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hazerfan ...creates a new sound - a fusion of heavy emotional rock and progressive arrangements with middle-eastern traditional music by touching upon this region's diverse instrumentation, distinct rhythms and rich eastern-oriental emotional tones. A sound that is difficult to describe, but one might hear hard rock, metal, alternative, progressive, world fusion and sometimes gothic undertones deeply embedded into the mix. Amanda Allan of Powerslave.com - recent write up of Hazerfan: Turkish-inspired rockers Hazerfan have a psychedelia-by-deduction aspect. The Beatles' foray into the introduction of Indian instruments into their music can be viewed as a predecessor to the general direction of Hazerfan; however, Hazerfan are not merely a Western rock band with an Eastern timbre--Hazerfan is a fusion in the true sense of the word. Not as Eastern as Kula Shaker nor as Western as Nile, Hazerfan is somewhere between the two. Certain Eastern qualities stand out in Hazerfan's music, such as the use of electric violin to lend a gypsy quality especially in the emphasis of the raised 7th tone in harmonic minor and the airy often reverb-pedaled vocals with the Eastern-style shifting between accidentals. Vocalist Beth Hada is not as cold tonally as Natasha Atlas but at apex points reaches a similar though warmer brassiness, which compliments the cool minor quality of the violin playing in approximately the same note range as the human voice. The guitar, bass, and drums alternate frequently between Eastern and Western characteristics, drawing on an exhaustive supply of influences from classic rock to blues and funk roots as well as more Eastern phrasings and devices. Hazerfan's flavor resembles that of Zeppelin's "Kashmir", which the band covered--the driving violin line, strong drum/bass unity, and a fuzzy/scratchy guitar sound. The music has a spinning momentum to it, like a whirling dervish or plumes of smoke. There is a metal element at play here, although a more classical one, such as that of old Ozzy or Aerosmith, particularly evident in Hazerfan's use of stop/start devices. Compositionally, Hazerfan layers elements equally as complicated as those which Facing New York coordinates, going in at least as many different directions thematically but also unifying well at crux moments. "Hyperspace" being the absolute standout track, epitomizes the cohesive catchiness of these East-West blues/folk-metal elements in harmony. Hazerfan is a particularly excellent example of the virtues of absorbing as many influences as possible, even if it doesn't invoke certain stereotypically metal tropes. Track List: 1. Spellcaster 2. Nine 8 3. Black Spirit 4. Chasing the Sun 5. Orientation 6. Evil Eye 7. Neyzen 8. Impeller 9. Uzun Hava (vocal solo)/Hyperspace Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
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