Metal Gathering was the first Heavy Metal event of the year 2017! It was organized by Metal Bell Magazine at Metro Al Madina, Hamra. The entrance fee was 20$ and the event was strictly 18+. This event featured four bands: Slave to Sirens, Within Destruction, Voice of the Soul, and Nader Sadek: In the Flesh.

The concert started with Slave to Sirens which is the first ever Lebanese and Middle Eastern Female Thrash Metal band. Slave to Sirens rocked the stage with their performance that was shockingly good! Even Derek Roddy (ex- Nile and ex- Hate Eternal drummer) was surprised by their performance and said “We just got schooled by a chicks band!”

Slaves To Sirens | photo credit: Joe Choufany

Next up was the Metal Core band Within Destruction whose members were super energetic on stage and they transferred their enthusiasm to the audience who moshed several times during their performance. They had some technical difficulties that didn’t really help their show but they insisted on doing their best nonetheless. Within Destruction is still a new band that needs more practice but it sure has the potential of getting somewhere better.

Within Destruction | photo credit: Joe Choufany

After that was the performance of Progressive Death Metal band Voice of the Soul, who literally made our hearts skip a beat with their awesome staging. Sadly, some of the audience left before this band started playing so the atmosphere was a bit too quiet which made the vocalist Kareem call everyone “a bunch of lazy fucks” since he wasn’t sensing the expected enthusiasm for such show.

Voice of the Soul | photo credit: Joe Choufany

The last performance was the main bomb of this event. Nader Sadek: In the Flesh turned the stage into an epic dark scene with its Death Metal atmosphere. This band’s members were Nader Sadek (vocalist and song writer), Derek Roddy (ex- Nile, ex- Hate Eternal), Destructhor (ex- Morbid Angel), Mahmud Gecekusu (Perversion) and Benoit Claus (Gorod.) This awesome bunch turned the atmosphere upside down; everyone was headbanging to their melodies. Although the sound system wasn’t totally in their favor as well, the audience was really satisfied by their performance.

Nader Sadek: In the Flesh | photo credit: Joe Choufany

Overall, it was a good start for the Lebanese Metal scene in 2017; we are looking forward to more events this year hopefully in places where the sound system could be more suitable for such music.

  • “Metal Gathering first edition” photo album on Facebook HERE.