Label: Century Media
Release: 24-06-2013

By Laetitia
‘All Is One,’ the title of the latest record and also the message that Orphaned Land wants to convey. The Israeli group aspires to unify people of different religions and ideologies in the Middle East and put an end to the ongoing conflicts. All Is One is not different in that regard, but the new effort also represents a slightly different musical direction in comparison to the elder albums of this band.

All Is One aims to be accessible and catchy. Orphaned Land claims that they wanted to make an album that is easy for any metal fan to comprehend from the very first listening session. The first thing to notice is that the eastern influences have become more dominant. Also, the symphonic aspect of the music is strongly present. The title track, All Is One, is a perfect example of this. Over 40 musicians contributed to the album: 25 choir singers, 8 classical violin players, viola and cello players from Turkey. This also means that the elements of metal music are pushed back a lot. One exception is the track Fail. It is guitar orientated and even some harsher vocals resurface for a while (which are not present on any other song).

Some fans will find the loss of complexity in song structures and the increased focus on rock a pity. Luckily though, Orphaned Land did not cut back on the dynamics in their songs. It might be more straightforward, but there are still various influences present. Of course the eastern tunes, the impressive guitar work of Yossi Sassi and the choirs. The female vocals only have a small part this time around, only on one of the tracks. Two of the songs have a very traditional sound: Shama’im (written for Orphaned Land by the artist Yehuda Poliker) and Ya Benaye.

So, All Is One stands for a more direct musical approach. Some fans will prefer the heavier, more complex sound, but most will probably embrace this style without a second thought. Either way, the album sounds good, so give it a spin and think for a minute about the message that the band wants to tell.

Rating: 8/10
Track list:
1. All Is One
2. The Simple Man
3. Brother
4. Let The Truce Be Known
5. Through Fire and Water
6. Fail
7. Freedom
8. Shama’im
9. Ya Benaye
10. Our Own Messiah
11. Children