Okay, sisters and brothers, that’s it: The album of the month, and, for me, even the album of the entire year! I don’t think anybody will release something better in the remaining time of 2006. The fourth fulltime recording that Armenian-Palestinian-Ukrainian-Dutch quartet MELECHESH (the band still runs under the definitely wrong label “Israeli” against their own will here and there) unleash upon unsuspecting mankind is nothing but brilliant! Whereas the last album Sphynx couldn’t quite reach the quality of the fantastic first two records As Jerusalem Burns…Al’Intisar and Djinn, the band topped them this time. Unlike Nile or Morbid Angel who use many ancient occult oriental terms in their lyrics but play nothing but (unique and high quality) Death Metal, MELECHESH really seem to give rebirth to the Sumerian devil in their music, especially this time. Ashmedi and Moloch race up and down those Arab scales on their guitars, even more furious than ever before. Mr. Xul on drums turns out to be a perfect successor of Proscriptor (who has left the band but still contributed a few vocal parts on this album). MELECHESH are not just combining but UNITING traditional oriental melodies and thrashing Black Metal, and Emissaries sounds like these kinds of music had always been meant to be united. Especially those fast songs like Rebirth Of The Nemesis, Touching The Spheres Of Sephiroth, Sand Grain Universe or Deluge Of Delusional Dreams (which, by the way, is based on ancient, several thousand years old Sumerian lyrics that have been translated into English) should drive every metal head nearly insane. You can relax to the acoustic piece The Scribes Of Kur. In that song the main theme is repeated many times but it’s also filled with so many authentic Middle Eastern folk sounds that you will find yourself in a pleasant, mild night in an Arab olive grove if you close your eyes while listening. This song is followed by the least oriental influenced one, Leper Jerusalem that goes a more into the old school Black Metal direction. Anyway, every song is absolutely recommendable. Emissaries is so full of energy, tradition, aggression, living mythology, oriental passion, but also compositional, musical and lyrical perfection – you will love it! And this time, the sound is absolutely perfect, too. There’s just one thing missing, and I hope that we will get this from MELECHESH some day: Some songs in an oriental language. But this record is great art as well. I just hope that MELECHESH will play under night sky (and not in the afternoon) at the Party-San Open Air 2007.