Have you ever wondered what’s happening in the metal scene in Middle East? Well, we’re sure you haven’t heard of many bands from that area because of political and religious institutions that basically control the art and rule by striking fear upon the artists. And, guess what, metal musicians don’t like being told what to do!
One of those bands is Dark Phantom from Kirkuk, Iraq. They played multiple shows in Iraq and released an EP in 2012 called „Beta“ before their first studio album „Nation of Dogs“ in 2016. Mir, Murad, Rabeen, Sarmad and Mahmood are five members of different nationalities; Kurdish, Turkmen and Arab. You can tell by their sound that they are inspired by bands such as Metallica and Slayer because of their thrashing guitars and clattering drums. Also, their lyrics are mostly about the Iraq war and political corruption, and those are one of the most iconic features of thrash metal genre.
The most amazing thing about Dark Phantom is that they are the first band from Middle East that traveled and played in Syria in 2019, a country devastated by war. So I’m pretty sure these guys have balls to face the most dangerous turn of events and have no fear playing a show in life threatening conditions. To get rid of the higher authorities meddling in art, Dark Phantom wants to fight a war; the musical war for their freedom to express themselves. Check out these guys and enjoy their music!
