So, I researched the Algerian metal scene, and according to the Metal Archives website, there are only 12 active metal bands in Algeria. That’s quite a small number, would you say that the scene is too small, or is it big enough and supportive?
The scene was bigger 10 years ago, but now there are only few bands, which are still producing albums and making shows!

Why are there so many split up bands? It seems like there’s a total of 23 bands in Algeria, 11 of which have split up, went on hold or are in an unknown status.
There are many many bands which have split 2 decades ago, more than a 100, and the main reasons for that are the lack of venues, and no support from authorities.

What does Lelahell mean?
Lelahel (with one ‘l’ letter in the end) is An angel of the zodiac exercising dominion over love, art, science and fortune. We appeal to this being of light for good luck and good fortune. We added an ‘l’ because there is already an italian rock band named Lelahel, and Lelahel is also my nickname, so to make a difference between them, I added a second ‘l’ in the end of lelahel.

Do you face the hardships bands face here in Egypt such as the lack of venues that allow metal concerts and such?
Yes, I think that it is the major problem of every metal band from countries of such areas because most of the venues are cinema theatres with chairs and are not suitable for metal concerts.

Have you played in any Arab countries? I checked your Facebook page and according to that, it has only been Europe so far.
Actually, we have played only In Algeria and 7 European countries, but if there is an opportunity to play anywhere else, why not?!

How did you guys tour Europe that fast, considering you’re a new band formed in 2010, as a solo project or 2012 as a full band?
We played our first show outside Algeria in march 2013 during the Skullkrusher Death Fest in Paris, five months after we made our first European Tour “Al Intihar Tour”. In my opinion, to play in Europe, there are three conditions: First, have good contacts, second, play very well and tight, and the third one – which is the most important – is to know how things work.

Is there a specific festival that you’d like to play in, given the chance?
There are two: Wacken Open Air and Hellfest! Why not?

Any bands you’d like to open for or join in a show?
Opening for one band from the old school death metal generation is the best lesson that every death metaller dreams of!

Who’s “Abderrahmane?” Why is he being reborn? Tell us more about the album.
Abderrahmane was my father and is my son, and it is a metaphor which means that we wish that this album will contribute to the (re)birth of the Algerian metal scene!

Tell us more about the process of writing the album, and what happened during that.
I started the writing process with the guitars, album and structures just before the EP release in Spring 2012. After that, we spent around 6 month to finalize the album, doing everything from drums, bass, lyrics, to vocals… etc.
In January 2013, we started to record the drums. Two months later, we started recording the bass and guitars. The vocals were recorded in August 2013, just before our first tour.
After that I was going to mix and master the album, but it was difficult to find a suitable sound for our music which was the most arduous part of the recording process. So, we decided to search for a producer, and by the time we found someone for that, it was December 2013. The album was mixed and mastered by Ivan from Anthropocide studio from Belarus. He did a great job; this guy is very patient and talented! The album was finalized in March 2014.

What do you think are the musical and lyrical differences between both of your albums?
Our first Ep ‘Al Intihar’ is less technical and less brutal, more old-school and more melodic than our first full length ‘Al Insane… The (Re)birth of Abderrahmane.’

What bands to each of you listen to separately on your free time? I can’t imagine you listen to death metal 24/7
We listen to many other genres such as: Rock, Heavy Metal, Traditional music, Black Metal, Progressive and many more.

When did each of you start playing their instrument or singing?
I played bass in Neanderthalia from 1993 to 1996, after that I founded Litham (bass and vocals) with 2 band members of the previous band. After that, I got a gore grind project called Carnavage (from 2004 to 2007), and I joined Devast (vox) in 2008, and finally founded Lelahell in 2010. Nihil (Bass) played in some rock bands after that joined Barbaros in 2008. Slaveblaster founded Djamharouche, played with me in Devast ,and played with The Kult of and Barbaros.

Any plans on a new album or EP?
Actually, we are working on the second full-length album. More news coming soon!

Any future tours you’d like to tell us about?
A tour for our next release, but nothing planned yet.

Written by: Youssef Nagy
Edited by: Amira Alkholy

The lineup is as follows:

• Lelahell: Guitars and Vocals
• Nihil: Bass
• Slaveblaster: Drums

These guys are an Algerian band, formed in 2010 by Redouane Aouameur (aka Lelahell) who has been in quite a few bands before forming Lelahell. After he completed their EP Al Intihar (The suicide), SlaveBlaster and Nihil joined him in January of 2012. They have been growing ever since, as they had their debut EP officially released by Goressimo Records in August of 2012.

They’ve played in France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Malta, Switzerland, Germany, Poland on multiple European tours.

Their latest album The (Re)Birth of Abderrahmane was released by Horror Pain Gore Death Productions.

The mixing and mastering are quite good, as it was done by Ivan of Anthropocide Studio, though the bass frequencies such as the kick drum and the bass guitar were a bit too boosted for regular speakers. When I used a subwoofer with a couple of tweeters the bass was too muddy. However, when using studio headphones the sound was perfect. So I’ll just assume that it could be my speakers’ fault. Using the headphones I could hear every single note by all instruments clearly (even the bass guitar – wow!) as well as the vocals, the volumes and effects are well managed.

Now about the music itself, I’m listening to the album as I write this, and I’m not exactly sure what bands they remind me of, as they seem to have a different style. However a few tracks reminded me of Behemoth and Scarab (the latter is from Egypt as the readers probably know). My favorite track has to be ‘Kalimet Essir’ as it has a riff that is quite melodic and overall amazing artistry. The rest of the album doesn’t fail to impress. The ending track ‘Mizmar’ is also the perfect ending for such an explosive album. The drums on the whole album are extremely fast yet beautiful, with SlaveBlaster’s beautiful work, as well as LelaHell’s amazing guitar lines. His vocals could be considered black metal vocals at times, which gives a mix of great death and blackened death tracks. The bass supports the instruments greatly, and even though it’s still much quieter than the rest of the band, it still has an undeniable role.

My overall opinion has to be that if you’re a fan of the death and blackened death genres you’ll enjoy this album a lot. It’s definitely worth buying and you’ll most probably enjoy it. This album is one that I’ll keep on my phone for when the mood fits it, but I’ll definitely listen to ‘Kalimet Essir’ quite often as it ranks quite high with other amazing tracks by larger bands.

If you’re interested in buying their merch and the CD, visit here.
For the digital copy and streaming visit here.

Edited by: Natsky Ds