Even in Iraq they scream "Play some SLAYER!!"

"Play some f#@kin SLAYER!!!"

Hello Heavy Metal Minions...

I am posting this under the Middle East issues section as I think you will see it's relation to the category, but hopefully from a new perspective.

I heard this story about a year ago on a PBS broadcast where they had interviewed a few of the guys from this band Acrassicauda who is the only Heavy Metal band to ever come out of Iraq.

Here are a few things I find interesting about what you'll see and hear.

a. Kids can not head bang in Iraq because it is associated with the Jewish Prayer custom of the Wave offering where they pray and bob back and forth like at the western wall in Israel.

b. Before Saddam fell, they had to play a song in dedication to him at the shows.

c. Baghdad is basically a private military play ground and governed like the old west...by the Gun.

There is a short synopsis below, but I do hope you can watch the documentary which is about an hour.

Heavy Metal in Baghdad is a feature film documentary that follows the Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda from the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to the present day.

Playing heavy metal in a Muslim country has always been a difficult (if not impossible) proposition but after Saddam’s regime was toppled, there was a brief moment for the band in which real freedom seemed possible.

That hope was quickly dashed as their country fell into a bloody insurgency. From 2003-2006, Iraq disintegrated around them while Acrassicauda struggled to stay together and stay alive, always refusing to let their heavy metal dreams die.

And here's a feel good moment. These guys get to meet their heros...



Hope you all enjoy.

Peace

"METAL RULES"

[edit on 12-3-2010 by letthereaderunderstand]


Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 12-3-2010 by GAOTU789]

Thanks for the vids man. I was wondering what I was going to do before band practice here for about an hour. Im gonna check them out immediately. Heavy Metal band in Iraq? That is kinda odd!. Should be interesting.

Long Live Metal \m/

These are true Heavy Metal Mother F*****s!!! They are basically living in the Devil's Playground surround by everything that Heavy Metal stands for: Death, War, Violence, ect. This is as true as Heavy Metal can get.


F****N' SLAYER!!!!

Definately worth a watch! Thanx man.

I went to u 2b to see what their music sounds like, and ran across the video w/ James Hetfield coming off stage from a show, and hands the dude from this band his guitar! AND SIGNS IT.

1 sold out show in a stadium, Bookoo bucks.

Price of a new guitar? Lotta $$$$.

Seeing the look on the guys face that you've given the axe to? Priceless.

Thanks you guys for the responses.

The story just made me feel grateful but what they were saying about the situation over there really hit home.

They don't hate our freedom, they hate our imprisonment....true seasons in the abyss.

Priceless doesn't properly describe the look on that kids face. I don't think James knew how much that meant to him or the rest of those guys. I hope he got a chance to watch the documentary.

Anyways, thanks again everyone.

Peace

I have mad love for this post. I love hardcore/metal and I think its amazing what people will do for the love of music. Those guys are brave! Slightly ancient in their metal skills, but they have the heart of a LION! A Lion eating a horse while playing a solo behind its head in front of 50,000 screaming fans!!

I have this documentary on DVD for a while now.

it's a great piece of footage from people who have a dream and follow it, no matter what happens around them.

I hope one day Iraq and all the other countries in the world will be really liberated.

That just goes to show that everywhere, people are not that different. Trivial things keep people apart, but metalheads are all the same. I'm off now to see if I can find anything else about this band.

Here are some more links

Acrassicauda Wiki Link

On Myspace

Blog

Acrassicauda - Garden of stones

Edit to say that the riff in Underworld is my favorite.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e0cce37f3640.jpg[/atsimg]

Rock on

[edit on 13-3-2010 by Grey Magic]

Garden of stone sounds realy good!very impressed(apart from solo)

having said that watching one clip of the vid here when there playing to a handfull of men in tshirts leads me to believe their talking out of their collective asses about their music prior the invasion

Anyway good luck to them,they certainly sound good when recorded and the majic mixing dust is spread over the track

Originally posted by warpcrafter
That just goes to show that everywhere, people are not that different. Trivial things keep people apart, but metalheads are all the same. I'm off now to see if I can find anything else about this band.

Exactly. I think it was interesting to hear the drummer saying that "if it wasn't for the drums, he would of turned into a killer".

I honestly think it is the same no matter where you go. If you foster war in people that's what they will do with the crowd, not as individuals, but with the crowd they will roam.

It's rare individuals that see past the crowd. I think all of the Iraqis hate war as much as the next person, but I'm glad to see Metal "Save" the day in peoples eyes, instead of always be the root of evil people paint it to be. I'm glad to see those kids alive, but wouldn't feel any different about a band that made it out of, I don't know, lets say Jackpot Nevada, as I am to see these guys out of Iraq.

Thanks for the post.

Peace Oh yeah

"Ride the tiger, you can see his stripes but you know he's clean"

Up next King Diamond...

Originally posted by Midyew
These are true Heavy Metal Mother F*****s!!! They are basically living in the Devil's Playground surround by everything that Heavy Metal stands for: Death, War, Violence, ect. This is as true as Heavy Metal can get.


F****N' SLAYER!!!!

What an silly assumption you think heavy rockers are... Stucked in some kind of narrow minded illusions of what heavy metal fans is, but let me be the first to correlate you view on heavy metal fans and heave metal... Heavy metal was based on people mixing genres(blues / Rock / psychedelic) and cranking up the amps. It was when it first surfaced in the 60´s a "provocative" demostraition against the established music scene quite like punk became in the 80´s. In most heavy metal concerts i´ve attended in my life(200+) i have not yet, seen any violence behaviour, nor have i seen anyone praise for wars, quite opposite. And if you just took the time to listen to like in this example Slayer you would find out that they express discomfort against all the wars being fought on ridiculous grounds, and how all the corrupted rich and powerful should climb down the pedestal they have claimed them self up on and share their wealth. Real Heavy metal is about Brother and Sister hood. So please before dragging things through the mud research your facts, or don´t comment at all.

Best regards

Loke...

Ps. Back on topic

I have seen this series before and it is really admirable to see these youngsters raise up from literally the ashes of Babylon and spread the love and wisdom of music, be it what ever genre it be.


[edit on 13-3-2010 by Loke.]

[edit on 13-3-2010 by Loke.]

reply to post by letthereaderunderstand

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