Al Azif

Al Azif is an Egyptian melodic death metal act with a touch of black metal. They have a style that is very much in the vein of acts like Arch Enemy and At the Gates. The guitar work alternates between brutal riffing and melodic lines. It almost feels like the band took trad death song structures and just layered melodies on top, rather than writing real melodeath. I find this to provide for an interesting sound that no other band I am familiar with has quite managed to replicate. The bass work is heavy and has some particularly cool parts in the instrumental break of the song He Who Comes in the Dark. The bassist is definitely very skilled. The drumming is filled with classic death metal licks and it provides for a kind of fun retro vibe at times. It definitely does help to keep the energy up. The keyboard work is excellent and very melodic. Rather than going back into moody atmospheric passages the keyboardist surges forward and provides great melodic leads. Finally we have the vocals, which to me, are very black metal. This adds a very interesting vibe to the music and makes it seem more varied. Overall, Az Azif is a killer act with a sound almost unlike any that you have ever hear before.
https://www.facebook.com/Alaziff/info