Myrath ( ar, ميراث ''mīrāth'', "Legacy") is a Tunisian

progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...

band formed in 2001 by guitarist Malek Ben Arbia and currently based in Tunisia. The band has been noted for its mix of Arabic and Middle Eastern instrumentation with

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

and

progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...

and is considered an important band in

oriental metal Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for exampl ...

. They call their own sound "blazing desert metal". They are the first band from Tunisia to be signed to a record label outside the country.

Career

Early history

Guitarist Malek Ben Arbia, then age 13, formed the band, first named X-Tazy, in 2001 with some childhood friends. The band played covers of blues, heavy metal, and death metal songs. Amongst numerous lineup changes, keyboardist/singer Elyes Bouchoucha joined in 2003 and became a permanent member. They eventually moved toward a progressive metal and oriental metal sound. In 2005 they released the EP ''Double Face'' via USB flash drives in Tunisia. The album gained some notice in Europe, leading to a contract with France's Bremmis Music. Now known as Myrath, the band became the first Tunisian act to sign with a European label. During this period they met French musician

Kevin Codfert Kevin Codfert is the current keyboardist of the band Adagio. He joined the band in 2003, working on the album ''Underworld''. He is the producer of progressive metal band Myrath, which met with the band during Rock Festival in Tunisia in Decembe ...

, who has been their producer ever since. Their first album under the name Myrath, produced by Codfert, was ''Hope'' in 2007. At this time the band included Arbia and Bouchoucha with bassist Anis Jouini, who became a permanent member, plus drummer Saif Louhibi. Shortly after the release of ''Hope'', singer Zaher Zorgati joined the band and took over lead vocals from Bouchoucha. Zorgati's ability to combine Islamic chants with heavy metal wailing became a key component of Myrath's sound, while the band's lyrics began to focus on Tunisian folklore. The album ''Desert Call'' was released in 2010; this album's sound was compared favorably to that of

Orphaned Land Orphaned Land is an Israeli heavy metal band, formed in 1991 under the name Resurrection (changing their name in 1992 to the current name), that combines Israeli Jewish, Mizrahi, and other West Asian influences. They are considered the pioneer ...

. ''Tales of the Sands'' followed in 2011. Drummer Morgan Berthet joined the band in 2012, forming a stable lineup for the next several years. They began to play European summer festivals regularly, and their first American appearance was at the

ProgPower USA ProgPower USA is a progressive and power metal festival held annually in the United States since 2001. Its upcoming edition, ProgPower USA XXI is scheduled to take place on June 1–4, 2022. The festival's band selection process focuses on qual ...

festival in 2013.

International recognition

Myrath opened for Symphony X during a high-profile tour of England in 2016. The album ''Legacy (Myrath album), Legacy'', featuring lyrics contributed by Tunisian poets, was released later in 2016. Also that year, Zorgati made a guest appearance on the album ''The Source (Ayreon album), The Source'' by Ayreon. Myrath then toured around the world consistently for more than two years and appeared at several international music festivals. During this period they signed an international deal with EarMusic. In 2017, Myrath performed in their native Tunisia for the first time in three years with a concert at the historic Carthage amphitheatre, Theatre of Carthage. This performance was recorded for the live album ''Live in Carthage'', released in 2019. Their fifth studio album ''Shehili'' was also released in 2019. They appeared at the Sweden Rock Festival in 2019 as a last-minute replacement for Behemoth (band), Behemoth; and have been invited to return for future versions of the festival. They also toured with the Dutch symphonic metal band Epica (band), Epica in 2019. In 2021, Zorgati provided guest vocals on the track "Code of Life" on the Epica album Omega (Epica album), ''Omega''. In July 2022 the band announced via their social media that it separated from Elyes Bouchoucha back in 2020.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

* 2005: ''Double Face.''

Live albums

* 2020: ''Live in Carthage.''

Compilation albums

* 2018: ''Merciless Times.''

Members

Current members

* Malek Ben Arbia – guitar * Anis Jouini – bass guitar * Zaher Zorgati – lead vocals * Morgan Berthet – drums

Former members

* Walid Issaoui – guitar * Fahmi Chakroun – drums * Saief Louhibi – drums * Yassine Belgith - bass * Zaher Hamoudia – bass * Tarek Idouani – lead vocals * Piwee Desfray – drums * Elyes Bouchoucha – keyboards, backing vocals

Live members

* Kevin Codfert – additional pianos and guitars

Timeline

References

External links

Myrath Website
{{Authority control Tunisian musical groups Progressive metal musical groups Oriental metal musical groups Musical groups established in 2001 2001 establishments in Tunisia