Amaseffer
Encyclopedia
Amaseffer is an Israeli progressive metal
band which was formed in 2004 in Tel Aviv, Israel by drummer
and percussionist Erez Yohanan, and guitarist
Yuval Kramer. A year later, a second guitarist
Hanan Avramovich joined and the band got its structure. This is also when the band got its name "Amaseffer" - from Hebrew "Am Ha'Sefer" (עם הספר) - People of the (holy) book; a name from the Old Testament
for the Israelites and later for the Jewish People. The band's music genre
is considered progressive metal
, but it contains a mixture of rock
, metal
, world music
and Middle Eastern touches.
in mind - to tell the old testament
's story of the Exodus
, from the Hebrew
slavery period in ancient Egypt
, through the years in the desert, and up to the entrance of the twelve tribes of Israel to the promised land
of Canaan
(later Israel
). The first album of the trilogy, Slaves for Life
, tells the story of the events starting with the Hebrews slavery, through the birth of Moses
and ends with the ten plagues of Egypt
.
In 2006, while the three band members were composing this first album in Tel Aviv, Israel, they started looking for a lead vocalist for the album. On August 2006 Andy Kuntz
, lead singer of the German band Vanden Plas
, joined the band to fulfill this duty. Through Kuntz, the band got to their recording studio, Bazement Studio, in Germany
. In 2007, Kuntz and the band decided to part ways. Shortly after, the band announced that the leading vocals will be performed by Mats Leven
(Krux
, ex-Therion
, ex-At Vance
, Yngwie Malmsteen).
In November 2007, the band completed the recording of the album, featuring additional musical artists like vocals by Angela Gossow
(Arch Enemy), Kobi Farhi (Orphaned Land
), Yotam Avni (Prey for Nothing) and Maya Avraham; flute
s by Amir Gvirtzman; tabla
s by Yatziv Caspi; bass guitar
by Yair Yona. On April 2008, the band signed with InsideOut Music
, and the first album was released on 2008-06-06 in Israel
, Germany
, Austria
and Switzerland
and by 2008-06-24 released worldwide.
After the production of the first album, the band was approached by an Israeli filmmaker to record and produce the full score soundtrack for the movie "Altalena" - a movie about the Altalena Affair
from 1948. This led to the forming of a legal company with the purpose to produce movie soundtracks all over the world, in addition to the Exodus trilogy.
and left the label. In January 2010, Amaseffer went into the studio in order to finish the second installment of the trilogy, which all of it will be recorded at Amaseffer studio in Jerusalem, Israel. Once the album is ready the band will finish looking for a new label hoping to release the album by the beginning of 2011.
In an exclusive sneak-peek to the Canadian website, Metaleater, Erez Yohanan describes the new album: "We could not be happier with the way the new album is turning out to be. It's exactly how we envisioned it. We have made the right modifications in order to release something fresh and not repeat ourselves so the new songs are much more 'in your face', more of the basic structure, It's more commercially oriented, songs will start much faster then our debut and will get to the real fire right from the top but yet again we still managed to keep all of Amaseffer characteristics and sound, just like in Slaves for Life."
On April 9, 2010, the title of the second album's was revealed to be When the Lions Leave Their Den. The name of the album's opening track was also revealed to be "Pillar of Fire", and it was written by Yotam Avni of Prey for Nothing, who wrote all the lyrics for the new album. Mats Leven
is once again recording vocals, and it was revealed that half of his vocals were already recorded, as well as all the orchestration. The recording of the album was finished in July 2010, and it was mixed and mastered in Germany
.
On December 2, 2010, the band premiered an un-mixed and un-mastered demo version of their song "Pillar of Fire" from their upcoming second album, on a dedicated website for the new album.
Former members
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band which was formed in 2004 in Tel Aviv, Israel by drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
and percussionist Erez Yohanan, and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Yuval Kramer. A year later, a second guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Hanan Avramovich joined and the band got its structure. This is also when the band got its name "Amaseffer" - from Hebrew "Am Ha'Sefer" (עם הספר) - People of the (holy) book; a name from the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
for the Israelites and later for the Jewish People. The band's music genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
is considered progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
, but it contains a mixture of rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
and Middle Eastern touches.
Slaves for Life (2004–2008)
Amaseffer was formed with the idea of a historical trilogyTrilogy
A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected, and that can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, or video games...
in mind - to tell the old testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
's story of the Exodus
The Exodus
The Exodus is the story of the departure of the Israelites from ancient Egypt described in the Hebrew Bible.Narrowly defined, the term refers only to the departure from Egypt described in the Book of Exodus; more widely, it takes in the subsequent law-givings and wanderings in the wilderness...
, from the Hebrew
Hebrews
Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...
slavery period in ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, through the years in the desert, and up to the entrance of the twelve tribes of Israel to the promised land
Promised land
The Promised Land is a term used to describe the land promised or given by God, according to the Hebrew Bible, to the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob. The promise is firstly made to Abraham and then renewed to his son Isaac, and to Isaac's son Jacob , Abraham's grandson...
of Canaan
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
(later Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
). The first album of the trilogy, Slaves for Life
Slaves for Life
-Personnel:*Mats Leven - lead & backing vocals*Hanan Avramovich - guitars*Yuval Kramer - guitars, bass*Erez Yohanan - drums, percussion, narrating vocals*Kobi Farhi - oriental vocals*Angela Gossow - growled vocals on "Midian"...
, tells the story of the events starting with the Hebrews slavery, through the birth of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
and ends with the ten plagues of Egypt
Plagues of Egypt
The Plagues of Egypt , also called the Ten Plagues or the Biblical Plagues, were ten calamities that, according to the biblical Book of Exodus, Israel's God, Yahweh, inflicted upon Egypt to persuade Pharaoh to release the ill-treated Israelites from slavery. Pharaoh capitulated after the tenth...
.
In 2006, while the three band members were composing this first album in Tel Aviv, Israel, they started looking for a lead vocalist for the album. On August 2006 Andy Kuntz
Andy Kuntz
-External links:*...
, lead singer of the German band Vanden Plas
Vanden Plas (band)
Vanden Plas is a German progressive metal band, based in Kaiserslautern and founded in the mid 1980s. In 1991, they recorded the song "Keep On Running" as an anthem for the local national league football club FC Kaiserslautern, and did the same in 1994 with "Das Ist Für Euch"...
, joined the band to fulfill this duty. Through Kuntz, the band got to their recording studio, Bazement Studio, in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 2007, Kuntz and the band decided to part ways. Shortly after, the band announced that the leading vocals will be performed by Mats Leven
Mats Levén
Mats Levén is a singer. His most notable recent collaborations have been with symphonic metallers Therion and doom metallers Krux.-Biography:...
(Krux
Krux
Krux is a Swedish doom metal band, created by Leif Edling after Candlemass fell apart for the second time preceding their reunion tour.-Members:* Leif Edling - bass guitar* Mats Levén - vocals* Peter Stjärnvind - drums* Jörgen Sandström - guitars...
, ex-Therion
Therion (band)
Therion is a Swedish symphonic metal band founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987. The word "therion" comes from the Greek therion , meaning "Beast," i.e., that of the Christian Book of Revelation...
, ex-At Vance
At Vance
At Vance is a German power metal/Neo-classical metal band. They were formed by vocalist Oliver Hartmann and guitarist Olaf Lenk in 1998.-Biography:...
, Yngwie Malmsteen).
In November 2007, the band completed the recording of the album, featuring additional musical artists like vocals by Angela Gossow
Angela Gossow
Angela Nathalie Gossow is the lead vocalist for the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy. Her previous bands include Asmodina and Mistress. She is considered to be one of the few successful female metal singers to use growling as her primary singing style...
(Arch Enemy), Kobi Farhi (Orphaned Land
Orphaned Land
Orphaned Land is an Israeli progressive metal band, formed in 1991, that combines Death/doom, Jewish and Arabic influences.- History :In 1992, the band changed its name from the original Resurrection to Orphaned Land....
), Yotam Avni (Prey for Nothing) and Maya Avraham; flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s by Amir Gvirtzman; tabla
Tabla
The tabla is a popular Indian percussion instrument used in Hindustani classical music and in popular and devotional music of the Indian subcontinent. The instrument consists of a pair of hand drums of contrasting sizes and timbres...
s by Yatziv Caspi; bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
by Yair Yona. On April 2008, the band signed with InsideOut Music
InsideOut Music
Inside Out Music is a German independent record label based in Kleve, in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, and dedicated to the publication of progressive rock, progressive metal and related styles music albums.-History:...
, and the first album was released on 2008-06-06 in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and by 2008-06-24 released worldwide.
After the production of the first album, the band was approached by an Israeli filmmaker to record and produce the full score soundtrack for the movie "Altalena" - a movie about the Altalena Affair
Altalena Affair
The Altalena Affair was a violent confrontation that took place in June 1948 between the newly formed Israel Defense Forces and the Irgun, a right-wing Jewish paramilitary group...
from 1948. This led to the forming of a legal company with the purpose to produce movie soundtracks all over the world, in addition to the Exodus trilogy.
When the Lions Leave Their Den (2009–present)
On June 2009, the band decided not to implement the three record deal with InsideOut MusicInsideOut Music
Inside Out Music is a German independent record label based in Kleve, in the North Rhine-Westphalia region, and dedicated to the publication of progressive rock, progressive metal and related styles music albums.-History:...
and left the label. In January 2010, Amaseffer went into the studio in order to finish the second installment of the trilogy, which all of it will be recorded at Amaseffer studio in Jerusalem, Israel. Once the album is ready the band will finish looking for a new label hoping to release the album by the beginning of 2011.
In an exclusive sneak-peek to the Canadian website, Metaleater, Erez Yohanan describes the new album: "We could not be happier with the way the new album is turning out to be. It's exactly how we envisioned it. We have made the right modifications in order to release something fresh and not repeat ourselves so the new songs are much more 'in your face', more of the basic structure, It's more commercially oriented, songs will start much faster then our debut and will get to the real fire right from the top but yet again we still managed to keep all of Amaseffer characteristics and sound, just like in Slaves for Life."
On April 9, 2010, the title of the second album's was revealed to be When the Lions Leave Their Den. The name of the album's opening track was also revealed to be "Pillar of Fire", and it was written by Yotam Avni of Prey for Nothing, who wrote all the lyrics for the new album. Mats Leven
Mats Levén
Mats Levén is a singer. His most notable recent collaborations have been with symphonic metallers Therion and doom metallers Krux.-Biography:...
is once again recording vocals, and it was revealed that half of his vocals were already recorded, as well as all the orchestration. The recording of the album was finished in July 2010, and it was mixed and mastered in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
On December 2, 2010, the band premiered an un-mixed and un-mastered demo version of their song "Pillar of Fire" from their upcoming second album, on a dedicated website for the new album.
Band members
Current members- Hanan Avramovich - guitars (2004–present)
- Yuval Kramer - guitars (2004–present)
- Erez Yohanan - drums, percussion, narrating (2004–present)
- Mats LevenMats LevénMats Levén is a singer. His most notable recent collaborations have been with symphonic metallers Therion and doom metallers Krux.-Biography:...
- lead vocals (2007–present)
Former members
- Andy KuntzAndy Kuntz-External links:*...
- lead vocals (2006–2007)