Heavy cultural purveyors Gimme Metal have once again added a rare gem to their monthly installment of essential albums with the announcement of their February edition. Prior to the reissue of Melechesh's 'As Jerusalem Burns... Al'Intisar' only 499 copies had existed on vinyl - ever. This makes the limited release of the 1996 classic a true collector's item, in addition to being an important contribution to the lexicon of black metal.
Gimme Metal Vinyl Club February offering is Sumerian thrashing black metal pioneers Melechesh 's debut album 'As Jerusalem Burns... Al'Intisar'! Following the success of Gimme's reissue of Darkthrone's Under A Funeral Moon last year variant last year, Melechesh is the perfect addition to the succession of black metal must-haves.
Originally released in 1996 while Melechesh were still located in Israel, this debut full-length release marked them as the first-ever international metal band from Jerusalem to be signed to a record label. There are no doubts that this is a black metal album, however, there are also undeniable hints of Middle Eastern flavoring that take you out of that typical, cold, Northern feel of black metal from the mid-90s, and put you into a hot, dry desert.
It’s straightforward and energetic with catchy moments, yet melodic and enchanting, and there’s nothing gimmicky about it either.
Gimme Radio’s own Andee Connors says: "As Jerusalem Burns… Al’Intisar" is a wildly inventive, but still sonically crushing black/death concoction that does for Israel what Nile does for Egypt - infusing a vicious and technical blackened buzz with sounds and stories culled from Middle Eastern folklore and mysticism. Even 25 years later, this record stands as a supreme piece of black art, but also continues to resonate beyond the music, existing both as a sonic snapshot of a time and a place, but also a struggle that continues to this day."
'As Jerusalem Burns... Al'Intisar' is a must-have for collectors of all kinds due to its historical place in the realm of black metal and its scarcity on the format of vinyl.
The February edition of the Gimme Metal Vinyl Club is currently taking orders - HERE. The final day to get your order in is January 31st. Targeted release date for the Gimme Exclusive Translucent 180 gram Red Vinyl is February 15th.
