20 Best Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Albums Of 2018 (So Far)
3. Orphaned Land – Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs
When you love metal and Middle Eastern culture, music and architecture as much as I do, Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs is just pure bliss from start to finish, so much so that it couldn’t not crack the top three of this list.
If this glorious album could be summarised in just one word, that word would be “exotic”. Its dedication to capturing the beauty of Israel and transporting it directly into your ears is second to none, with melodies, instruments (like the bouzouki and oud) and progressions that all perpetuate the mystic loveliness of the Holy Land. There has been nothing else like it this year, without a shadow of a doubt.
When it comes to folk metal music, Orphaned Land are truly among the best the subgenre has to offer. But then the lyrics truly tie Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs up in a sweet, oriental bow, conveying a heart-warming message of togetherness from a nation that unites three of the major world religions.
Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs uses metal and folk music in constant tandem to transport the listener on a magical trip through foreign sights and sounds. It’s so much fun that it defies description: just listen to it!