Search - Amaseffer :: Slaves For Life

Amaseffer: Slaves for Life (2008) - 4,1 stars

Olav M. Björnsen | Norway | 10/06/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Pretty good debut album by this Israeli outfit; which sounds like a band we'll be hearing more from in the coming years.



Their take on music has a unique appeal to it for starters; mixing slow, metal-dominated segments with symphonic orchestrated sounding parts and atmospheric moods where spoken words - in Yiddish - and synths often are the only elements.



The compositions and arrangements are all majestic and pompous - the synths are layered and massive, the guitars just the same when used, and even the vocals come across in this manner.



The main element separating this release from other pompous releases in a prog metal setting are the impulses from middle-eastern music; melodies, vocals and rhythms all have that distinct mood about them that these are indeed performances written and executed somewhere in this region.



Main weakness on this release are compositional structure. The band can't quite seem to decide whether this is a prog rock/metal album or if it is a slightly elaborated soundtrack. This results in tunes high on mood and atmosphere but often lacking drive and tension in certain key parts of the songs.



Still, this is a good release, and one to check out if you fancy something new and distinct in you music collection."

An amazing album.

kylsco | Burbank, CA | 10/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The is one of the best albums I've heard. The writing and musicianship are superb. The talent used on this album is amazing. I like the way the album tells a story. Every song on the CD is awesome, there is not a weak track on it."

EXODUS PUT TO MUSIC

EMAN NEP | 02/10/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I've always thought that Biblical history would make for a killer concept album.

Now comes AMASEFFER to tell the story of the plight of the Israelites, Moses' birth and the Israelites flight from Egypt.



First of all, I want to comment on how good the production quality on the album is. All the musical instruments are easily recognized and produce clear sounds. The sound effects are also really good, such as the sounds of horses galloping, booming thunder or even water being pulled from a well.

Together all these elements create an excellent Moses-era atmosphere.



As for the songs themselves, all but two of them clock in at over 5 minutes. These are very long songs!



This album sounds like a mix between a traditional metal album and a movie soundtrack.



For me, there were 3 songs where I felt they really hit the nail on the head:



MIDIAN: Very long, but entertaining throughout. Mostly uses clean vocals but has a short section where they use growling (more for atmosphere than anything else).



ZIPPORAH: Creates a nice peaceful atmosphere. Great female vocals (if you can get past the occasional throaty sounds).



THE WOODEN STAFF: Starts off good and then goes into this mysterious whispering phase that lasts for a few minutes. However, the drum and guitar parts that follow are very complex and fun to listen to.



In closing, I want to say that this odd mix of metal and "sounds like a movie soundtrack" is not for everyone. I felt like most of the songs tried a bit too hard to fit both bills, instead of concentrating on one or the other. To explain, half of a song would sound absolutely great in the context of an actual movie, but by itself just doesn't stand up too well. By the same token, half of a song might have a great metal sound to it, but that's only half the song. It's possible that you might only like bits and pieces of songs, as none of them are really anything I could see being played on the radio, or even TV, for that matter.



All that being said, I think this band has great potential and I look forward to their future efforts. But for now, two great alternatives in Middle-Eastern Metal: ORPHANED LAND is probably the foremost in recognition/popularity. Also try out the Iranian band ANGBAND (for lovers of old school thrash)."