Orphaned Land

[[Kobi Farhi - vocalist|thumb|right]]At the start of the band's formation, they played "regular" death metal under the name "Resurrection", with the goal to sound like At the Gates, Morbid Angel, Death, Deicide, and other similar sounding bands, and sang about topics like "death from radiation decay."{{Cite web |last=metalrefugeadmin |date=2004-02-27 |title=Interview: Orphaned Land – Kobi Farhi |url=https://metalrefuge.wordpress.com/2004/02/27/interview-orphaned-land-kobi-farhi/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=Metal Refuge |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=April 15, 2012 |title=MusicMight :: Artists :: ORPHANED LAND |url=http://www.musicmight.com/artist/israel/orphaned+land |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415101027/http://www.musicmight.com/artist/israel/orphaned+land |archive-date=April 15, 2012}}{{cite book |last=Farhi |first=Kobi |title=Orphaned Land - 30 Years of Oriental Metal - Anniversary Album Collection art booklet |date=2021-12-01 |publisher=Century Media}}{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/OrpLan/posts/10159704135422148/ |access-date=2023-12-05 |website=www.facebook.com}} They quickly realized, however, that they are "from a different place, a place with different temperature, culture, and colours, that is also the source of all the monotheistic beliefs", as explained by frontman Kobi Farhi. The band chose to write music that better projected this, incorporating Middle Eastern and North African melodies and folk rhythms into their sound. In 1992, they changed their name to "Orphaned Land", believing that this name better suits their newer, more melodic style, which they dubbed oriental metal. This new style fused melodic death metal and melodic death-doom with elements of progressive metal, incorporating Middle Eastern and North African musical traditions as well as those of Mizrahi, Maghrebi Jewish, and Arabic origins, which has been described as a kind of early folk metal.

In 1993, Orphaned Land released their demo The Beloved's Cry, and in 1994, they released their first album Sahara, in which the band reworked four of the demo's six songs and wrote four new ones.

In 1996, they released their second album El Norra Alila, their first concept album, in which they amplified the "oriental" elements. The name of the album is based on the piyyut of the same name, which is recited during Yom Kippur as a plea of forgiveness, but also acts as a play on words using both Hebrew and Arabic, and can be translated as "God of Light, Evil of the Night," referring to the album's concept. The album also includes traditional Mizrahi piyyutim as songs, as well as sporadic use of Jewish liturgy, with heavier emphasis on Arabic melodies from their previous release. It explored the themes of light and darkness, conveying the message of commonality between the three main Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam).{{cite web|url=http://www.orphaned-land.com/content.php?language=en&menu=the_band§ion=concept&theme=seven |title=Concept -> The Concept of El Norra Alila |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112030459/http://www.orphaned-land.com/content.php?language=en&menu=the_band§ion=concept&theme=seven |archive-date=November 12, 2007 }} This is a theme they would continue to use throughout their next three concept albums, as well.

File:Orphaned_Land_à_Meyrin_2019_(46674999595).jpgAfter the release of El Norra Alila in 1996, Orphaned Land went into "this unknown hiatus", during which "nothing happened". However, in 2001, Farhi received an email from a Jordanian fan who sent him a video of himself revealing a tattoo of the Orphaned Land logo on his arm. Farhi, who was "shocked" by this, given the geopolitical circumstances, considers this the motivating factor to get the band back together, and began recording their next album. They played several shows in Tel Aviv and one in Turkey, their first show abroad. The Jordanian fan who sent Farhi the video came to the show in Turkey, where he brought an Arabic book written by an Egyptian sheikh about Satanism. The book, which detailed how to avoid Satanic groups in Egypt, displayed the lyrics to an Orphaned Land song that contains verses from the Quran. When asked for elaboration by Farhi, the fan explained how the Egyptian National Police raided an Egyptian metalhead's house and discovered a CD with this song on it; the Egyptian fan was sent to prison for six months as this was enough to charge him of blasphemy.

The band's third album, Mabool: The Story of the Three Sons of Seven was released in 2004, and was the band's second concept album. ""Mabool" (מבול) is the Hebrew word for "flood", and refers to the Genesis flood narrative from which the album's concept, the band's reinterpretation of Noah's Ark, is derived. It tells the story of three sons (one for each Abrahamic religion) who try to warn humanity of a flood coming as punishment for their sins. The album retains the "oriental" instruments from their previous two albums, and also includes two choruses, traditional Yemenite Jewish chants sung by Shlomit Levi, and quotes of biblical verses from chapters 6–9 in Genesis, read by Kobi Farhi.

In 2005, Orphaned Land released the EP Ararat, named after Mount Ararat where Noah's Ark landed, which contains two demos of songs Mabool, and one reworked track from it, as well as a cover of the song Mercy from Paradise Lost. The band describes their first two concept albums as "a meeting of East and West, past and present, light and darkness, and a tango between God and Satan.{{Cite web |date=February 4, 2005 |title=Orphaned Land |url=http://www.orphaned-land.com/default.php?language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050204063604/http://www.orphaned-land.com/default.php?language=en |archive-date=February 4, 2005}}

In 2008, Orphaned Land was featured in the documentary Global Metal, a film by the creators of Metal: A Headbanger's Journey.{{cite web |title=Orphaned Land - New Album On The Way - Metal Storm |url=http://www.metalstorm.ee/events/news_comments.php?news_id=6956 |access-date=2017-03-02 |website=Metalstorm.ee}}

In January, 2010, Orphaned Land released the follow-up to Mabool, and their fourth album, entitled The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR. In Hebrew, the word "or" (אור) means "light", thus ORwarriOR can be translated as "light warrior" or "warrior of light", and is the band's third concept album. Like El Norra Alila, ORwarriOR explores themes light and darkness; this time the album is about the battle between the darkness, a place of questions, and the light, a place of answers. The album has a different sound than Mabool, was produced and mixed by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree, and made free to download for any fan who lives in a "number of" MENA countries.{{cite web|url=http://www.metal-archives.com/band.php?id=2309 |title=Orphaned Land - Encyclopaedia Metallum |publisher=The Metal Archives |access-date=2017-03-02}} The first single from the CD was titled Sapari and was put on Myspace with two other tracks, Vayehi OR and Disciples of the Sacred Oath II, a sequel to a song from the deluxe edition of El Norra Alila. In early 2011, ORWarriOR was rated the Metal Storm number one progressive metal album of 2010 by users with 421/1130 total votes.{{cite web|url=http://www.metalstorm.net/awards/categories.php?cat_id=16|title=Metal Storm Awards 2010 Progressive Metal |website=Metalstorm.net|access-date=2011-04-16}}

File:Orphaned_Land_à_Meyrin_2019_(46866491774).jpgOn May 22, 2010, Orphaned Land performed as the opening act to Metallica's show in Israel. Orphaned Land then went on a festival tour in the summer of 2010, promoting The Never Ending Way of ORWarriOR, with appearances at festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Summer Breeze Open Air, Sonisphere Festival, Gods of Metal, Rock Hard Festival, and more. After the summer festival tour, Orphaned Land, along with Swallow the Sun, went on a North American tour in support of Katatonia. Orphaned Land then followed this with a tour of Europe alongside Ghost Brigade supporting Amorphis. In February 2011, Orphaned Land performed at the Riviera cultural festival at VIT University in Vellore, India. In February 2012, they returned to India and played at the Alcheringa festival at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati.

On June 19, 2011, Orphaned Land performed at the Hellfest metal festival held in Clisson, France. Orphaned Land is known to employ belly dancers at their shows, however for this show, Lebanese belly dancer Johanna Fakhry reached out to Orphaned Land and requested to perform with the band there. While Kobi Farhi agreed to this request, he warned her that it could be dangerous for her. Fakhri decided to join them on stage anyway. At this performance, Farhi and Fakhry held up the Israeli and Lebanese flags side-by-side at the end of the concert as a gesture of peace. After word in Lebanon spread about this performance, Fakhry's parents expressed outrage towards her for this action, she was ridiculed online by Arab communities, and the Shia Islamist organization Hezbollah issued a death warrant to her. Fakhry has not returned to Lebanon since then, and has remained in France. According to Farhi, Orphaned Land has invited her to shows in Israel, but she has rejected the offers out of respect for her parents' wishes.{{Cite web |date=2011-07-29 |title=Lebanese Belly Dancer Can't Go Home Again |url=https://forward.com/schmooze/140625/lebanese-belly-dancer-cant-go-home-again/ |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=The Forward |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2011-09-08 |title=Orphaned Land: Heavy metal envoys to Muslim world |url=https://www.jpost.com/arts-and-culture/music/orphaned-land-heavy-metal-envoys-to-muslim-world |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com |language=en-US}}

In 2011, Orphaned Land played two concerts in Israel to celebrate their 20th anniversary. On October 24, the band released a live music and video album entitled The Road to Or-Shalem, featuring recordings of this concert to celebrate their milestone.{{Cite web |last=ElectronicBrain |date=2012-04-06 |title=Orphaned Land - 'The Road To Or-Shalem' |url=https://www.rocktopia.co.uk/dvd-a-blu-ray-reviews-publisher/orphaned-land-the-road-to-or-shalem |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=Rocktopia - The Melodic Rock Website |language=en-gb}} On June 11, 2012, guitarist Matty Svatitzky announced his departure from the band, citing personal issues. Matti Svatitzky was replaced by Chen Balbus, a young musician who was had performed live with them, previously.

File:Orphaned_Land_Z7_2019_(IMG_3760).jpgIn 2012 an online petition opened up requesting the Norwegian Nobel Committee consider Orphaned Land to be awarded the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize, which the band's label, Century Media Records, supported.

Orphaned Land released their fifth album, entitled All is One, on June 24, 2013. This album featured a shift in sound for Orphaned Land, who took a lusher, more symphonic approach to the album than their previous releases, and who experienced a line-up change beforehand. Despite its optimistic title, the band considers it their darkest album thematically; albeit, musically it is their most accessible, least progressive, and lightest album, being nearly devoid of death metal influence. Farhi provided very few death growls on this album,{{Cite web |title=ORPHANED LAND – Let The Music Be Known (June 2013) {{!}} Features / Interviews @ Metal Forces Magazine |url=https://www.metalforcesmagazine.com/site/feature-orphaned-land-06-13/ |access-date=2023-12-06}} and the highly acclaimed Israeli-Arab singer, Mira Awad, provided female vocals for it.

On January 7, 2014, Orphaned Land announced on their Facebook page that guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and co-founding band member Yossi Sassi had left the band.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/OrphanedLandOfficial/posts/10151916501618036 |title=Orphaned Land - Orphaned Land and Yossi Sassi part ways:... |publisher=Facebook |date=2014-01-06 |access-date=2017-03-02}} He was replaced by guitarist Idan Amsalem.

Orphaned Land won the Metal Hammer award for "Global Metal Band of the Year 2014".{{cite web |url=http://www.knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=12563|work=Knac.com |date=Aug 25, 2014 |title=ORPHANED LAND Premieres "Let The Truce Be Known" Video}} The band also released a new music video for the track "Let the Truce Be Known," directed by Vadim Machona.{{cite web |url=http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=105189 |work=Metalunderground.com |date=Aug 25, 2014 |title=New Music Video "Let The Truce Be Known" Released By Orphaned Land}}

In 2017, former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett contacted Farhi, in his search for artists that work for peace between people, and asked him to perform in a song about peace. The two sides immediately clicked and started collaborating. Together with Mira Awad, Farhi sings in the song West to East on Hackett's album, The Night Siren. According to Farhi, Hackett offered to either play a guitar solo on an Orpahend Land album or to pay Farhi directly for his performance, and Farhi chose the guitar solo. Hackett appears on the song Chains Fall to Gravity[http://www.playbuzz.com/lemurmagazine10/orphaned-land-collaborates-with-genesis-guitar-legend-steve-hackett Orphaned Land Collaborates With Genesis' Guitar Legend, Steve Hackett] (Playbuzz, April 2017) from their upcoming album.

File:Orphaned_Land_à_Meyrin_2019_(32648068137).jpgOn January 26, 2018, Orphaned Land released their sixth album, entitled Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs,{{cite web|url=http://bravewords.com/news/orphaned-land-announce-new-studio-album-for-release-in-january-2018|title=ORPHANED LAND ANNOUNCE NEW STUDIO ALBUM FOR RELEASE IN JANUARY 2018|publisher=Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles|access-date=July 6, 2017|date=July 6, 2017}} and is the band's fourth concept album. Once again utilizing the concepts of light and darkness to convey their message, the album is based around Plato's Allegory of the cave to explain how humanity embraces the darkness and are afraid to break their chains and embrace the light. Farhi considers it to be their "protest album".{{cite web |date=30 January 2018 |title=ORPHANED LAND: 'Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs' Track-By-Track Breakdown |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/orphaned-land-unsung-prophets-dead-messiahs-track-by-track-breakdown |website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET |language=en}} For Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs, Orphaned Land wanted to combine the accessible, "upfront" sound of All Is One with the conceptual and progressive sound of Mabool and ORwarriOR, believing that would lead to the creation of "the best Orphaned Land album".{{cite web |title=ORPHANED LAND Vocalist Calls New Record 'A Protest Album About Humanity' |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/orphaned-land-vocalist-calls-new-record-a-protest-album-about-humanity |website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET |language=en |date=6 January 2018}}

In September 2018, Orphaned Land won the Video Of The Year award at the Progressive Music Awards 2018 in London, for their video, Like Orpheus.{{cite web|url=https://metalshockfinland.com/2018/09/14/orphaned-land-win-video-of-the-year-at-progressive-music-awards-2018/|title=ORPHANED LAND: Win 'Video Of The Year' At Progressive Music Awards 2018|website=Metalshockfinland.com|access-date=September 14, 2018|date=September 14, 2018}} The music video is based on a true story about a Muslim girl who used to attend metal shows in Israel. A photo taken of her in a hijab with the lead singer of Behemoth in his corpse paint went viral, after which her parents forbade her from associating with the "metal world". The music video depicts a Haredi Jewish man and a Muslim woman attending a Kreator concert at night, while hiding their association with the metal community from their families.

In June 2021, Orphaned Land celebrated their 30th anniversary by playing a concert at the prestigious Heichal HaTarbut, the largest concert hall in Israel. Backed by the 45-piece Israel Chamber Opera Orchestra and Noa Gruman's Hellscore Choir, they are the first Israeli metal band to ever play a concert there. The show was attended by 2,400 people despite restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic. The show was livestreamed, and thus the band had footage of the whole concert. On December 1, 2023, the show was released as a music and video album, named A Heaven You May Create.{{Cite web |title=Orphaned Land's frontman: Music is key to uniting people |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/orphaned-lands-frontman-music-is-key-to-uniting-people/3002007 |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=www.aa.com.tr}} On December 10, 2021, the band released a box set containing all six of their solo studio albums, and the bonus songs from them, entitled 30 Years of Oriental Metal - Anniversary Album Collection, in tribute to their 30th anniversary.{{Cite web |last=Team |first=Editorial |date=2021-10-26 |title=ORPHANED LAND Announces The Release Of Their Anniversary Album '30 Years Of Oriental Metal' Box Set |url=https://www.sonicperspectives.com/news/orphaned-land-announces-the-release-of-their-anniversary-album-30-years-of-oriental-metal-box-set/ |access-date=2023-12-06 |website=Sonic Perspectives |language=en-US}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-3}}

Current members

• Kobi Farhi – lead vocals (1991–present)
• Uri Zelcha – bass (1991–present)
• Matan Shmuely – drums, percussion (2007–present)

* Chen Balbus – guitars, keyboards,{{cite web | url=https://musiclegends.ca/orphaned-land-interview-chen-balbus/ | title=Orphaned Land: Guitarist Chen Balbus talks All is One (2013 Interviews) - Music Legends Online | date=27 May 2013 }} saz,{{cite web |title=An interview with Chen Balbus (Orphaned Land): Languages are music, in their own special way. The oriental music is part of our (OL) culture! – Hardline |url=https://www.hardline-magazin.de/2019/10/31/an-interesting-interview-with-chen-balbus-orphaned-land/ |language=de-DE |date=31 October 2019}} oud,{{cite web |title=Leah – Orphaned Land Guitarist Chen Balbus Guest Musician on New Album" The Metal Resource - mauce.nl |url=https://mauce.nl/site/orphaned-land-guitarist-chen-balbus-guest-musician-on-leahs-new-album/ |date=2 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902115427/https://mauce.nl/site/orphaned-land-guitarist-chen-balbus-guest-musician-on-leahs-new-album/ |archive-date=2 September 2017 }} backing vocals, glockenspiel (2011–present)

• Idan Amsalem – guitars, bouzouki,{{cite web |title=Songs of Bravery: Orphaned Land's Unsung Prophets and Dead Messiahs |url=https://www.themetalpigeon.com/2018/01/30/songs-of-bravery-orphaned-lands-unsung-prophets-and-dead-messiahs/ |website=The Metal Pigeon |date=31 January 2018}} backing vocals (2014–present)

{{col-3}}

Former members

• Yossi Sassi – guitars, oud, saz, bouzouki, cümbüş, backing vocals (1991–2014)
• Matti Svatitzki – guitars (1991–2012)
• Sami Bachar – drums, percussion (1991–1997)
• Itzik Levy – keyboards, piano (1991–1997)
• Eran Asias – drums, percussion (2001–2004)
• Eden Rabin – keyboards, backing vocals (2001–2005)
• Avi Diamond – drums, percussion (2004–2007)

{{col-3}}

Former touring members

• Sharon Mansur - keyboards (2019-2020)
• Steven Wilson – keyboards (2010)
• Shlomit Levi – vocals (2004–2012)

{{col-end}}

Timeline

{{#tag:timeline|

ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:18

PlotArea = left:90 bottom:80 top:0 right:15

Alignbars = justify

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy

Period = from:01/01/1991 till:{{#time:d/m/Y}}

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4

Colors =

id:lvocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals

id:bvocals value:pink legend:Backing_vocals

id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitars

id:bass value:blue legend:Bass

id:keyboards value:purple legend:Keyboards

id:drums value:orange legend:Drums,_percussion

id:Studio value:black legend:Studio_album

ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1991

ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1991

BarData =

bar:Kobi text:"Kobi Farhi"

bar:Yossi text:"Yossi Sassi"

bar:Matti text:"Matti Svatitzki"

bar:Chen text:"Chen Balbus"

bar:Idan text:"Idan Amsalem"

bar:Uri text:"Uri Zelcha"

bar:Itzik text:"Itzik Levy"

bar:Eden text:"Eden Rabin"

bar:Sami text:"Sami Bachar"

bar:Eran text:"Eran Asias"

bar:Avi text:"Avi Diamond"

bar:Matan text:"Matan Shmuely"

PlotData=

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)

bar:Kobi from:start till:01/07/1997 color:lvocals

bar:Kobi from:01/07/2001 till:end color:lvocals

bar:Yossi from:start till:01/07/1997 color:Guitar

bar:Yossi from:start till:01/07/1997 color:bvocals width:3

bar:Yossi from:01/07/2001 till:01/03/2014 color:Guitar

bar:Yossi from:01/07/2001 till:01/03/2014 color:bvocals width:3

bar:Idan from:01/03/2014 till:end color:Guitar

bar:Idan from:01/03/2014 till:end color:bvocals width:3

bar:Matti from:start till:01/07/1997 color:Guitar

bar:Matti from:01/07/2001 till:01/03/2012 color:Guitar

bar:Chen from:01/03/2011 till:end color:Guitar

bar:Chen from:01/03/2011 till:end color:bvocals width:3

bar:Chen from:01/03/2011 till:end color:keyboards width:7

bar:Uri from:start till:01/07/1997 color:bass

bar:Uri from:01/07/2001 till:end color:bass

bar:Sami from:start till:01/07/1997 color:drums

bar:Eran from:01/07/2001 till:01/02/2004 color:drums

bar:Avi from:01/02/2004 till:01/04/2007 color:drums

bar:Matan from:01/04/2007 till:end color:drums

bar:Itzik from:start till:01/07/1997 color:keyboards

bar:Eden from:01/07/2001 till:01/07/2005 color:keyboards

bar:Eden from:01/07/2001 till:01/07/2005 color:bvocals width:3

LineData =

at:25/11/1994 color:black layer:back

at:18/07/1996 color:black layer:back

at:23/10/2004 color:black layer:back

at:25/01/2010 color:black layer:back

at:24/06/2013 color:black layer:back

at:26/01/2018 color:black layer:back

}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Orphaned Land}}

• {{Official website|http://www.orphaned-land.com}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140903104418/https://www.youtab.me/artist/9XoA4W48GvD/orphaned-land Lyrics and chords of Orphaned Land's music on utab]
• {{Discogs artist|262325}}

{{Orphaned Land}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1991 establishments in Israel

Category:Century Media Records artists

Category:Folk metal musical groups

Category:Holy Records artists

Category:Israeli death metal musical groups

Category:Israeli musical quintets

Category:Israeli progressive metal musical groups

Category:Jewish heavy metal musicians

Category:Melodic death metal musical groups

Category:Musical groups established in 1991

Category:Oriental metal musical groups

Category:Religious controversies in music

Category:Symphonic metal musical groups