Due to the poor reception of the band amongst the citizens in their native land of Jerusalem, Melechesh wound up relocating after their debut full length album As Jerusalem Burns...Al'Intiserar. In the process of this event, the band wound up losing Lord Curse as the drummer since he was unable to accompany the rest of the group. But, whether it was this event, or the simple addition of drummer Xul, Djinn winds up becoming a strong album with heavy Black Metal ties, and well orchestrated Middle Eastern sound that has grown compared to their previous endeavors.
If it weren't for the strong Middle Eastern input into the music, chances are good Djinn would come off as a strong straight forward Black Metal release, but at the same time, it wouldn't really offer anything spectacular to lure listeners in and hook them as quickly as this finished product did. The recording itself, however, winds up sounding a little weaker then what one would hope for. While Djinn has a somewhat raw quality to it, it's that raw quality that winds up hurting it slightly due to the lack of bite that the guitars have from the recording coming off a bit more hollow then it really should be. Throughout the release, many of these songs are fantastic with well performed vocals and intense drumming. Of course, the album starts off a bit slow with the drumming, which winds up showing a more simpler side to the instrument's song composition, where as "Bardjinn" winds up slamming away with blistering drums and guitars. It's this song, as well as the following track, "Rub the Lantern", that really stand out.
While there are plenty of tracks on here that have a fantastic overall atmosphere to the album, "Rub the Lantern" doesn't really feature more of the Middle Eastern sound in the music, having a slight hint of it in the guitar work, though it can be picked out through the clean singing that adorns the song in a manner that many would expect, or even stereotype, with this more Folk-inspired compositions of this album. This is one of the rarer tracks on here, as almost all the songs on the album have that strong atmospheric influence to them, but even without it, the band proves they can still compose some strong Black Metal tracks. The longer tracks on here typically hold a little more variety to them then the rest of the album, and are always entertaining to listen to. Especially with "Dragon's Legacy", which features a rather long bridge a little past the half way point, but thanks to the atmosphere in the music, it simply works before going into a more Thrash musical style that sounds great, and varies with a traditional sound, and the regional Folk sound established through the album, performed with fantastic energy, and an enthusiatic, yet evil sounding, vocal performance.
Of course, when it comes to the mahesty of the longer trackw on Djinn, it's the closing track "The Siege of Lachish" that really stands out the most. This song goes at a traditional mid-tempo pace, but the atmosphere with this one, as well as the more Folkish music, is just very rich and well done right from the start. It's hard not to listen to this song and ultimately get swept away by the slower, but driving Black Metal guitar riffs and Folk-inspired clean vocals that chant in the background at times. Of course, the actual song is only about six minutes and thirty seconds. After that, it's silence for about three minutes before you come to a hidden track, which is just noise overlapped to an altered chant or prayer in the native tongue of this album's mythological lyrics. Sadly, this part isn't really anything too interesting, and just isn't worth waiting those few minutes to experience in the long run.
But, in the end, Djinn makes for a staggering change of pace for the band. With solid musicianship, and a more honed direction from the band, Melechesh have put together a great album that is full of well composed songs that seem to only be hurt by a somewhat weakened production. If only the guitars had a little more strength behind them, this would have been a fantastic album. Instead, there are times where great musicianship winds up sounding a little stale and boring, though it truly deserves more attention and praise then that. Djinn will not get old really quick, and offers up plenty of additional spins through the release, so it is worth taking the time to invest in this album, just don't expect a unique Black Metal attempt of perfection...yet. This release may stand out, but with a little more work and a better studio, Melechesh can really put out something chaotic, and down to earth.
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