Kahtmayan
The Last Station

Assalam DeBaser,

this is now my second review on this interesting site and I would like to talk about a genre that seems very popular here: metal.

In particular, I want to introduce you to a band that almost no one knows: Kahtmayan. They are an Iranian metal band recently relocated to California and, even though their genre is not my favorite, I really liked their songs. Primarily, they don't sing, except for some screaming, and we can call them a very instrumental band that draws mainly from the Metallica, but has its own characteristics, such as typically Eastern sounds. I don't want to analyze every single song because it would be boring and pointless, but I will present two in particular. The Last Station, which gives the album its name, is very relaxing and melodic: even though it is performed with typically rock instruments, you can also hear forms of Persian violins. A similar start is found in Recalling, which at some point, however, begins to pump to the max with thrash-style drums and violent perfectly metal guitars.

I particularly appreciated both the novelty of a group, defined along with others, as Persian Metal, which has brought innovations to Oriental music, and the emotions (tranquility and grit) they convey. The names of the members are: Homayoon Majdzadeh, Ali Azhari, Ardavan Anzabipour, and Arash Moghaddam. Their former drummer Vanik Vartanian has collaborated with System Of A Down and Slipknot.

Ma a Salama