The feature arrives at a pivotal moment for the band, with two major releases on the horizon through their US label, .

Scarab formed in Cairo in 2006, growing out of roots that stretch back to 2001, and quickly established themselves as a force unlike anything else coming out of the Arab world. Their sound fuses the full weight of technical death metal with the ancient mysticism of the land they come from — themes of spirituality, Kemetic mythology, and the deep philosophical questions of human existence, rendered in some of the heaviest music the region has ever produced.

Their music combines traditional death metal with elements of oriental music, creating a unique blend of cultural and extreme sounds. That duality — rooted in Egypt’s ancient heritage while operating at the cutting edge of an international genre — is precisely what has earned them a following that stretches far beyond their home country, and now, the attention of one of the world’s most prominent broadcasters.

The BBC News Arabic documentary film is a rare and significant acknowledgment of Scarab’s place not only in extreme metal, but in the broader cultural landscape of the Arab world. The band has confirmed they will work to provide translations of the documentary for their global fanbase — a community that has followed them across continents and supported them through every chapter of their journey.

“Thank you for walking this path with us and for your life force and support,” the band wrote in announcing the feature. “The best is yet to unfold.”

Scarab enter this moment of recognition with serious momentum in the studio as well as the press. Two major releases are confirmed through Brutal Records (US):

“” — out April 24th on all digital platforms.

“” — arriving May 8th, with pre-orders open now.

Both titles signal a band drawing deeper than ever from the well of Egyptian mythology and mystery — the Sphinx, fate, transmutation — filtered through the sonic ferocity that has defined Scarab since their earliest recordings.

• Your upcoming album, “Beauty in Darkness,” promises a dark, gothic experience. Can you share more about the concept behind this album and what inspired you to create it? 

For the moment, it’s not all set in stone, as it’s due for release in the autumn of 2026! We live in a dangerous, obscure society governed by obscure, unscrupulous elites who only want power, unhealthy money and their own personal pleasure (And want to decide for us)! People who use and abuse you and others. The aim is to represent the horror of this world in a way that is apocalyptic and radical in certain respects! But also in a poetic and mysterious way, like in Beauty and the Beast for example! On the one hand, there’s the magnificent castle lost in the mist, the magnificent garden with the flowers and the sublime settings lost in time! Then there’s the meaning of the beast who, despite its repulsive aspects, is a being with a huge heart, full of love and who is hunted down by smug, arrogant, nasty people, locked up in their comfort, their turf wars, their unhealthy power and who hunt down people who are different without thinking about what they really are! The judgement of the innocent souls they crucify! And the Apocalyptic response against them!

• You’ve mentioned that “Beauty in Darkness” will be a violent criticism of society. Can you elaborate on some of the societal issues you aim to address through your music?

The songs themes will be the concentration camps and its nazis, the cancel culture, the fanaticism, the law of do or die, the slavery, the conditioning, the corruption of fools, the oppression, the media/masses control, the brainless sheeps who follows the worst idiots, the territories wars, the politicians, the rapes, Sequestration, the fake kindness and use of white pawn to better fool, the stupid sacrifices perpetrated by clowns, Bullshit and blackmail, Porn and its excesses, decadence, the Jokers, the hackers, the narcisstic perverts and their vicious behaviours (mythomania, disinformation, big lies, scams, traps and control over people), Abuse and thirst of power behind bloody statuts, Animals abandonment, the torture, the data/words manipulation and the networks of cowards, the suicide, the people left behind who suffer in silence, the ego of the self-centered who want to decide for us, the gratuitous violence and massacres, climate change and its storms, Sick people who don’t know they’re sick, Some Perverted doctors, mad psychiatrists/ /teachers/company directors, paedophilia in churches and those who cover their crimes (Vatican…), Schools in danger, with courses that don’t teach them the real issues of life and emotional intelligence, the ravages of certain medicines on health prescribed on a large scale, the pharmaceutical industry and malfunctions, the deplorable economic system, the bullying, dirty killings for money, the frustration and bitterness of jealous people, the sectarian aberrations, the crucifixions of innocents, black magic and voodoo for murderous purposes, forced prostitution, The gangs of idiots, unhealthy competition, people who want to crush, divide and rule/conquer ! Etc…

• The themes in “Beauty in Darkness” range from concentration camps to cancel culture and fanaticism. How do you approach writing lyrics for such intense and diverse topics?

The music will match the lyrics (parental advisory)! I’ll be writing all the lyrics and the 2 guests we’ll be talking about afterwards will be writing theirs! The death camps symbolise the ultimate horror of what humans are capable of! Cancel culture is omnipresent in our society, with thousands of haters on all sides (sometimes your closest friends) who want to destroy your career sneakily and constantly throw stones at you so that you fall over and die (worse if you no longer follow their ideals or unhealthy control)! Fanaticism is still very much alive in our society against people who step out of line or don’t follow texts that have been modified time and time again to serve the interests of the church, places of worship and the state (trafficking everywhere)! The separation of church and state is a sham! And the mafias and secret societies that try to oppress people and control them get in! Hence the fact that everything is reversed and that we can no longer distinguish between what is true and what is false! In any case, don’t trust anyone, least of all your friends! They’ll always be ready to stab you in the back or abuse you in one way or another sooner or later (especially when you’re no longer serving their unhealthy interests)! A lot of people are egotistical and stingy and only have a banknote and own pleasure in their head!

• One of the songs, “Sodomizing the Snakes,” is said to be provocative and shocking. What message are you hoping to convey through this track, and how do you balance its rawness with artistic expression?

I’ll be playing a character in a very hard, violent and provocative video clip (lots of blood, guns, horrors…) with a censored version (long erotic passage) and an uncensored version (porn) protected by advanced parental control where I’ll be playing myself with other girl(s) with a deep meaning behind it about today’s society and violence (to see like a Stanley Kubrick movie for exemple)! Note that this scene will take place with a gun to the head or elsewhere, the butt of the gun in the ass, the money in her mouth or others (and that the person will love it and enjoy it, rolling spades together with the tongue)  = The aim is to show the unhealthy society we live in! A reminder of a period of my past (where I have play porn movies) to exorcise my demons too even if here it will be far more trash ! The hard and deep sodomy of the society! “Sodomizing the Snakes” will be the name of the song ! Nothing shocks in this society so I’m going to shock! But it will be only a detail in the 2 Albums because so much more to offer ! I’ll be playing a character who gradually sinks into madness because of the world around us! This character will dissociate into several other characters that I’ll play (in the sulphurous scene I’ll play, for example, in a sort of transcendental dream, the completely mad Joker without any respect who will be hit by a mobster with more respect who’s not joking and will continue in a different way, then Batman who will shoot the gun and save the woman before taking her in his arms, they will kiss each others and in an other place also taking her the same way but with a deep consent and reciprocity, etc.). And then the main character continues down the path of insanity to the point of no return! Just the opposite of the bright and clear clip with a serene character who will live peacefully and love with unconditional love! Bruce Wayne and Batman as opposites (in one) and horror all around! I will wear black clothes in a sort of Batman/Matrix way (front cover of the Album by the way in an obscure/deep way = surprise)! Silent Hill/Stranger Things/Alien atmosphere ! An other anime (For the song about the Concentration camp will be made Etc…) !

There will be on vocals An apocalyptic guest and another rap/hip hop (already present in Far From Home Etc…)! A mix of film music, progressive rock, black metal, rap/hip hop etc… ! Parental advisory !

• The video clip for “Sodomizing the Snakes” includes both censored and uncensored versions. What drove the decision to create these two versions, and what do you hope viewers take away from each?

There will be a censored version for the general public, which will allow people to see the darkest aspects of society while hiding the worst atrocities! And an uncensored version, very hard and apocalyptic, which will show the absolute horror of this world, but with some beautiful passages that will light the way in a different way! Forbidden to under 18 year old and with specific access! But you know, in this society young people are always crossing borders to watch porn or whatever, so if anyone wants to see it, they will! In any case, it will be much more rewarding to watch than an X-rated film because the message will be very powerful and hard-hitting about the society we live in! And the pornographic aspect will be reduced! You won’t come away from this video unscathed, and the clip will raise a lot of questions after you’ve seen it, and will certainly dissuade people from doing certain things!

• You’ll be portraying a character in a Batman/Matrix style for the album cover. How does this visual representation tie into the album’s themes and your personal artistic vision?

It will represent the darkness, the solitude in the face of the problems of this world and the stakes involved! A sort of dark room where I’ll be sitting on a chair, posing and watching the screen! Candles will symbolise the mourning around me and a window opening onto a night-time society with its buildings (like in Gotham City), a sort of window opening onto an apocalyptic world in decay. The other album you will see me in front of the sea, feet in the sands (white and blue clothes) with some buildings at the horizon Etc..

• “Beauty in Darkness” features a diverse mix of genres, including progressive rock, black metal, and hip-hop. How do you manage to blend these different styles while maintaining a cohesive sound?

All these sounds (film music, Extreme/black progressive metal à la Opeth or Shining, hip hop rap among others) will form a unity and an actual materialisation of our society! I think we’ll be very close to the world we live in today! A sort of steamroller but with a lot of beauty and poetry behind it! All audiences will be able to identify with this music.

• Niklas Kvarforth and Michael Onetwenty are notable collaborators on this album. How did these collaborations come about, and what do they bring to your music?

These 2 guests will have an indispensable presence in the soul of this album! Niklas Kvarforth is unrivalled in his genre and in the power he can exude in his vocals, whether raw or clear! He’s completely inhabited by the music and brings an incomparable emotional dimension to it! Unlike a lot of people in black metal, he doesn’t pretend and lives each moment in a transcendent way! He’s the best in the business in black metal! Michael Onetwenty is also in a different league! He’s dazzling in what he can bring to the table and in his creativity! He’s head and shoulders above many artists in this genre! 2 extraordinary, highly intelligent artists who transcend human limits! With my vocal lines, which will be highly researched and varied, I’m sure we’ll create some sparks! What’s more, the music will be transcendent, highly emotional and powerful, with divine orchestrations!

• Your lyrics touch on very dark and controversial topics such as abuse, corruption, and societal decay. How do you prepare yourself emotionally and mentally to tackle these subjects in your music?

It’s not easy to enter this Universe because you have to draw on very intense resources within yourself! It can even be emotionally exhausting, but just like in a film role, the important thing is to be totally in tune with the themes and what people can or have endured! Yes, you have to penetrate the darkness of this world to bring out the light! Embody the very essence of horror on Earth and put yourself in the place of the victims and what they may have endured or are enduring! A kind of sacrifice!

• Alongside “Beauty in Darkness,” you’re releasing “Ocean of Light,” which showcases a more serene and luminous side. What inspired this duality, and how do these two albums complement each other?

Ocean of Light (2026), the other album, will be luminous and showcase the beauty of things! This time I’ll be playing in a video a calm, serene character in a bright video clip around the sea etc…! I will wear white/blue clothes (front cover of the Album by the way in a clear way aside the sea and horizon = surprise)! The themes/lyrics will be much clearer (Spirituality, Universe/Cosmos, Animals, Beauty of things, God/Satan/or others names (Union of people towards a goal) and the attached metaphor, natural medicine and medicine of the future = Gravitational waves as Einstein have predicts, black holes, Dimensions, string theory, other possible society, mondial concertation to have less inequalities, the prophets, pyramids and landscapes, The divine and its forces, LOVE <3 etc…)! Fusion of filmscore, progressive rock/metal, variety, electro, jazz, world, new age Etc… ! Some guests I have in mind already (Chiara di Mare, David Galas , maybe Krister Linder = I need to talk with him and to see…) ! The 20-minute finale will be apocalyptic, transcendent and spectacular (fusion of the 2 Albums) that will be a battle between darkness & Light before Light&Darkness fusion all together against the bastards/executioners of our time ! Before a new world (nuclear) war , the end of humanity, a new souls Era and perspectives/paths ! 1h 20 each approximatively with 21 songs for the whole (some epic, some radio) ! Original and orchestral versions ! Terrific, emotional, powerful and very varied vocals and huge orchestrations Etc… A few guests ! Quite a programme! Completely in tune with our time ! An atomic Bomb ! I’ll let you discover all that! Never seen/heard before !

• Can you give us a sneak peek into what we can expect from your future projects? You’ve mentioned filmic themes and collaborations – any specific ideas or artists you’re excited to work with?

Lots of very different and exciting ideas for future projects in various fields! Music for films, games, series… But also ideas for Albums (Fantasy à la Lord of the Rings, Vangelis à la Blade Runner, Africa, Halloween, Cartoon, Alien and its differents planets Etc…). Thousands of ideas, always with powerful, deep scenarios! Lighter or harder themes! Only epic or radio songs, it all depends! An album about my life, too, and what I’ve endured and continue to endure! More or less formatted albums. Do a musical or rock opera on Far From Home, for example, or something else! Make films in which I’ll also act! Various singing and composing collaborations! I’d love to collaborate with Akira Yamaoka , Devin Townsend, or Hans Zimmer for example (support act for his concerts… or others), or Danny Elfman amongst others! Lots and lots of ideas! As well as signing with a major international label, or even a major label, I’d like to create an international label for transcendent artists or groups in all genres too ! My future won’t be confined to one genre in particular, but just like David Bowie, Michael Jackson or, currently, Hans Zimmer and Devin Townsend, I’ll be fusing genres and making my mark on the world of music once and for all! Stop unhealthy communautarism and sectarism !  I’m counting on other people to help me do that too, and on their suggestions! The aim is to help music evolve and offer the music of the future (Avant garde)!

• With a big tour planned after the album releases, what can fans expect from your live performances? How do you plan to bring the complex and varied themes of your albums to the stage?

Transcendent concerts with images and visuals in the background, superb lighting, transcendent vocals and elaborate stagecraft! I have superb contacts in sound and visuals who work with the best! I’ve also got a tour manager who lives in England at the moment! I’ll be alone on stage, but with a singer for sure! Maybe Nikolette Olsson or Luciana Lys or others to see! Sequences in the background! In closed and enclosed places at night or even outdoors in the evening! For festivals we’ll be playing with other exemplary musicians to cover the needs of the stage and the space and to get a transcendent rendition! The songs from the new albums will lend themselves very well to this, as will those from Far From Home! It’s all going to be very elaborate! We’ll see what can be done for a 2026/2027 tour with a production company, certainly or to be seen!

• You mentioned a mix of great visuals for the tour. Can you share any details about the visual elements and how they will enhance the live experience?

We’re working closely with Mike St Jean, who’s one of the best in the business and who did the visuals for Devin Townsend (he’s one of his best friends)! The result will be very punchy and dynamic, and the colours will be wonderfully suited to the songs and themes, the tempos and bring a futuristic, avant-garde and deep dimension to the whole thing! Here too, the aim is to take things a step further and create something that’s virtually unheard of, as well as being very modern and innovative! Music of the Future and Evolution always everywhere!

• Finally, what message do you hope listeners take away from both “Beauty in Darkness” and “Ocean of Light”? How do you envision these albums influencing your audience?

They need to know that if they liked Far From Home, the worldwide acclaimed first Max Enix double album which is already considered a classic by some and which will be re-released with a big structure… Beauty in Darkness and Ocean of Light (Autumn 2026) will go much further in all areas and will erase all the faults of Far From Home! Everything will be even more varied and transcendent! I think they’ll allow my projects to reach yet another transcendental dimension and lay the foundations for the future just as Constellia / Secret Garden and especially FAR FROM HOME did! I hope from the bottom of my heart that these albums will strike a powerful chord with those who listen to them and allow us to expand an audience already won over to the cause of the previous one! We’ll be doing everything we can to leave an indelible and timeless mark on the minds of those who listen to them! Thank you for your support! Huge announcements to come! The Future is here! Take care and see you soon!

The UK and Andover-based artist Joe, who’s the mastermind behind the musical project Asgard Raven, blends anthemic Britpop with driving guitars and pulsating drums, offering us an introspective journey wrapped in a feel-good experience, like the case in “Chasing Your Dreams” here.

“Chasing Your Dreams” provokes the big questions you need to ask yourself: What legacy am I leaving? What did I do with the time I had? Did I make peace with myself? What’s my destiny? And more, while Asgard Raven takes a journey in the ancient Egyptian style to the gate of the afterlife.

The lyrical theme is not only captivating, but each lyric is skillfully crafted to narrate a compelling story, offering optimism and relevance. Furthermore, the vocals are electrifying, exuding the energy of the theme and harmonizing with the pulsating guitar riffs. The spirited solo section propels the journey to greater heights, and the entire irresistible melody resonates with stadium-style energy!

If “you have been running around chasing your dreams,” it’s “time to make peace with yourself,” and the Asgard Raven revolutionary song below will help you!

1st of all, thanks for being here with us on Rock Era Magazine

• Pyramid is a progressive heavy metal supergroup with such strong names in the metal world, how did this massive collab come to life?

Lance: I have always love creating and writing music. So it made sense to bring this creativity to a different level. I had an idea of what the music required so having the awesome collaboration was very helpful. It was carefully thought out.

• I believe this might be one of the FAQs but, what’s the story behind the name Pyramid?Lance: It’s lonely up top and cluttered at the bottom. Something your readers can ponder with.

• With such a busy lineup how usually your writing process goes?Lance: It all starts with the foundation and structure which is the bass which is me. I write the music and arrangements. Drums are then recorded added and mixed. Guitars are then recorded added and mixed. Keyboards are then recorded added and mixed. The vocals are then recorded added then mixed. Last but not least the violin which is that last special touch that ties all this together which is then recorded added then mixed. It’s then all throughly reviewed with adjustments with fixes then sent to Maor Appelbaum to master.

• You have 4 records in your discography so far, what’s the difference in your approach and sound between these records?Lance: No difference in my approach other than different artists involvement. It’s all the same creative and writing process.
• Were there any changes in your process or special happenings during the writing of your latest record Rage?Lance: No not really other than all the elements and arrangements seemed to gel with each artist perfectly. It’s a universal feeling.
• Rage is such a complex progressive journey with a subtle deep meaning within its music and lyrics, is there a unified theme binding these 9 songs together? Does it have anything to do with the spacey, apocalyptic vibes of most of the videos?Lance:  100% my friend. That’s the whole idea and structure behind Pyramid.

• How do you manage to coordinate your schedules for writing and recording?Lance: It’s never rushed first off. I work with each artist systematically. Like what I wrote above. It’s one artist at a time for each song. We were ALL able to record and do our own creative process on each of our parts very fluently.
• What are your plans for 2024, should we expect a new record?Lance: I’ve been asked a lot  about a Pyramid instrumental. So I’ve been arranging an album with selected songs off the last 4 It gives a different perspective and understanding of the structure of the music. It will be a real treat for all Pyramid fans.

• Are you planning any festival appearances or tours in the near future?Lance: We would love to. With all members actively touring and performing makes putting all this together at the moment a bit difficult. It’s definitely not out of the question though. It’s an eye opening band.

• If you’d pick a song off your discography for someone who wants to get into your music what would it be?Lance: Dungeons and Dragons definitely sums up the whole diversity and complexity of Pyramid.

Thanks so much for your time, wishing you all the best. Rock on!

Pyramid opened Rage with the highly melodic theatrical big intro of Greed, promising a heavily progressive record ahead that doesn’t lack any dynamic flow. Tim Ripper Owens’ vocals work perfectly with the rocking wild guitar work, while the pounding drums push the groove forward, adding to the multi-layered ever-changing riffs. Greed is a relentless unstoppable tune with loads of guitar hero moments and acute sound shifts, producing an extremely enjoyable journey and nodding to an AOTY top contestant. Andry Laguio‘s powerful atmospheric vocals perfectly open the keyboard-driven Empty Roads, keeping the dynamics going while boosting the theatricals even more. With lyrics and sound that explore a more deep emotional ground, Empty Roads offers a more spacious structure with a big symphonic sound that moves in a smooth hooking progression, mixing solid riffs and heart-hitting rocking solos with Andry Laguio‘s remarkable delivery leading to a huge epic ending.

Steering towards a darker and heavier sound with Tim Ripper Owens back on vocals, the title track Rage comes next. Starting with a smooth build-up it moves forward with multiple layers and elements being introduced participating in its flowing progression, with guitars and vocals mainly handling its dynamic and powerfully melodic shifts, until it all cleverly comes together at one big outro. Beast comes next offering an interesting flow and top-notch progressions. Its solid structure seamlessly flows throughout all its twists and turns, with perfectly arranged subtle orchestrations and an extremely hooking vocal melody with perfect delivery and progression by Harry Conklin. The riffs engage in a tornado of complex breakdowns and powerful dynamic shifts, with bass, drums, and keyboards laying brilliant lines boosting the mood to the next level. Control hits next with intense relentless riffs and Tim Ripper Owens’ storming vocals. Things get more melodic as we move on while keeping the same energy and taking it up bit by bit in a ramp progression, till it all comes together in a classic symphonic huge sound. Picking up its predecessor’s pace and epicness, Magic comes next. Things get intense in this one, it has attacking riffs and expressive vocals in a solid structure that invites some symphonic elements to elevate the atmosphere without compromising the mood, strongly building up and keeping the listeners hooked and waiting for what’s next. Pyramid explores a slightly different tone in Tyranny, it has denser riffs with dark vibes that were multiplied because of its open sound. It has catchy guitar melodies with a powerful groove and an Eastern touch that shakes things up. I loved how they managed to introduce a twist into their sound while keeping their core energy and sense. Pyramid keeps the energy and heavy vibes going on Slayer, a hard-hitting tune with pounding sound, thick riffs, and hauntingly melodic guitar work. The Eastern melodies are there again, this time mixed with some bluesy guitar work in a unique mix that was unified by the solid progression and tight arrangement. Despite its complex well-crafted writing, Slayer is a pure heavy metal song with classic moments and irresistible headbanging ones, definitely one of my favorite songs off this record. Ending the record on a high note comes the epic piece Dungeons and Dragons. It opens with a classic building-up symphonic intro, preparing the listeners for the adventure they’re about to be part of. The verse hits hard, throwing us right into the pit, it keeps on escalating and smoothly pushing towards heavier and bigger sounding areas, with enough preparations to get the listeners on the edge of their seats. It has an ever-changing dynamic structure that shifts smoothly with clever twists and turns, giving each composition the space to be properly heard and digested, making this 20-minute piece feel like a 4-minute one with its interesting flow.

Rage is a complex, extremely entertaining musical journey by Pyramid. It has a heavy-driven sound that only moves forward, with storming energetic compositions and diverse melodic approaches that keep their sound fresh and organic, just what you’d expect from such an extraordinary supergroup. Will be looking forward to more, keep on rocking. Cheers!

A technique and a specialty that Kevin Estrella, the man behind Pyramids on Mars is famous for. Estrella’s style comes originally from his admiration for Yngwie Malmsteen, whom he decided to look deeper into and find more about his influences which led him to Bach, Vivaldi, and Paganini. His discovery of their sounds and techniques led him to adopt an approach of making his guitar sound like a violin or a harpsichord, leading him to new technical skills and developing a different approach to his instrument. The artist gives online on the style of playing violin melodies and sounds on the guitar, the different types of symmetrical scales like harmonic minor, Japanese, Phrygian, and others. Because of his uniqueness and vibrance of sound, the artist received recognition internationally with lots of his songs played on radio stations in the US, Canada, Europe, and South America. In this album, he focuses on the element of storytelling through the guitar melodies and motifs.

The artist values the harmonic relationship and equality between the guitar, bass, and drums and how they don’t overshadow one another. The songs are very rich, and the sound has layers and textures that can almost be touched. Each song has a specific story behind it with a song title reflecting it perfectly which is also found on the band’s website, it’s intriguing and inspirational. Estrella was the one to record, produce, engineer, and master his previous 3 albums “Pyramids on Mars”, “Echo Cosmic” and “Edge of the Black”.

He performed all the instruments on the album, with the help of drumming programs. It’s a sound you don’t want to miss, as Kevin mentions Pyramids on Mars really is music from the Mystical Red Planet”.

“Water for Osiris” is lengthy, rich, and sophisticated. Filled with mystery and whimsical energy, this over the 9-minute track is raw and unabashed in its celebration of death, love, resurrection, and birth. Borrowing from religious symbolism and spiritual awakening, “Water for Osiris” is a trip to the afterlife the Egyptian way. It borrows from poetry, history, and modern rock music to create an embalm of a song through its hard rock veins. “Water for Osiris” has a dark, albeit tranquil sound that seeps through the cracks of time, haunting listeners and coercing them into entering a world far from their comfort zones.

“Water for Osiris” is a tale of darkness and light, presenting itself as a full-on rock anthem, wrapped in papyrus and using the force of drums, guitar, and smooth vocals to prove that Far From Your Sun’s anonymity is only part of their magic.

First, I salute you for your metal vibes indeed. Tell me how did it all start and why such an interesting band name?

It started after a jam session for GenoSide, which we are both members of. We sat down and had a conversation about how our music tastes are very similar and agreed to start writing music together and in the space of a week we had sat and finished more than 50% of ‘Delta.’ The band name is actually a mixture of ideas that we had, we first wanted to have something relating to a box or some kind of container as we haven’t really decided to follow a certain mood or subgenre. So we view the upcoming album or EP as a box that you can shuffle and find different kinds of music. The 8 Eyes part actually comes from the fact that we both wear glasses and that was a joke thrown at us by one of our close friends so when we merged the two we thought the name was interesting and unique and just went with it.

‘Delta’ is your reflection on how the Egyptian culture has changed over the years. Can you please elaborate on why Delta and not another province in the region?

The Delta is an area that the older Egyptian civilizations were centered upon and that’s why we chose that to symbolize one of the lost identities throughout the test of time.

The song lyrics are a bit confusing, especially that it’s in English and another language, can you elaborate its concept?

The other language in the song is Coptic and it’s one of the older Egyptian languages that was spoken throughout a big part of Egyptian history. We then switched to English because metal is an international genre, and we believe that, in order to reach a wider demographic, there should be some English lyrics involved.

The translation of the Coptic parts:

“Ani gu reminkema men somen men treminkema an: I am Coptic (Egyptian) but I don’t speak Coptic.”

Mathetees ne etsa khon moon anon ne ni esmi pahoo: Decipels within us, we are the voices of the past.

I noticed there are incredible variations of styles and arrangements. Was it planned during the songwriting process?

The whole idea of the song came out of a guitar riff that Mazen brought to the table, and then each of us started adding ideas to the song. None of the variations were planned. We had just planned the structure the song was going to follow and there were many ideas that were introduced before reaching this final product. The song was built like a LEGO with idea upon idea being added.

The two of you are doing a great job indeed, but I am wondering if you are aiming to add new members soon?

We are aiming to add new members for sure. We are not guitar virtuosos and we both have our weaknesses. We know our strengths very well, but eventually we will need new members to complete the circle. Possibly a lead guitarist and a drummer. The down side of this part is we don’t know if the writing process will be as smooth as it is with just the two of us.

‘Delta’ is your debut, so if it’s part of an upcoming album you will focus more on similar topics in our society?
Maybe Delta will become part of an EP, but as I said above the whole idea of the ‘Box’ is that you won’t expect what’s coming next. We don’t know if the lyrics will be about the same topic, but the songwriting and the structures definitely don’t sound the same.

The lyric video expressed your idea perfectly, still, are you aiming to release a music video soon?

The idea crossed our mind and we believe it would add more richness and get the idea through more effectively, but we believed it’s a bit risky to do that with a debut single. Maybe somewhere down the road after releasing an album or EP we can go back to that idea.

Finally, tell your fans about your 2021 plans, especially that the live scene isn’t active enough recently.

Our 2021 plans would be to focus on releasing more music and adding new members, we wouldn’t really focus on a live show with just one track to offer. So our best bet would be to come up with more music. Being in the second half of 2021 already, we would say that that album or EP would come out in late 2022.

Hey guys! I’m so proud of you really, tell me more about your band story and how did you meet up?

Very Spontaneous! We were all ex-members of a band called Catharsis, Ismail called Fahmy to record Bass for Catharsis, Fahmy called Yahya and Amina for guitar and vocals, and we ended up departing Catharsis, met Emmi shortly after, and formed Amenta together!

Amenta is a very interesting name. What does it mean?

It’s a symbol that represents the land of the dead in Ancient Egypt, a symbol of the west bank of the Nile

Most bands prefer to go back to their nation’s history, why did you choose greek mythology?

Fahmy: Every band in Egypt just has to make it on something related to Ancient Egypt, not just that, but even the international Tech Death Metal scene has bands that talk about Ancient Egypt. I really don’t believe that metal bands in Egypt should purely be known for their ties to Ancient Egypt. We thought that Amenta will follow these bands, but decided not to (but kept the name). If American bands can get inspired from Ancient Egypt, then why can’t we do the same?

Ismail: We are a band that is trying to do something new, which we think is going to break the stereotypical and critical nature that the Egyptian scene has grown to adopt. I believe that a lot of bands strive so hard to achieve a certain theme that would be accepted by the old members of the music scene here in Egypt. Amenta, however, aims to create something which is comfortable and caters to the interests of each member without specifying a certain interest or certain genre we want to pursue. That’s why the word ‘Experimental’ is right there when we wanted to identify what genre we play in.

Pandora’s box is one of the most interesting topics indeed, but does this story mean anything to you?

We’ve all previously dealt with people on our paths who seemed to be heavily inclined to follow their weaknesses or project them on each of us. This has happened many times in all of our lives and in our musical paths as well. So this is a topic that hits a spot for all of us.

As you know, English has a bigger audience worldwide. Tell me, Amina, why did you choose to make it in French? Although it’s a nice touch with the English back vocals, still, you preferred French for verses.

Unfortunately, we parted ways with Amina, but originally the idea was from the rest of the band, in which we decided to use Amina’s fluency in French to do something different. We recently recruited Mary Darwish as our new vocalist so you can expect our next releases to be fully in English. We’re gonna try to work on something different for Mary’s vocals to make it a bit unique and see how that pans out.

The mixing and arrangement are really nice, were you using external plugins or you played it live?

We have our own gear to record with and we would meet in each other’s houses to finish the job in terms of structure. Most of the Bass was pure analogue as he is a total gear head. For guitars, the DI signal is recorded live and processed with external plugins. As for orchestration and Oud, they were external plugins with no live recording. The progressions were actually composed on guitar and written on a DAW with the plugins.

Tell me, Emmi. Is it your first time to join an oriental metal band? How did you reach the guys and started jamming with them?

Yes, it’s my first time playing metal! I wanted to find musicians in Cairo so I made a Facebook post, not specifying any genre, and Youssef replied to it saying there is an oriental/sludge metal project he was working on. Now, I had no idea what that meant concretely, but it sounded interesting and I was excited to try something new and to develop as a musician. And then once I met everyone and jammed with them I really enjoyed it. I thought there was a lot of potential in all the ideas everyone had and a lot of space for creativity so I was happy to join the band.

Well, you’re working on your album now, are you aiming to represent Egyptian mythology or will you focus on the Greek civilization only?

Actually, we’re writing currently on a theme with an emphasis on Nordic mythology. The theme is a mix of Agalloch’s album The Mantle, combined with Animals by Pink Floyd, mixed with Michel Foucault’s philosophy of discipline, torture and authority. We might add Egyptian Mythology down the road, but we’re unsure as we usually come up with the topics and lyrics after the instruments are done and dusted.

During your songwriting for the album, are you considering adding some solos?

The way the guitar area is divided into Amenta is not very defined. Neither Yahya nor Ismail are identified as a specific lead or rhythm guitarist. We are aiming to have solos down the road, but since we are both heavily involved in the songwriting process we prefer to put simple lead lines and let the ambient elements take the lead in grasping the listeners’ attention.

As usual, artists use live gigs to promote their music; still, this year seems unclear based on the current situation. Do you have any alternatives to promote for your releases?

Live shows are not very much in our interest right now in opposition to possible PR campaigns we are currently looking at to promote our album once it is released. We believe that a PR campaign will help us have a bigger reach worldwide, which seems like a more lucrative idea than having local live gigs. Of course, we all love getting on stage and playing live, but in terms of marketing our music, a PR campaign sounds much better.

First, I cannot hide my feelings when I find someone who likes my native ancient culture, especially when they sing for it. Before I start shooting my questions, have you been to Egypt before?

None of us has ever been to Egypt. One thing we have in common is this passion for the myths and the beautiful landscapes, monuments, and of course, Arabic musicality! Now we’re all diving into Egyptian culture we’re even more anxious about seeing it all with our own eyes and maybe even build new concepts and ideas!

You guys chose the ancient Egyptian culture and mythology to be your band’s identity. Although, there are many rich ancient civilizations worldwide, why the Egyptian one in particular?

Being a Historian and Philosopher, Samuka came up with this project and all of us really embraced the idea for this common link. Samuka’s background brings not only credibility to the stories we tell on the songs, but also helps to spread Egyptian culture through music and videos!

After listening to your debut album, I was really surprised by how its implemented in a very professional and unique way, despite that 2020 has been a very tough year. Can you tell me more about the album production process?

First of all, thank you so much for such a compliment! It’s been a very challenging process for several reasons. Fortunately, we managed to record everything by the end of 2019, when nobody could ever imagine what was about to come. It was a true marathon, we are from Belo Horizonte and took an 8-hour car trip to São Paulo to record there, so we had to make the most of our time. Just to have an idea, I recorded sessions of four to five hours daily of vocals and backing vocals three days in a role. After that, we’ve experienced some problems with producers and just when we thought it would be finished, the deadline to deliver the album mixed and mastered was the first week of April, and by March the lockdown hit us all, the studio was closed and our work on standby. After some struggles, we managed to get the tracks we recorded to be mixed and finalized on our city by André Cabelo, renowned producer of Thrash and Heavy Metal bands that did a great job!

I can see there are great special guests in your album, how did you manage to work with them all during the COVID19 lockdown?

Fortunately, all the guests have recorded before the pandemics! Although professional recording today is a bit less complicated than it used to be ten or twenty years ago, and with the right gear and some knowledge, it’s possible to achieve outstanding results recording from home studios… and that’s something that has been helping lots of artists during these rough periods without concerts! Marília Zangrandi, for instance, is from Rio de Janeiro but lives in Portugal. She recorded her part for ‘Revenge of Horus’ there and sent it to us, similarly to May Undead, that recorded her vocals for ‘Lady of the Nile’ at Dharma Studios in São Paulo with Rodrigo Oliveira (Korzus).

Your album took a concept album direction, do you think that nowadays metal fans still interested in concept albums or prefer single topics instead?

For the positive response all over the world, I’d say that YES! Not only for being conceptual but for bringing to the public a rich and interesting cultural perspective! As an avid Iron Maiden fan, conceptual albums and historical topics are something present on my DNA as a musician and I believe this is something that will never be out of fashion, especially for the ones that love music and also appreciate the content.

Many bands have postponed their work to 2021 because of the pandemic, did you think of that?

I believe there’s no right or wrong when it comes to this kind of choice, although I believe postponing compositions or new releases wouldn’t be a good option. Artists have to be more than ever into the internet and find other ways to connect to the public. We had a big tour postponed across Brazil with Armored Dawn, Korzus and Dr Sin, but instead of feeling sorry, we started working on new songs and decided we would release our new album this year. If everything goes according to what we plan this time, should be released by June or July! It’s being produced by Tiago Della Vega, of the band Vikram.

You guys mentioned on your album description that it’s “about controlling our own aggressive nature” how can you implement this through a historical theme album?

The Medjay experiences several moments of pure hate, he literally becomes obsessed with blood and starts killing to fulfil his own pleasure. In the chapters presented on Sandstorm, we present more of a cold-blooded killer ending the album with a ballad that tries to depict that even the most ruthless beasts can fall in love and maybe find redemption.
His story will unfold in other chapters on the next album, but giving a small spoiler, one of the upcoming songs called ‘Shemagh in Blood’ pictures a scene where the Medjay arrives from a war with his Shemagh drenched in blood and starts to question all that killing, the meaning of war, who was he fighting for and what was he fighting for. So, this concept is more of a listener’s perception and evaluation of all the violence this warrior goes through.

‘Sandstorm’ is totally different from the whole album. Won’t this be distracting for your fans while talking about the Egyptian 25th of January revolution through a historical concept album?

Actually, the concept presented in the song Sandstorm shows a relationship that goes beyond time, depicting the people as true Medjay warriors of modern times fighting against the violence and tyranny imposed by the fallen government. That’s why we believe it won’t be a distraction… not mention the song’s atmosphere, that is something we really enjoyed composing and love to play it live!

Rafael Bittencourt of the Brazilian iconic metal act Angra is considered as your mentor. Does this mean that he is the official record producer of the project? And how did you start working together?

This partnership started from his connection with Phil Lima, who was also his personal trainer, back pain therapist and vocal coach. They became good friends and Rafael saw a huge potential when he heard Death in the House of Horus for the first time. After pointing out some suggestions concerning this specific song, we realized it would be a good idea to start a more in-depth approach and that’s when his mentorship started. He helped us plan every step we would take regarding compositions, band concept and commercial strategy based on his thirty-year experience with Angra. Not only he advised us but we ended up composing one song together – ‘Rise for Glory’! The album has been produced by all of us, but with his guidance at all times! It’s been a quite unique experience!

Your riffs and melodies remind me of the golden 80s/90s power metal era. Would you say that power metal is the main influence on your music?

Glad you mentioned it because at least for me (Phil Lima), this is the era that influences me the most! I’m a huge fan of Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and that’s something I just can’t hide…matter of fact, I’m proud that I and the music I play are a mix of all these influences giving birth to my own style shaped by all these masters! Most of the songs are idealized by Samuka and he carries lots of influences of Accept and Sabaton, which brings a more modern Metal to light sometimes, and I believe this is a great balance between the classic and modern metal.

“Lady of the Nile” is taking a different slower path than the rest of the album. And it’s very smart indeed choosing the beautiful voice of May “Undead” Puertas of Torture Squad. Tell me more about her special vocal touch with Medjay.

The different atmosphere present in this song depicts an introspection moment of the Medjay, in which he wanders away after all the killings on his path and arrives at a wonderful place (the Nile Valley) where he sees this beautiful woman by the margins of the river and they start a dialogue where Nefertiti presents herself and comforts the Medjay. This is a part of the story where we try to show that even the most vicious men can find a place for love in their hearts.
About May’s vocal, we thought it would be an interesting surprise to the fans that are used to see her with the powerful guttural voice, and this element of surprise also shows all her brilliant technique and versatility as an artist!

Performing a style that totally different from your music culture requires a study and research that’s why you used the golden fingers of Marco Herrera in the album. How did you both agree on the rhythm vision?

Marco Herrera is a brilliant musician that has been with us since the very beginning. He is also a Flamenco dancer and has dedicated several years of his life to the practice of Arab percussion and dance. When we composed the songs we already imagined where and how we wanted the percussions and ethnical instruments, and Marco had a very important part in executing and suggesting instruments and rhythms which we really loved!

And what about you guys; did you study eastern and oriental music styles? Because I can find some Hijaz and harmonic scales during your soloing and rhythmic riffs.

Although Arab musicality is not necessarily native to us, we all appreciate and have studied it, not to mention it is present in the style of several musicians we admire such as John Lord (Deep Purple), Yngwie Malmsteen and of course, the classic album of Iron Maiden, Powerslave.
‘Me personally (Phil), I’ve always used several Arab scales on my solos even before joining Medjay for I really love the sound of the Phrygian scale and some interesting intervals to make it richer or more enigmatic by implementing diminished 2nd and 6th degree of the scales or with augmented 4th degree adding a unique tension interval. I won’t go further or else it will get very theoretical and it may bore some readers, but in summary, I can say I really love it!’

I am curious about your next projects and its themes. Would it only include Egyptian mythology or you gonna add different cultures later on?

Our next project is called Cleopatra VII and it’s being produced by the renowned guitarist Tiago Della Vega, founder of another important ‘Oriental Metal’ band called Vikram.
Until today, Cleopatra the Seventh (Cleopatra VII) is seen as a symbol of feminine power and wisdom. And yes, there were several ‘Cleopatra’ in history, but the most notorious is the one we refer to, the Seventh!
Differently from Hollywood’s perspective in which Cleopatra’s legacy was justified by her seduction skills, she was raised amongst the rich book collection of Alexandria, has mastered at least seven languages and possessed great intellectual culture. The ‘Queen of Kings’ has absolutely been, and may still be considered one of the most influential women in history if we bring to light her achievements in life and her reign in Egypt.
On this new album the fans can expect a deeper immersion in Egyptian Gods and Myths such as ‘The Boat of Ra’, ‘Osiris and Seth’ and ‘The Magic of Isis’ and some songs that lead to some reflection about the meaning of war such as ‘Shemagh in Blood’ and ‘Sarcophagus’, that brings an important message in times where we all should exercise our tolerance and respect towards the others after all in the end, what will they write in your sarcophagus?!
Answering your last question, Medjay is based on Egyptian culture and at least for now, there are no plans of including other cultures in our songs.

Finally, do you have a message for your Egyptian fans and would you consider touring in the MENA region after the pandemic ends?

I’d like to say on behalf of the entire band that we’re absolutely thrilled that you appreciate the songs we make inspired by your rich and beautiful culture and history! As you mentioned before, it’s quite a challenge because we weren’t created in your musical background or actually know for real how you deal with the topics we approach because this is our interpretation based on our studies and in what the media shows, and it’s a relief and a huge honour that you have received it on the best way possible not only musically but in terms of the contents we bring!
We really hope we can achieve this dream of visiting Egypt soon enough and bring even more reality to the atmosphere we create with our music, record video clips on these marvellous landscapes we only know by pictures and video, and of course, it will be very special to perform all these songs for the ones that inspire our compositions! We’re looking forward to receiving contacts of Egyptian producers to schedule several concerts there!

For the merchandise, you can find here.

– Check out our review for their music video of Sandstorm.