Amir Yacoub is the sole-member of Zalaam, the sole representation of metal from Palestine. Speckled throughout Zalaam‘s blackened output are themes of war, pain, and nature, yet also a forward stance on society: antifascist-secular socialism. His online presence condemns fascists, nazis, capitalists, and his discography is accompanied by the whimsical rhyme: if you like the sound, support the underground.
but if need be, have it for free.
Through his simple, genuine leftist views, Zalaam may not just be the only metal band from Palestine, but this project may more importantly be the most genuine representation of the trve, raw, human sounds of black metal.
The online metal community may know you as your Zalaam pseudonym, the one-man black metal project from Palestine, yet do you find it difficult to stay in an artistic and creative headspace while your homeland is being bombed and slowly pushed towards genocide?
The difference between me and you is that since I’ve been living in this region my whole life, I’ve been seeing this war declared on my people taking place for seventy-five years. The difference now is that it is on a much more intense scale.
With that being said, allow me to answer in a very personal manner. In Palestine, there’s a widely used term called “sumud,” which may be translated to “steadfastness while resisting.” This term – while it has its political connotation – really is about the perseverance to continue your life and keep doing what you do, despite the practices of the Israeli occupation. And this also is exactly how I look at my situation, and how I make my music, and continue to make it. Today, we literally resist merely by existing.
When we spoke in June of 2021, you shared some optimism for the Israel-Palestine situation: “The only way to move forward and to make sure nobody’s right to exist is ambushed by anybody else, is simply for everyone to join the struggle in order to put an end to the racist policies of the state of Israel towards the Palestinians citizens inside Israel and the Palestinians inside occupied territories of the West Bank, as well as ending the blockade on the Gaza strip … Is it possible to do? It will be tough, but it is possible.”
As of January 26th, the Palestine death toll surpassed 26,000 compared to Israel death toll listing under 1,500. Do you still foresee possible peace between Israel and Palestine, or has your stance shifted?
It really pains every fiber of my being, seeing all this death and destruction of human life taking place; it’s one of the most catastrophic moments my people have gone through since the Nakba. But despite this, history has taught us that no injustice will last forever. Today, seeing how the world took it to the street in support of Palestine, and the massive boycott campaign against companies that support the apartheid state, it only shows what I talked about is all the more relevant.
Not only that, it showed how the case for Palestine is global, and a much broader and deeper case than what people thought. Millions of people around the world called out to their governments to stop funding / supporting Israel, and call for a ceasefire, and despite the outcries of the masses, these governments ignore their own people’s demands, which then shows the people that their governments are not really democratic.
It shows how the media is all paid and bought for, racist and not independent. It shows how some universities, especially in the US, don’t really have free speech.
That’s why today I support this sentiment even more. It will always sound like it’s the only way, right? Otherwise, it’s a continuous conflict that everyone will keep suffering from.
In late 2022, you released the single “Zeitgeist of Lost Hopes,” a depressive, atmospheric, and well-produced 12-minute black metal piece (personally, I love the melodica melodies that emerge). Can you reflect on your growth from the raw offerings on your debut album Nocturnal Luster to this recent material?
I think what really happened on that track is that I was simply fiddling with my melodica one day, and then I happened to play a very nice melody, and so I wanted to incorporate that melody in a song. It turned out that this simple melody dictated how the rest of the track would sound like in the end. With that being said, I really feel that I’m very satisfied with the sound on that track and would want to employ it in future work.
Nonetheless, there are some very significant moments showcased on your debut 2019 record Nocturnal Luster, such as the acoustic “Nyx” and “Atma” or progressive death direction on “Into the Cave.” My personal most memorable aspect is the genuinely distressing dialogue heard in the background of the track “Eccentria.” Can you give some insight towards what was being discussed in this recording?
As the name may suggest, what is heard in the background is pretty eccentric and eerie. It mirrors what a person with Alzheimers disease might say. It adds more atmospheric context to the piece.
The closing track “Nasim” on your record Bottomless Black Hole is a black metal rendition of a song by Marcel Khalife, a Lebanese singer-songwriter. What is one other non-metal artist that has inspired you? What is a metal band that you recently discovered?
I think that throughout the years, the one non-metal artist that really stayed with me since I was a child until today and probably will until my dying days, would be Fairuz of the Rahbani Brothers.
In terms of metal bands, I keep discovering new ones all the time, but from recent bands I think what really stuck with me was a band called Rebirth of Nefast.
Some of the best art is created in adversity: “‘The Calls of War’ really reflects my honest perspective on this so-called conflict.” Have you felt compelled to write lyrics or music in reaction to recent events?
I’ve never felt compelled to, it is part of the process of creating art. In retrospect actually, initially, I started Zalaam because I wanted to make black metal music just because I love black metal, but at the same time, it really annoyed me how I felt how many people in my surroundings and the world in general are so indifferent and apathetic to everything that goes around us in this world. It’s just a type of annoyance that keeps occupying the back of my mind, so, it’s no wonder that whatever goes on in your subconscious mind will find some way to get into your music in some form.
Sumud 666 🔥🙏🏽🔥