A captivating guitar riff that instantly grabs your attention, followed by powerful beats that get you in the groove and have you subconsciously headbanging. Then, the dynamic, emotive vocals arrive, making it hard not to sing along. With these elements combined and the talent of skilled musicians, you’ll undoubtedly enjoy the track and want to add it to your music library.

Lazywall hails from the cherished land of Morocco, yet the band came together in Reading, England, formed by brothers Nao, Youssef, and Monz, who moved from Tangier to pursue their studies in the UK. I recall their earlier single from August, “Dem 3la Dem,” which received praise from both fans and critics. Now, they return with another electrifying track.

Lazywall stated in their press that their singing style in Arabic doesn’t target politics; “We don’t talk about politics because we don’t care. We don’t talk about religion because it’s a personal thing. But singing about that underage girl who was forced to marry her rapist is tough in any language.” – the band stated. From this perspective, I love how they are using their lyrical themes carefully and masterfully to blend along with the music. 

Actually, I feel this song is very close to me because we all have this person who is so addicted to something that turned them upside down into a real living zombie. As you already know, addiction has several forms nowadays, including drugs, social media, and pornography among other types. I loved how they are delivering such a message through well-made music and mix. Nothing is better than to finalize my words with their press pitch; “Addiction makes you a ZOMBIE. it lives inside you, feeds off of you, controls you, a stone wall to keep you in and the rest of us out. They say the cure to addiction is socializing. We invented social networks. Now we are addicted to the cure.” – Lazywall explained. 

L’Boulevard Festival returns in November with a different lineup and different and unique programs.

The festival was held from November 16th to November 19th . Over the years, it became one of the biggest Festivals in the Middle East, especially in North Africa. L’Boulevard Festival has become a destination for Hard rock/Metal fans, as well as other genres. The festival witnessed many shareholders and sponsors’ presence from Morocco and abroad, as well as an honorable presence of the Moroccan and international media covering this artistic and cultural event. More than 30,000 people came to the festival to watch various Metal acts that took part. This year’s edition was headlined by the iconic Decapitated and Shobee, Lazywall, Djmawi Africa….

Decapitated

1 of 3

The 21st edition of the “Tremplin” L’Boulevard Fest was successfully held from the 16th to the 18th of November, at RUC stadium located in the district Beauséjour, Casablanca, Morocco. There were 15 competing bands through different categories like Rap/Hip-Hop Rock/Metal and Fusion.

 For Rock & Metal, there were 4 competing bands:

WE COME FOR WAR (CASABLANCA)

STAIN (CASABLANCA)

MALAK (MARRAKECH)

TAGREST (CASABLANCA)

These bands stunned the audience and everyone who followed the participating bands.

The jurors of the three categories of the competition showed a good level among the participating groups: Rap/Hip-Hop and Rock/Metal and Fusion.

The winners will receive professional music training at Boultek, as well as the recording of two titles, and finally a concert on the Boulevard Fest 2023 stage!

The first prize of this year’s Tremplin L’Boulevard لبولفار, Rock/Metal category:

WE COME FOR WAR  from Casablanca city, the winning band from the Tremplin L’BOULEVARD FEST 2023.

The second prize of this year “Tremplin” L’Boulevard Fest: STAIN also from Casablanca city.

L’BOULEVARD Festival 2023 is an exciting and vibrant event that brings together an impressive lineup of rock & metal bands, hip hop, and World music from the Arab region and beyond.

This festival offers a unique opportunity for music enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the energy and spirit of rock music.

One of the standout features of the BOULEVARD Festival is the diversity of the participating bands.

From well-established names to emerging talents, the festival offers a platform for both local and international rock acts to showcase their music.

This diversity ensures that there is something for everyone, regardless of their musical preferences.

The festival’s organization is commendable, with efficient management and smooth logistics.

The stages are well-arranged, providing a great view and sound quality for the audience.

Additionally, the festival grounds are spacious, allowing for a comfortable and enjoyable experience for attendees.

The atmosphere at the  Festival is electrifying.

The passion and enthusiasm of the performers are contagious, creating an immersive and engaging experience for the crowd.

The energy of the crowd adds to the overall vibe, as rock lovers come together to celebrate their shared love for the genre.

Another positive aspect of the festival is the opportunity to discover new bands and broaden one’s musical horizons.

The lineup often includes lesser-known acts that are worth exploring, giving attendees a chance to appreciate new genres or styles of rock music.

One area that could be improved is the availability of food and beverage options.

While there are usually food stalls and refreshments available, it would be beneficial to have a wider range of choices to cater to different dietary preferences.

Overall, the Festival is a must-attend event for rock music enthusiasts in the region.

With its diverse lineup, well-organized structure, and electrifying atmosphere, it offers a memorable experience for both fans and artists alike.

Whether you are a seasoned rock lover or just curious to explore this genre, L’BOULEVARD  Festival 2023 is definitely worth checking out.

Written by: Yassine Siyaf

Photography: Chadi Ilias & Abdelhamid Belahmidi

The energy and intensity displayed by the bands on stage were truly remarkable. Each band delivered powerful and captivating performances, leaving the audience headbanging and moshing throughout the night. The musicians showed incredible skill and precision, effortlessly executing complex guitar riffs, thunderous drum beats, and impressive vocal ranges. It was evident that they poured their hearts and souls into their music, creating an immersive and authentic experience for everyone present.

Furthermore, The 21th edition of the Tremplin L’Boulevard Festival provided a platform for emerging bands to showcase their talent and gain exposure. It was refreshing to see lesser-known bands getting the opportunity to perform alongside more established acts. This not only adds an element of discovery for the audience but also fosters a sense of community within the rock and metal scene, supporting and encouraging up-and-coming artists.

Back to the competition The TREMPLIN will be held at the famous sports complex R.U.C from September 14th until September 16th, with the participation of 15 bands and artists from various regions of the Kingdom including Casablanca, M’hamid el Ghizlane, Tiznit, Azilal, Agadir, Rabat, Marrakech. There will be a number of different musical styles, Rock & Metal, there were four competed bands:

• WE COME FOR WAR (CASABLANCA).
• STAIN (CASABLANCA).
• MALAK (MARRAKECH).
• TAGREST (CASABLANCA).

While there were 8 competed Rap/HipHop artists as :

• BABIDO (CASABLANCA).
• DAREAL GOKU (CASABLANCA).
• YAKUZA (CASABLANCA).
• 7MAD (AGADIR).
• SCOOLBOY (CASABLANCA).
• N.I.C. (CASABLANCA).
• DONTIF(TIZNIT).

Regarding Fusion/World, there were four participants:

• ANASS OUBLAID &RAW RHYTHM (AZILAL).
• FERAS &THE RIDDIM UP (RABAT).
• MHAMID BAND (MHAMID EL GHIZLANE).
• FNZAHA (CASABLANCA)

After the competition between the bands competing for the festival awards, the audience enjoyed the festival with Moroccan Rock and Metal bands like LAZYWALL (ROCK ORIENTAL), OLD SCHOOL (THRASH METAL) and CHIKNO (HEAVY METAL).

The two winners of the Rock / Metal category will participate on Saturday 23 of September in the official concert with the greatest Moroccan and international rock and metal artists and bands:

On the Main Stage:

• RASHA NAHAS (Rock “Palestine/Germany”).
• THRILLOGY (Thrash/Death Metal “Morocco”).
• DECAPITATED (Death Metal “Poland”).

On the Souk stage:

• SAAD EL BARAKA (Indie/Alternative Rock “Morocco”)

Stay metal, stay safe & take care, STAY ROCK ERIANS!

Continuing their charismatic line of releases, they just released “Dem 3la Dem”…a magnum opus of alternative rock, the essence of Moroccan and Arabic soul and a very global topic that is changing our world and lives.

“Dem 3la Dem” talks about climate change…and as they put it…

“what we can do to make a change on The Earth we inherited and the one we leave behind”

…and they wrap this heavy subject with a Moroccan Arabic flavor of oriental time signatures and instruments…the music sounds absolutely huge, absolutely impeccable production.

The guitars are mountainous, the drummer is a monster, the bass is huge, it can block the sun and the vocals have the emotional energy and history of the whole Moroccan, Arabic and African region…

“Dem 3la Dem” covers the whole emotional roller coaster spectrum…you have very emotionally charged verses, that’s just about the vocals and the Oud (a guitar like fretless instrument)…and then you have the explosive chorus that sounds absolutely heavy and monstrous.

The song has strong progressive elements too, so you’ll experience many riffs, beats, melodies, bass lines…and there are some orchestral elements too thrown in the mix…the string section especially sounds very charismatic and epic.

The guitar solo is also not to miss…

…”Dem 3la Dem” could easily be one of the best rock songs that is sung in Arabic…

This is one of the highly recommended listens…you should check them out right away.

Lazywall, we wish you all the best in life, you deserve it and a lot more…secondly, we can’t wait to hear what you come up with next…and lastly, you’re doing places that’s for sure.

Cheers!

Lazywall opened Ghadin Nod with heavy pounding drums and raw guitars, promising a heavy tune ahead. They get into a powerful verse that steadily builds up to an explosion of energetic uplifting melodies, progressing into a big catchy chorus that can send a whole arena jumping around. I can hear a lot of influences in their writing from heavy metal to nu-metal and melodic metal, all fused and dipped into a unique sound that’s their own, especially with those powerful lyrics and delivery. Ghadin Nod has an extremely dynamic and entertaining structure, it has some of the best build-ups and progressions I’ve heard in a while, it kept me on my feet headbanging, air drumming, and singing along to the chorus, or at least I tried. 

Lazywall have a heavy-storming sound with well-written structures and clever progressions that keep the listener hooked till the end, it shows their musicianship, writing skills, and clear vision. I’ll be sharing this among my circle, and I am looking forward to more guys. Cheers!

Lazywall softly opened Kan Hez Yeddi with spacy atmospheric arpeggios, slowly setting up the mood for the upcoming calming verse. They cleverly took their time with the verse, giving their music the chance and space to shine and be heard, and creating a mellow build-up that leads to a highly emotional and melodic heavy multi-layered chorus. They shift their sound dramatically after a raw emotional solo, stepping into a new dimension with an oriental melody played on oud, adding an authentic taste to Kan Hez Yeddi that spiced its structure up and added another dynamic twist to their flow. Pushing the dynamics up one last time, Lazywall theatrically ended Kan Hez Yeddi with big orchestrations and grand sound, closing it on a high uplifting note.

Kan Hez Yeddi is a uniquely melodic tune by Lazywall, mixing their influences with their culture showing the world their true creative style and giving in to metal a piece of their world, introducing the listener to their background smoothly and cleverly. Looking forward to more from Lazywall, keep on rocking guys. Cheers!

Morocco’s Modern rock quintet has been on a roll with their last few record being nearly flawless. Hell, the Rock Archives database has the last two albums both with over 90% and those reviewers hate a lot of metal. It was no surprise that their fourth album would also be a win.

Before talking about this amazing album, we’ll talk about the changes that have taken on the roles of the group and the new Line-Up: Lazywall welcomes new member: Cef Moon as drummer.

Moncef aka Cef Moon (New drummer)

Monz will be performing as rhythm guitarist. Richy is back on percussions. No changes for Nao (vocals/bass) and USF (lead guitar) and the best Oud player in Morocco Maestro Younes Fakhar.

Richy aka Rachid Barnoussi (Percussions)

Younes Fakhar (Oud & Vocals)

With The Hundredth Monkey, Lazywall aims to showcase a new-found sense of security and creatively, with gigantic hooks, powerful melodies and a message of triumph over adversity, we will wait for great surprises for the band soon.
When listening to the new album we hear words and stories that bring us joy and sadness in some of the songs of the album, Lazywall began to develop year after year, Lazywall has managed to artfully weave together several very different musical styles to create a complete package of excellent musicianship, meaningful, easily relatable lyrics and universal themes. The emotions and feelings in the songs are contagious and deserve to be heard, again, and again.

The Hundredth Monkey is a 17-song. Here, the group combination of Moroccan musical heritage and world rock music harmonies, layers of instrumentation and rich production. The resulting sound is uniquely theirs and very easy to enjoy from the beginning to the end of this seventeen song long musical journey, which is like seventeen short stories set to a soundtrack, Lazywall the only Arabian band f that has surpassed the record of +10 songs in an album.

Release Date: October 2017
Label: Souk Asylum Records
Copyright: (c) 2017 Lazywall
Genres: Modern Rock with a Moroccan Touch

Tracklisting:
1. Arca Musicae
2. The Perfume (feat. Bashir Attar)
3. Desert Flood
4. Invincible
5. Speciesism (feat. Gary Yourofsky)
6. Time Girl
7. Diamonds
8. Brother
9. I Am.
10. Distorted Mind
11. Dragonfly
12. Plagueman
13. Nothingness
14. Come What May
15. Executed
16. Away
17. The Perfume (Radio Edit) [feat. Bashir Attar]

This is one of the best albums of the year and hopefully not the last album we will hear from this band. I honestly cannot say enough about the album. I am really impressed and very happy for the band.
The Hundredth Monkey has captured that appeal and delivered it in a perfect package for anyone to enjoy anywhere and anytime. Get it. You’ll love it.

Line up:
• Nao: Vocals/Bass
• Monz: Rhyhtm Guitar & backing vocals
• USF: Lead Guitar
• Cef Moon: Drums
• Younes Fakhar: Oud & Vocals
• Richy: Percussions

Written by: Yassine Siyaf
Photos by: Diaae Bakri and others

Morocco’s Modern rock quintet has been on a roll with their last few record being nearly flawless. Hell, the Rock Archives database has the last two albums both with over 90% and those reviewers hate a lot of metal. It was no surprise that their fourth album would also be a win.

There is something so reliable about Lazywall’s work as the trio brothers and friends. You know they will provide moments of brilliance, emotions and uplifting orchestral sections along with a 46 minutes long album. The band is capable to never put out the same thing twice and find ways to take chances that makes each album an adventure all its own.

With their latest Square Minds In Round Headse specially song ‘475’– which is a tribute song to Amina Filali, the victim of law article 475. This song featurs Reda All ali from Hoba Hoba Spirit, Hamid El Hadri, Nawel Ben Kraiem, Sarah Ariche, Younes Fakhar, Mark Levine. Mixed by multiple Grammy awards winner Anton Pukshansky in Los Angeles. Lazywall provides no shortage of what fans desire and adds what they didn’t know they wanted to hear.

The album kicks off with the up beat rock track‘Awake’. It talks about how stress destroys ourminds,itincorporatessomelayered vocal harmonies over Nao’ synthsounds. The band have alwaysshined in the instrumental sections and whichwereallycan’t argue about.Youssef’sguitaris as recognizable as ever and the solos are a sign of more greatthings to come throughout the album.

One of the highlights of the album is the second track ‘Never Again’. The song is about corruption the video is based on the famous story of the 3 little pigs and the big bad wolf. Check out the video:

‘Cold’ is another favorite on the record, it’s a bit slower than the previous tracks, tempo wise. The song talks about lost love. Thingsjust continue to get better with the album’s best track, featuring Sarah Ariche,just continues the assault with some impressive soloing in the middle section and ate very fill. This isthe difference with these guys. They never get you bored and keep you guessing.

‘475’ is a tribute to Amina Filali, the victim of article 475 from Moroccan penal code, who committed suicide after being forced to marry her rapist.

‘Love and Friends’ regrets of the ederly in their deathbed, video is biography of the band members ‘trio brothers’ (Youssef & Nao & Monz),

I was really impressed with this track ‘White Sun’, which, is around 5:45 minutes long.This song speaks of a desert trip, with an addition of the lute (the oud) whichgive the music a beautiful oriental effect on the song.

Lazywall continues to accomplish exemplary musical successes on their new studio effort, Square Minds In Round Heads which is also shortened to SMIRH. Even during the moments where the band expresses creativity and introduces new elements into their original style, Lazywall continue to keep the end product sounding familiar. Should the members of Lazywall transition back into full-length albums? The experience alone from trying their hands at new musical territory will ultimately play in the band’s favor, as the music they’ve released throughout these three digestible releases is amongst their best material in decades.

This is one of the best albums of the year and hopefully not the last album to hear from this amazing band.

Tracklisting:

• 01. Awake
• 02. Never Again
• 03. Cold (feat. Sarah Ariche)
• 04. A House On a Hill
• 05. 475 (Feat. Hamid El Hadri, RedaAllali, Nawel Ben Kraiem, Sarah Ariche, Mark Levine& Younes Fakhar)
• 06. Love&Friends
• 07. White Sun
• 08. Scarcity
• 09. Tkarfess& Sacrifice
• 10. Voices
• 11. Love &Friends (feat. LazPallagi)

Lineup:

• Nao: Vocals/Bass
• Monz: Drums/BackVocals
• Youssef: Guitars
• Younes Fakhar: Oud/Moual
• Richy: Darbouka & Bendi

Written by : Yassine Siyaf
Edited by : NJ Bakr

Original Release Date: Mar 22, 2015
Release Date: Mar 22, 2015
Support the band by Purchasing their music on Cdbaby and iTunes.

Find more info about Lazywall through their website, ReverbNation or Facebook.