First, I should mention that this release is a different mood or special work among Sallos previous material. The music of this demo is really unique and more psychological, it went deeper and deeper through the human feelings; rooms of mind, depression, conversations between the Id, the Ego and the Superego, regret,escapism and loneliness.

The First track from the demo is called ‘At Dawn In which The Dead Have Missed’, the music of the track consisted of different emotional tones of guitars. What I felt when the guitars started that the music is a weak wounded person who started complaining and speaking freely without any limits. He wasn’t angry, just a calm dying soul. It started to speak and continued to remember all its anguish, The pain increasing and the guitars melodies is getting deeper and more painful. Simply, the guitars were mourning.

The second track is called ‘Primal Awakening’, sets another mood but it also psychological. A person drowning in a sea of his sorrows, then the sea threw him on a desert; just the sounds of dark, endless sorrow, whispers of remembrance. The track carried a vocal like whispering in the wind with some atmospheric/folk effects.

The final track in the demo is ‘Alone’, it is the deepest track of the demo. We all have the feeling of being quite and silent although the crowd around you. Actually, you are not listening to the crowd around you, you are listening to the voices inside you, the reasonable and unreasonable thoughts, the truths versus the illusions and when the fantasy beats the logic. Vocals clean which covered the sorrowfulness, guitars and bass reflected the agony and pain with drums reflected this inner drastic war perfectly.

Highly recommended release to listen and to have a new experience with. My favorite is the first track which you’ll find a link to below. The demo would be rated 8 out of 10 because I found that the second track needed more work and the drums of the final track ‘Alone’ were higher than the other instruments.

Edited by: NJ Bakr

It is said that you are really supportive towards the bands in Cairo. We found you with bands such as Veritatem Solam and then we found you on stage with Nader Sadek, so tell us more about these experiences?

Oh yeah, Veritatem Solam got my attention once I’ve heard about them. M. Salama and Bahaa ElDahaby are close friends of mine and I helped them with designing their album cover for Unholy Protrusions of Divinity. We share the same melodic themes and musical influences, so of course that counts. They are a unique and a very good band.

About Nader Sadek, I’ve met him in a gig and we got to know each other. He’s really generous and fun to hang with and discuss things. I didn’t know about the gig, it came up as a complete surprise. We didn’t play any music together and then suddenly I’m on stage with Nader Sadek, Attila – Mayhem –Void Ov Voices, Tom Geldschlager – Obscura – Hannes Grosmann – Alkaloid, Blotted Science, Ex-Obscura, Ex-Necrophagist – Orestis Nalmpantis – Genna Apo Kolo – Dimitry Khoury – Mephostophilis and Seth Van De Loo – Sever Torture. So, yeah it was big time for me being there on stage with international professional musicians. The crowd was awesome, lots of energy and I enjoyed my time. It was an awesome experience to be back on stage after a long time off… still feels like yesterday.

How did you receive the feedback of the audience?
Actually, I’ve never seen an audience as active as the audience was at that night. They were highly supportive and appreciated the new style with decorations with all the sounds and lights. Yeah, those guys deserved the best of what could be and after all, the credits should go to Nader Sadek for planning the whole show, as well as setting the stage him self. He did a great job for sure and the rest of the guys played really well.

Any future plans for Sallos?
Well, Sallos has always been real and straight going forward since day one. So, nothing really changed than to be the heaviest-darkest-extreme band around so we’re working on that as we are preparing to bring you guys the new album.

So, a lot of fans asked about the genre and the lyrical themes of your band. Would you please clarify the lyrical themes of the band and the concerns?
Yeah I’m used to that question. Ah well about out lyrical theme, I had a lot going on personally and the lyrics is a reflection of how a person feels living in this twisted kind of society and there is a lot of brainwashing and mind control going on, so it’s a reflection of what is going on really from my point of view.
The 1st album had a lot to mention. We talked about Dark minds, war, solitude, resurrection, madness and confusion. It has many colors and a classical melodic theme. That was my mental state back then when I wrote the album. It was the best place to lay down all my feelings on Sallos, so yeah… About the new album, which we’re about to release, entitled World Of Machines, is a concept album. Governments worldwide are enslaving the human kind. Lots of meanings and morals are changing after the millennium, so it’s more real and touched by everybody through the normal living day. You watch TV, you read newspapers and have a great image of the world where we are living in today. The topic is a big deal, so yeah it’s going to be heavy, straight in the face, and a different level of musical evolution for Sallos and into the concept. After all, I leave the listeners to understand and evaluate the records the way that suits their imagination.

Tell us about your name Lord Of Darkness?
The media is a double-edged weapon, especially in this country. Once, I was given an interview for one of the local newspapers about my tattooing work and Sallos as well as going through the music concept, to clarify what’s heavy musical metal. So, the newspaper of course used it as the highlight event and again just empty low moves done by a low cost selling newspaper, from there came the name Lord of darkness.

You are one of the first generation musicians, how do you think the scene changed?
I’m totally honored to be. Yeah, there have been lots of changes for sure since early 2000s. Now, it’s more available to every one. Back then, we used to trade tapes and travel across the country to get a good album or even a poster. Now people can get anything through Internet. Back then we used to paint our t-shirts and do our own accessories, so yeah we fought for being around,and for more change, and for the metal community to grow and break the taboo.
You know, the normal nickname for metalheads in Egypt is Satanists, the past years to form a band or just to say that you’re fond of a specific genre of metal was terribly hectic. Now people are slowly trying to realize what is it all about; mental and spiritual freedom. That’s our choice, and that’s how we face mind control and fascism. It’s as simple as that, music is very powerful as we as any kind of art. And I really think the scene will grow by getting big bands from abroad, as well we the Middle East. Now, Iron Maiden went to Dubai and India, why not Cairo? If we gathered our voices we might apply our rights to enjoy and have good times within the scene.

What about concerts? In your opinion, what are the main problems in concerts?
Concert… well, for me I think just metal concerts cant all be around Sakkia. We just can’t be all about performing in the same venue – with all due respect to El Sawy Culturewheel. It’s a good place, but we need more stages and more places to perform, as well as having more competition and larger audiences. The problem mainly is the sound systems, cause I believe that sound engineers don’t know the culture of Metal in Egypt. So, we really do need highly educated sound engineers to do the magic, and help the bands sound better on stage. For Sallos it’s a bit different. It’s a matter of coordination and arrangements. You can only imagine how I lose myself in my dark room, composing – doing my artwork, writing the lyrics and recording the album.
Troy, our bass player is helping me out recording the new album, while Kimmi, – the drummer – and Tike – the original guitarist – are stuck out of town building their life which is very normal, it’s not easy to try to arrange the whole band to be in one place, prepared for the battle to hit the stage.

Will we see Sallos on stage soon again?
Definitely Sallos are hitting the stage in the right time with the right bands and in the right gig.

If I give you the chance to send a message to the Egyptian metalheads through Rock Era magazine what will you say?
I would say keep going guys your support is all what matters. One more thing: Metal is in the soul and the attitude more than anything else. Stay true and thanks for the awesome support. m/

Interviewed by: Rana Atef
Edited by: NJ Bakr

– Check our previous interview with Sallos, the band here.

– Copyright Photos reserved to: Menna Hossom and Dema Youssif

They released their first album Blast Of The Eastern Storm and they are currently recording the second one. Read to know more about their history and music.

How was Sallos formed and what was the driving force for you guys as a band?
I formed the band back in 2012 with my fellow drummer Kimmi Aku. We used to play with SegadoraS back in time and we wanted to make something more extreme and deep so we formed Soul Sanctuary which we found later that the name was taken already by a band and they got their own copyrights so we changed the name into SalloS and from there we took off… The driving force have always been the fire within our spirits and our personality with reflects to what we do as individuals by putting all our true emotions and influences that adds to our spiritual state and drive us more forward in what we are doing

How did the idea of forming a Black Metal band come to your mind?
Well it took me a while to put my ideas and influences in a creative process. I had to reach a certain technical style of song writing and performing so I think that was what helped me and directed me to the path of music and creativity and the influences reflected on my style.

What were the problems that you faced at the beginning?
Since the start, everything was in chaos, really. Regarding members, managing processes and shows, plus our style of music and our own influence is extreme to others and banned for others… So I think being a free-speaking extreme band in the Middle East is always a battle to go through. What we do is real to us no matter what resistance, ups and downs we go through, we are fighting our way through.

How did the idea of the band’s name, Sallos, come to your mind?
Well, it’s taken from the book of the 72 demons of the Goatia. It’s the demon of giving and taking kingdoms, Sallos (or Saleos), the Nineteenth Spirit, a Great and a mighty Duke. He appears in the form of a gallant soldier riding on a crocodile with a Ducal crown on his head… He causes the love of women to men. He governs 30 Legions of Spirits. He is of a pacifist nature and dark worker and planner

What are the bands that influenced you?
Well, that’s a hard question but mainly Swedish and Norwegian extreme Metal. Old-school tunes for sure and mainly it got to be melodic.

Talk to us about your first album and the difference between the first one and the one the band is composing currently?
BLAST OF THE EASTERN STORM is the title of our first album that was recorded with the available studio we got at that time. It combines our thoughts and topics at that time. It’s a dark -strait in the face- a bit extreme and I think we broke some rules and boundaries by just letting our dark side into the music and the lyrical stream… This next album we’re working on, I can say that it’s going to add something to the Middle Eastern Metal scene, I hope. It’s a concept album and it’s the evolution of us as musicians and a new level of letting our spirit free throughout the music we make. That’s all I can say about it.

How did you receive the feedback of the audience and musicians?
It was fair, we are getting known bit by bit. We got some motivation feedback from our fellow musicians and fans, but I still believe that the Egyptian Metal scene needs more time and more bands to expand the style but I can see it growing.

What is the concept of the upcoming album?
It’s a concept album as I mentioned, it is a deeper look into the great conspiracy mankind have ever been through.

What’s your favourite release from the bands’ releases?
Well, I got some good collection of local bands since we are all friends and share music together, so I can pick some from the collection. I can say The Armageddon Codex by Worm, 50,000 years by Dark Philosophy, The Retribution by Crescent and Valley of The Sand Walkers by Scarab. That’s a part from the whole!

How do you see the Egyptian Metal scene now?
I can’t say that it’s a wow to be honest… but we are good listeners and I think that we still got a good fine road to go through and that would come over by creating fine Egyptian Metal listener who appreciates music and bands performing. Also we would never be mentioned if we didn’t get big bands from outside coming over here, and bands from here going out there. You know the funny story about the society and the culture we live in, so I think that bands have a lot work to do to recreate a strong fan base. Fans would still need to involve more in the music and show some real support!

So why Black Metal? And what are the goals you are trying to reach as a band?
Simply cause it’s different music for different personalities. Black Metal or extreme music introduces the very of us to the world. It’s not for everybody that this is what makes it special and the spirit of Black Metal never dies. About our goals… hmm… we are not really looking for a world tour or something like that as much as a task we took upon ourselves to do what we like and keep doing it better and better and always be true to what we feel and what we are from deep within, so here we are bringing you true radical raw material extreme music.

What do the fans represent to you?
Simply without them, we are nothing. I mean we are also fans of other bands in the first place, so it is important to communicate with whoever tries to approach us as a band and supports us. You guys are the fucking best of all. We wish to see you guys soon and bring you the best of what we got. You know who you are. Cheers!

Interviewed by: Rana Atef
Edited by: Nehal Ali