Arcana Noctis: Greetings! Please let's start by introducing the demon Arallu to the readers of Arcana Noctis...
Arallu: Hail from Arallu and thanks for this interview from the demons!
Arcana Noctis: "The Demon From The Ancient World" sounds rawer than before, yet has a much bigger Folk influence than previous CDs. In my opinion, this makes the music sound much more war-like. Tell me what instruments you are using and explain a little about them.
Butchered: Listen, we try to bring in every album a special instrument as properties Arallu. In our last album "The Demon From The Ancient World" we use at darbuka, daf, timbrel, shofar, and we bring a special guest (Yaniv Zada) to play in a very special percussion in "Sierra Nevada" songs and "War Spirit". I hope in the next album we will bring more new ideas.
Arcana Noctis: Your music has a definite old school feeling to it. Bands such as early Slayer, Bathory and Sarcofago spring to mind when hearing your madness. I like this. You don't sound at all influenced by the Norwegian bands of the early 90s, yet seem to share their attitude. Any particular reason for this?
Butchered: Like I saying Arallu try to be special band and not "like"... we influence from band like u say in the review Slayer, Bathory, Venom, Celtic Frost, and many more old school bands. But we really like the Norwegian bands like Emperor, Mayhem, Dark Throne, Gorgoroth also, we have a lot of influence, but in all that we bring our speciality which is the Middle Eastern music and we try always to be different for the other Black, Death, Thrash, bands.
Arcana Noctis: Your songs use some unusual rhythms. Is this an influence you've conciously taken from Arabic music?
Avi: Yes of course. Especially Butchered and Yonatan they bring the idea from the Arabic music because they have background they listen to Arabic music at home, but I play in Arallu along time so it's come from me natural.
Arcana Noctis: Have you ever had the idea to record in an "unusual" place such as an ancient tomb or somewhere similar?
Butchered: It's a great question man! If it was possible we would play in the fucking desert!!! Or in the middle of the "Iraq (Baghdad) war" for the inspiration! As I write the music and the lyrics I feel and I see in my eyes the situation that I write, and after a few month we play that in a stupid studio, and it's something different! If it was possible I promise u, u saw as play in the middle of the old city of Jerusalem, Iraq or in the desert.
Arcana Noctis: Israel and the middle east in general has a fairly poor Black Metal scene. Apart from yourselves I can only think of the Lebanese band Kaoteon that I really like... Are there any you can recommend to us?
Avi: We are not a part of the Israeli scene, we are outside, we don't like the Israeli scene and we not arrange with the Metal scene in Israel, the people that produce here the Metal festival and produce the Metal shows here a really a RIP OFF. They look only for the money. We organized our shows alone, we make everything alone. We are friends and support only Azamoth, Shwortzechaye, Batholomius Night, and Salem. Because those bands are truly not rip off and support Arallu.
Arcana Noctis: The cover of your new album, "The Demon From The Ancient World" shows demons exploding from the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem. I can take several meanings from this, but is it just to show your opposition to religion?
Butchered: This is my vision! To see the demons and the warriors break into Jerusalem from hell for the final war! What do u sees in the cover of the new album is the Dome of the Rock Mosque that stand on the gates from Jerusalem to hell. And the demons and the dead souls break out from the gates of hell to Jerusalem and start the new reborn and final war against God.
Arcana Noctis: You have one DVD out already ("Visual Chaos Invasion") and another on the way. Clearly, Arallu favour the live arena, unlike many Black Metal bands. How well does the live medium represent your sound?
Yonatan: Arallu on stage is the hell oneself. We try to bring to the stage exactly what do u feel as u listen to the albums. HELL! And we want to spread that. We want that everyone in the all world will see what is the truly spirit of the Black Metal! Black Metal like the book. Black Metal is the upside of the world everybody go to the work, studying, learning, fucking, and they forget what is the real world. For what we live for? For what we are here? What is the secret of the unknown? And we try to tell u there is more from what u see. Something is lead us and try to tell us things. But the human race is ignoring from the signs. And Arallu on stage is areola of all evil.
Arcana Noctis: You live in Ma'ale Adumim, east of Jerusalem. A statement in the "Satanic War In Jerusalem" CD mentions that you have had trouble with local extremists and are forced to carry a gun full time. Is this still a problem? What sort of problems do you encounter on a day-to-day basis in the West Bank?
Butchered: To take with u a gun is always good in Israel. Today the situation in Israel is little bit better, but still bad. We release the album "Satanic War In Jerusalem" in the worst terror season in Israel. When people died in the streets for nothing. Everyday every hour people get killed in the streets. Its was a very difficulty season. But I get strong from that.
Arcana Noctis: We hear a lot about Jews and Muslims fighting each other, but very little about that other religion, Christianity. It seems the Christian population there is almost negligable. It seems ironic that the birthplace of Christ should have so few followers...
Yonatan: The main war here is between the Muslims and the Jews. I just want to say Arallu is against the Muslims, the Jews and the Christianity. We don't believe in anyone from them. The Christianity here is taking no side. But if they want or if not they a part of the Israeli conflict. Israel has been a land of perpetual violence and bloodshed even during biblical times. Is this simply because of religion or is there something more to it? It's something in the air. Jerusalem is the center of the world. From here everything is start and from here everything will finished. The land here waiting to opened, to split. And a place of 3 main religions in the same place just help the demons to rise again...
Arcana Noctis: You use a lot of overt Satanic imagery. Are you Satanists or do you just use this as an anti-religious statement?
Butchered: I believe in the devil, I believe in a new world, a world of souls and a world of quietude. And this world, the world by control of "God" can't bring to me the spiritual, intellectual. But after the final battle we all feel better.....
Arcana Noctis: Thank you for the interview. You may have the last words... Hail chaos and disorder.
Arallu: Thank u very much there, hail from Arallu and we wish u all the best for u and for the magazine! Arallu is going for the first tour in Europe at October 2006! Chaos is coming for u!!!