follow up to Mabool, and definitely worth a listen for anyone who is an Orphaned Land fan. One should bear in mind that this is not Mabool, part 2, but rather an album that deserves to stand on it's own, and stand on it's own it does. Yes, it's lengthy, but I don't feel this is a bad thing, I feel I got what I paid for and then some with this fantastic album. The last two tracks in particular are standouts.

I enjoy all types of music, and I really like the way the music flows smoothly between styles (middle eastern, rock, death metal) to the point where you almost don't notice. It's not jarring at all.

That said my daughter, who isn't into the metal thing, only likes the tracks without it, especially Sapari, with the fantastic female vocalist.

This is a hard review to write, because no matter what I say, I don't think I can do justice to this brilliant album. Still, on the off chance that I can convince someone to try this album; I'll give it a shot.

The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR is the latest album from Israeli progressive metal band Orphaned Land, and is the long awaited follow-up to their 2004 masterpiece Mabool. Expectations were high regarding this album. After all, when you spend half a decade recording an album, it had better be exceptional. Fortunately The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR lives up to expectations in every possible way, and in fact exceeds them.

If you're unfamiliar with Orphaned Land, I'd call them a progressive metal band that evolved from a more straightforward death metal sound. Like Opeth, Orphaned Land combines the best elements of death and progressive metal, particularly the use of both clean and growled vocals. And like Opeth, Orphaned Land benefited from the services of Porcupine Tree mainman Steven Wilson as producer for this album. Orphaned Land also incorporates traditional Middle Eastern musical elements prominently into their unique brand of metal.

The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR is, quite simply, Orphaned Land's crowning achievement. Like Mabool, The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR is a concept album, though I haven't spent enough time with the lyrics to have a handle on the story yet. The scope of the album is massive, with a high level of orchestration and a common spirit that runs throughout the album, whether it's an acoustic song like "His Leaf Shall Not Wither," a song like "Sapari" with lots of Hebrew singing, or a deathly thrasher like "Barakah." The intricate progressive musicianship, traditional Middle Eastern elements, symphonic elements (courtesy of the Arab Orchestra of Nazareth) and the clean, growled and occasional female vocals (from Shlomit Levi) all come together flawlessly for an album that works quite well song by song, but becomes something truly magnificent taken together.

It's early, but The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR is already a contender for the year's best metal album, and is probably one of the best progressive metal albums released in the last decade. If you're a progressive metal fan and are open to death metal style vocals, this isn't even an optional purchase. Just add it to your cart now. If you're a fan of creative, intelligent death metal (think Cynic and Opeth), this is also a must-have. It's not just an album to listen to, The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR is an experience, and one that stays with you long after the album ends.

Edition Notes: The Special Edition version of The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR comes in a thick, sturdy double-digipack with a bonus DVD that features the standard "making of" footage as well as an additional track "Estarabim" that's apparently a popular Turkish song. I'll probably never watch the DVD more than once, but I love the packaging and am compelled to get these Special Editions when possible.

Edition Notes 2: Century Media also released a "Tour Edition" version of The Never Ending Way or ORwarriOR that includes a second disc with "Estarabim" as well as a few other demos, alternate versions and video clips. I wanted the extra tracks, but I wasn't exactly thrilled about having to re-buy the album to get them. The standard jewel case is also a step down from the deluxe packaging of the Special Edition.

The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR is the much-anticipated successor to Orphaned Land's highly acclaimed 2004 release Mabool. Much like its predecessor, this is also a concept album about the battle between light and darkness, but truth be told, I haven't fully explored the lyrics and story of the disc, as I've always been more interested in the band's music rather than conceptual ideas.

Musically, the album sees Orphaned Land growing into a tighter musical force, capitalising on their foundation of heavy meets light in the form of myriad traits. Be it Kobi Farhi's bestial death growls or his melodic clean singing, the wonderful female vocals of Shlomit Levi, or the marriage of traditional instruments with the metallic thunder of bass, guitar, and drums, the songs are distinctly marked by the Orphaned Land sound we all know.

Of course there are the shorter, slower-paced numbers like the acoustic-based "Bereft in the Abyss" and "Olat Ha'tamid", combining Hebrew singing with a catchy, Middle Eastern main melody; however, they have been carefully integrated into the flow of the album in order to provide sharper contrasts to the more progressively tinged pieces like "Treading Through Darkness" and "The Pilgrimage to Or Shalem", which are basically the two parts of a single composition. The former features soft, lullaby-like clean vocals atop a neat acoustic melody, a discreet symphonic element, and a sweet string section before gaining momentum and building towards a heavier finale with plenty of growling and harmony vocals. On the other hand, the second piece places heavier focus on nimble instrumentation, without ignoring the achingly beautiful female vocals. From its syncopated drum patterns to the spoken parts to the dense, chaotic rhythm sections, the song proves Orphaned Land have certainly refined their songwriting abilitities.

The guitar work on the album is possibly Orphaned Land's best, not only from a technical standpoint but also melodically. Being the result of many years' of work, The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR boasts some of their most melodically driven songs. The guitar theme that appears in the second half of "Treading Through Darkness" or the long yet truly enchanting solo on the amazing "The Warrior", complete with some of the best singing on the whole album. The main melody is offered first via the vocals and then through Yossi Sassi Sa'aron's guitar and climaxes with an intense run-out passage.

"Disciples of the Sacred Oath II" is arguably the band's most diverse song to date, as it mixes a plethora of chants, both Yemeni and Hebrew, death growls, fierce double bass drums, complex instrumental passages, traditional instruments such as the saz and chumbush, as well as film score-like melodies that attest to the band's indisputable interest in 70's Turkish music. Those of you who will get the special edition with the DVD can also hear the band's cover version of Turkish rock giant Erkin Koray's classic piece "Estarabim".

The album's finest duet between Kobi Farhi and Shlomit Levi is definitely "New Jerusalem". Unlike many others, I do not think that the album opener "Sapari" is among the album's highpoints, as it places too much emphasis on the melodic chorus. "New Jerusalem", on the other hand, despite its slow pace, is a great accomplishment in that it is characterized by a wonderful melody which never gets in your face, or the excellent trade-off between acoustic and electric instruments.

Porcupine Tree mastermind Steven Wilson is present in a mixing capacity. He also contributes amazing keyboards to the songs, lending pieces like the aforementioned "The Warrior" an extra dimension -- it is his atmospheric synth line that heightens the scope of Yossi's guitar solo. Also, you can feel his presence on "M I ?" which eerily recalled Opeth the first couple of times I heard it, mostly due to the mixing -- the shift from the silent singing to the doubled vocal part is simply astonishing.

I've heard this disc maybe twenty times in only two days and it just keeps getting better. It is going to be a personal favourite of 2010. Highly recommended.

Having an expansive taste in music, from the classical to countless sub genres of heavy metal, I am constantly trying to broaden my musical horizon by discovering new and exciting influences in music. One such band that thinks totally outside the box is Israel's Orphaned Land, who blends an intoxicating amalgam of musical textures and influences to their music. Certainly not a country commonly associated with progressive metal, but in recent years, there has been a positive surge forward with many noteworthy bands coming from this far and distant land. Adding proof to this statement, one does not have to look far to appreciate the collective talents of, Amaseffer, Salem, Egend and Ephrat for that matter. Orphaned Land is Israel's best kept musical secret, as they have been plying their craft longer than many of their closest adversaries. Riding off the success of their hugely popular `Mabool' album which saw the light of day some years back, they have returned in 2010 with the strangely titled `The never ending way of ORwarriOR'. Orphaned Land play straight into the hands of progressive metal, but this is where things get a tad interesting.

Due to their cultural background, they have incorporated Middle Eastern instrumentation and Hebrew chanting by successfully crossing over musical boundaries into progressive, folk, death and mainstream metal. Pigeonholing their brand of eclectic music is near impossible, as they are not a straightforward band to listen to, due to the many different influences to their sound. Their technical prowess is awe inspiring, incorporating light and dark segments with tempo changes aplenty to keep the attentive listener transfixed, acoustic passages, bow and electric instrumentation and as already mentioned, traditional instruments commonly found in Yiddish or Hebrew music. This said the music flows seamlessly from one passage to the next with unreserved perfection. Intrinsically, they are progressive metal band with a few death metal influences, mainly with the vocals. Kobi Farhi does have a very good voice, strong clear and precise when singing clean vocal lines, but a few of the tracks do have a throaty growl (a simple vocal analogy would be a cross between Carcass', Billy Steer and Opeth's Michael Åkerfelt), making his voice audible nonetheless.

If this vocal style is not to your liking then fear not, as the harsher side to Farhi's vocals have been kept to a bare minimum. In fact, I rather like the harsher side of his vocal delivery as it certainly adds plenty of contrast and quality to the music. Musically, Orphaned Land is a more stripped back and calmer version of Opeth, mainly from an instrumentation perspective. Whilst on all things Opeth, Porcupine Tree's Steve Wilson who has previously worked with the likes of Opeth was drafted in to work on this project. Having garnered a steady reputation for himself as a musician and more recently as a producer/mixer with his own band, Porcupine Tree, Wilson certainly did take on a rather difficult task of mixing this album. With his fine ear and clear musical insight, he has done a commendable job, as there are so many subtle nuances to be found in the music. My only two criticisms are, firstly the production is a bit thin and in my mind should have been better off with a far denser vibe. Secondly, there are no lyrics provided with the inner sleeve, which I find annoying especially with an album of this quality. Two small gripes in my view, but do not be put off by the splendour found within this great album.

From listening to the album along with piecing together the song titles, I am of the belief this is a concept album. It has been divided into three different sections, with some of the songs having spoken (English and Hebrew) interludes at the beginning. After listening to the music half a dozen times, the music is multifaceted and very challenging, requiring your attention, as there are many subtle segments from the onset. A band is only as good as their song writing skills and this is where Orphaned Land's strength can be found. Each note played has a precise place in the music with the lyrics having a biblical approach, very similar to 2009's epic album `Slaves for Life' from fellow Israeli's, Amaseffer. A point in reference here is Orphaned Land does draw some close similarities to Amaseffer's music, especially during some of the progressive pieces. Due to the complexity of the music, doing a song-by-song analysis will be a futile exercise because I will not be able to convey into words how each track sounds. Those who enjoy challenging progressive metal will find this album very rewarding and should check these guys out as they are a sure winner in my book.

I have never been a fan of growled death-metal vocals, to the point that I've often discarded bands off-hand the moment they venture into that style. Instead, I've mostly listened to the softer end of the progressive metal genre, enjoying such bands as Dream Theater, Pain of Salvation, Ayreon, Transatlantic, and the like.

After hearing two of the "softer" tracks off this album while listening to Last.fm, I immediately sought to hear more. I was surprised when the lead singer began growling in the second track, but even more surprised to find that I truly enjoyed it. For this band, moving between orchestral, death metal, acoustic, Hebrew, and progressive metal styles is incredibly natural, to the point that all one truly notices is a change in character to match the feelings portrayed by the storyline.

I strongly encourage all fans of progressive metal to listen to this album, even if you, like me, typically shy away from the heaviest end of the genre. I have a feeling many of you will be pleasantly surprised.

This release on Amazon is NOT the CD/DVD set! It is the audio CD ONLY!

I pre-ordered and was very disappointed when I opened my box today. :(

I've contacted Amazon to resolve this, but be warned before you order this!

Edit: However, great album.