FORCE OF FURY: Heavy Metal in Israel and Palestine: From Global Icons to Metal Pioneers
Heavy metal has found a home in some of the world’s most unexpected places. Israel has become a stop for the biggest international metal acts, while its own local scene has given rise to globally recognized bands. Add to that the underground voices from Palestine, and you have a region where riffs and resistance meet in ways unlike anywhere else.
🎸 When the Giants Came to Israel
Israel has seen its share of heavy legends. Metallica performed three times in Tel Aviv (1993, 1999, 2010), shaking stadiums with classics like Fade to Black and Enter Sandman. Rage Against the Machine roared through Haifa and Tel Aviv in 1997 and again in 2000, while Iron Maiden landed with multiple shows beginning in 1995. Poland’s blackened-death titans Behemoth have played Tel Aviv several times, including Reading 3 in 2022.
These tours established Israel as a reliable stop on the global circuit, with Tel Aviv venues like Barby Club, Reading 3, and Ramat Gan Stadium cemented as heavy music landmarks.
⚡ The Israeli Metal Scene
Beyond the global icons, Israel has fostered a vibrant metal scene of its own.
Orphaned Land — Formed in Petah Tikva in 1991, they are the pioneers of Oriental Metal. By blending doom and death riffs with Middle Eastern instruments like the oud and saz, they created a unique sound that bridges Jewish, Muslim, and Christian traditions. Albums like Mabool (2004) and Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs (2018) are landmarks in global progressive metal. Their message of peace and unity has earned them awards and recognition well outside the metal world, making them Israel’s most famous metal export.
Distorted — Melodic death/doom with oriental influences; their records Memorial and Voices from Within showcased the band’s atmospheric weight.
Betzefer — Groove/thrash from Herzliya, Roadrunner Records signees, often compared to Pantera and Sepultura.
Hammercult — Thrash winners of Wacken Metal Battle Israel, bringing high-speed aggression to Europe.
Dukatalon — Doom/sludge veterans signed to Relapse Records, known for the crushing Saved by Fear and the more recent Involuntary Action.
Scardust — Symphonic/progressive metal fronted by powerhouse vocalist Noa Gruman, mixing choirs, orchestration, and technical riffing into grand concept albums like Sands of Time and Strangers.
From symphonic choirs to doom-laden riffs, Israeli metal bands have proven their diversity and staying power, touring worldwide and holding their own alongside global peers.
🇵🇸 Palestinian Metal Voices
The Palestinian metal scene is much smaller but deeply powerful, often channeling frustration, resistance, and identity.
Khalas (“enough” in Arabic), also known as the Arabic Rock Orchestra, gained international attention with their mix of Arabic melodies and heavy riffs. Their 2013 European tour with Orphaned Land made headlines as a rare act of musical solidarity across divides.
Zalaam — A black/atmospheric project born in Gaza and now abroad. With releases like Bottomless Black Hole, Zalaam uses extreme metal as an outlet for existential pain and political protest.
Ragum — Cha3biGrind/death-grind from the “occupied interior,” fusing grindcore brutality with Maghreb and Middle Eastern influences.
Though their numbers are small, these bands prove that metal exists everywhere — even under the harshest conditions.
🌍 The Bigger Picture
From Metallica filling Tel Aviv stadiums, to Orphaned Land pioneering a new genre with a message of peace, to Palestinian projects like Zalaam giving voice to the oppressed, heavy metal in Israel and Palestine is more than just music. It’s identity, resistance, coexistence, and above all, the shared global language of riffs.
👉 Hear the full story on Force of Fury: Israel & Palestine, airing Wednesday at 9 PM on KMUZ and PRX. Explore how metal unites, resists, and transcends borders in one of the world’s most complex regions.