Padra- Hezartooye Tanafor (2016)

Padra- Hezartooye Tanafor (2016)

By: Ghost Writer

What I really like about extreme music is the fact that no matter how far, small or isolated a country is, there is always a thrash, death, black metal or grindcore band, extreme metal has become so much of a universal thing that you really can learn about the world by listening to metal, I have found bands in China, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Russia, is like when I heard about people learning about the world by reading books, without traveling, with extreme metal bands you learn a little bit from this world by looking and listen to them and precisely that's a big part of the attraction I feel for them, I stated to look for different types of sounds, someone suggested that one day I would end up without nothing else to listen but national anthems, but metal is alive and whell, and offers me a good glimpse, or window from which I can see a big part of the world.

Iran us not exactly the most open economy or culture of the world, a conflict with the West has lasted from a long time ago, Israel and the USA been seen as enemies due to their interventionist and imperialist tendencies has put Iran in an almost antagonist role in the region, one that was severely exacerbated after the execution of a shiite cleric on Saudi Arabia, but Iran, and his presidet Hasan Rohani must be very proud of the step they are taking toward a more open and friendly foreign policy, due to their considerations on a recently reduced nuclear development program, Iran is ready to enter into the world arena, although jealously observed by Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Padra is an outstanding Iranian extreme metal band, a definite rarity coming from such a previously closed and strict society, but music always finds a way, and Hezartooye Tanafor, this year's Padra's musical effort is proving to be a welcomed fresh output into the world metal arena, featuring a very accomplish production, and the band undeniable ability to ctaft strong songs and powerful melodies with enough talent to overcome any language barrier that could appear, in the end, metal is an universal language and it has never being an obstacle to listen to good music.

Opener Gor could have easily came from a Megadeth record, guitars are intense but not overwhelming, there are certains nods not only to hardcore butvto powerful thrash with strong melodic soloing, Ehsasate Gave is even more powerful with some demonic guitar arrangements, the band is without a doubt tremendously apt at creating great moments of tension, like in Shabe Mordegane Zende with its revolving guitars and glimpses at the Seek and Destroy riff.

In a way, Padra reminds me of great Turkish band Mekanik, another Middle East metal band that has managed to clearly capture the sound of early Bay Area Thrash and catapulted into a new context and a new era with superb results, tracks like Yeki Bood, Yeki Nabud and Sardad are other strong showing from this Persian band that has the monumental talent to make the proper approach to a genre that refuses to die, and on the contrary grows stronger to the new blood coming from every part of the world, so look out because this Persian warriors are the real thing.