Formed in early 2022, SRAI is a Kuwaiti alt-rock / metalcore group fronted by Abzy (vocals, guitar; Wazin), who recently was featured on the “Project 2023” single by the UAE-based prog metallers Callous Minds. Nawaf (drums) and Ani (guitar) complete the trio of SRAI, which translates to “lantern.”
In a recent single titled “Abandoned,” the band display an immensely emotional and pointed ballad reflecting on the current Palestinian genocide. With a sound akin to a more accessible version of Monuments or Bad Omens, the trio pull at your heartstrings on lyrics such as “the world turns a blind eye, deaf to the plea, as the wounds of betrayal deepen, for all to see.”
You can watch the video to accompany the single, including samples of a young Palestinian-British girl living in Gaza and experiencing daily bombings as well as the Irish politician and Member of the European Parliament Clare Daly calling out the “bombing [of] hospitals, ambulances, journalists, [and] humanitarian routes.”