SA Metal
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SA Metal is a Saudi Arabian-based Rock and Metal society collectively providing an essential overview of the Saudi Arabian Metal and Rock community. It was founded by Kamal Khalil & Mohd Hajjaj after the first festival in Saudi Arabia in 2002 with the assistance of an assorted amount of individuals hailing from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. SA Metal has since exceeded expectations and brought much needed life to the once decayed Saudi Arabian Rock and Metal scene.
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[edit] Shows
SA Metal has put together four successful do-it-yourself gigs that helped mend the fans’ dire need for a variety of metal and rock that has created a massive buzz throughout the Saudi Arabian underground music scene. Gigs are usually held in Dammam, Khobar, or Jeddah depending on the availability of certain venues.
[edit] Dammamfest - Dammam - July 2002
Dammamfest was the first established Metal and Rock underground event to occur in Saudi Arabia. While unofficial, it still holds responsibility for setting the cornerstone of live Saudi-based Metal and Rock music. The performance was held in July of '02 in a private flat in Dammam. Attendance was heavily minimal.
Bands that performed:-
- Wry Wreathe
- Sound of Ruby
[edit] SA Metal Gig 1 - Dammam - January 2005
This was the first fully advertised DIY SA Metal gig took place in January of 2005 in a small, desolate undisclosed area of Dammam; an affordable venue with a small room capable of fitting 100 spectators. Footage has proven that attendance was calculated at roughly 50-60 attendees; while not regarded a milestone, it still was more than expected for a first shot. Albeit a success story, many things could have went wrong in SA Metal Gig 1 due to it being the first wide attempt at a full-blown gig; luckily, however, things ran smoothly and the fans left satisfied.
Bands that performed (in order of appearance):-
- Creative Waste
- Sound of Ruby
- Crimson
- Deathless Anguish
[edit] SA Metal Gig 2 - Dammam - September 2005
Immediately after the success of the first ever SA Metal Gig, work started on prepping up for the next show that was scheduled to occur only several months after the first. The show took place in the same venue as the first; mainly due to the technical difficulties of acquiring another venue in Saudi Arabia.
After hearing about the success of the first gig, bands from Jeddah quickly jumped onboard the SA Metal bandwagon, and the newcomers were not rookies as they showed much potential before they had even set foot on the stage. The show went on to be a huge hit as this was the very first show where bands from all three regions played; and played amazingly. The biggest disappointment of the night was when the person responsible for the venue closed the place down before Deathless Anguish was set to play. Many fans left displeased by that notion.
Bands that performed (in order of appearance):-
- Inversion
- Sound of Ruby
- Creative Waste
- Wasted Land
- Panjiah
- Crimson
[edit] Jeddah's Metal Resurrection - Jeddah - January 2006
The vision was set. SA Metal has finally amassed a great number of fans throughout the most populated regions of the country. So much that the Jeddah scene decided to throw a good old-fashioned Metal show of their own entitled "Jeddah's Metal Resurrection" in January 2006. Most of the credit goes to Aiman Al-Ghamdi, Ahmed Khoja, and Ahmed Shawli for their efforts.
This was the first show to feature Red Bull as semi-sponsors to provide drinks to the fans and free drinks to the bands. The event was an open-air affair as it featured a stage under the open sky in a grass-covered playground for Metalheads. Attendance was the best yet, raking in around 200 spectators from all over Saudi Arabia.
The show featured a hefty amount of new local bands including Immortal Pain, Nemesis, and Oblivion. All bands played their best and while the amount of attendees was shrinking rapidly by each band that played, the whole-hearted Metalheads stayed and supported the remaining bands passionately. This is what metal is all about; the passion, but most importantly, the thrashing.
Bands that performed (in order of appearance):-
- Oblivion
- Nemesis
- Immortal Pain
- Sound of Ruby
- Wasted Land
- Creative Waste
- Grieving Age
- Deathless Anguish
[edit] SA Metal Gig 3 - Khobar - May 2006
This was the behemoth of all SA Metal gigs. The spotlight was set on this one to break barriers and bulldoze the barricades of every individual's expectations as this was the very first SA Metal gig held in a compound, the very first to be located in Khobar, and the very first to house more than 300 attendees. This was the most professionally-structured show in SA Metal history.
The venue was large in length and even larger in width. It came outfitted with a moderately high stage equipped with lighting and automatic curtains; luxury was a first for SA Metal. Furthermore, for the first time, tickets were sold, and the fee was a minimum amount of 20 Saudi Riyals, Red Bull semi-sponsored the event by advertising their drink and providing free drinks for the bands, security kept any sort of misbehavior from ensuing, and a quality sound system was equipped. However, due to time constraints, some problems arose with the over-all sound distribution and the lighting; nevertheless, the sound was still audible.
Common problems occurred such as having to close down the venue earlier than expected. Three bands suffered from this rather harsh stipulation, the likes of Deathless Anguish, Grieving Age, and Wasted Land. Encouragingly, Kamal of Deathless Anguish gladly forfeited his performance in honor of allowing Wasted Land and Grieving Age to take the stage for what seemed to be a 12 minute set for each band.
This was the be-all end-all of Saudi-based metal gigs and topping it would be a difficult task.
Bands that performed (in order of appearance):-
- Inversion
- Santasmagoria
- Crimson
- Immortal Pain
- Sound of Ruby
- Misanthropist
- Creative Waste
- Wasted Land
- Grieving Age
[edit] Bands
List of bands associated with SA Metal (in alphabetical order) are as follows:-
- Creative Waste – Grindcore – Eastern Province
- Crimson – Heavy metal/Thrash metal - Riyadh
- Deathless Anguish – Old-school/Brutal Death metal - Eastern Province
- Grieving Age – Doom metal - Jeddah
- Immortal Pain – Melodic death metal - Jeddah
- Inversion – Stoner rock - Eastern Province
- Misanthropist – Brutal death metal - Riyadh
- Outl!ve – Grunge - Jeddah
- Rivers Running Red – Power metal - Jeddah
- Magoria aka "Santasmagoria" – Hard rock – Riyadh
- Sound of Ruby – Grunge/Indie Rock/Punk - Eastern Province
- Wasted Land – Melodic death metal - Jeddah
