District Unknown

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District Unknown
General information
origin Kabul , Afghanistan
Genre (s) Progressive metal , psychedelic rock
founding 2009
Current occupation
Yusef Ahmad Shah
Sulleiman Omar
Qasem Foushanji
Pedram Foushanji
former members
Lemar Saifullah
Qais Shaqasi
Nasir Ahmad
Lead guitar, backing vocals
Sasan Fanoon
Vocals, keyboard, violin , cello
Fa'ez Soltani

District Unknown is a progressive metal band from Kabul , Afghanistan, founded in 2009 .

history

The band was founded in 2009 in the Afghan capital Kabul and, after numerous changes in the line-up, consists of singer Yusef Ahmad Shah, guitarist Sulleiman Omar, bassist Qasem Foushanji and drummer Pedram Foushanji. The name is based on the politically motivated film District 9 . The two brothers Qasem and Pedram Foushanji fled with their family to Iran , where they first came into contact with rock music through an album by the US metal band Metallica . After their return to Afghanistan they founded District Unknown with other musicians.

The band very rarely plays concerts due to the fact that rock music in Afghanistan is considered satanic and the musicians have been threatened many times. These take place in secret locations, for example in the basement of a veterinary practice in 2011 . To be on the safe side, the musicians wore masks at their rare concerts. It was only after seeing the Afghan thrash metal band White Page play unmasked that District Unknown also gave up their masks.

In 2012, the news portal Reuters published a lengthy article about the band, which it said was the first heavy metal band in the country. Also, the band played at the Sound Central festival in Kabul, thanks to crowdfunding and a financial contribution of the Czech Embassy in Kabul by Travis Beard could be placed on the legs.

The band released their only album to date in 2014 under the title Anathomy of a 24 Hour Lifetime . A year later, the group won an award in the Global Metal category at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards , the English equivalent of the German Metal Hammer Awards , along with the documentary Martyrs of Metal .

The group starred in the second season of the documentary series Rebel Music on MTV . In 2018, the documentary RocKabul , which accompanied the band over a longer period, was released and broadcast at the Sydney Film Festival .

style

The group's music is inspired by groups like Opeth , Anathema , Tool , Pink Floyd , Björk , Porcupine Tree and Godspeed You! Black Emperor . But Slipknot and Michael Jackson are also referred to as musical influences. Also include Jonathan Davis of Korn , Mikael Åkerfeldt , Metallica , System of a Down and John Cage to the musical heroes, each band member was marked differently musically. Influences from traditional Afghan music can also be heard.

Publications

Discography

  • 2014: Anatomy of a 24 Hour Lifetime (album, in-house production)

Filmography

  • 2015: Rebel Music (One Episode)
  • 2015: Martyrs of Metal (documentary film)
  • 2018: RocKabul (documentary film)

Awards

Web links

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Greg Kennelty: DISTRICT UNKNOWN: The Afghani Metal Group Named After District 9 Talk About Their Social Struggles. Metalinjection.net, November 20, 2013, accessed August 26, 2018 .
  2. ↑ Miriam Arghandiwal: Young Afghans seek solace from war in heavy metal rock. Reuters , July 1, 2012, accessed August 26, 2018 .
  3. ↑ Tulip Mazumdar: Rocking Kabul: Afghanistan stages secretive rock event. BBC.co.uk , October 4, 2011, accessed August 26, 2018 .
  4. ↑ a b Sahar Nadi: You rock Kabul. The daily newspaper , April 28, 2012, accessed on August 26, 2018 .
  5. ↑ Afghanistan's First Heavy Metal Band: 'We Live Under The Constant Fear Of Sudden Death'. Blabbermouth.net , July 24, 2012, accessed August 26, 2018 .
  6. ^ The Sound Central Festival Kabul. Tracks ( ARTE ), October 27, 2012, accessed August 26, 2018 .
  7. ↑ Rob Hughes: Rock in a hard place: why are Iran and Afghanistan jailing metal bands? Louder Sound, May 17, 2016, accessed August 26, 2018 .
  8. ↑ a b Gil Kaufman: 'REBEL MUSIC' AFGHANISTAN - CATCH IT AGAIN AND GET READY FOR SEASON TWO. MTV , April 23, 2015, accessed August 26, 2018 .
  9. ^ Travis Johnson: Meet the Only Metal Band in Afghanistan in RocKabul. Filmlink.com.au, April 10, 2018, accessed August 26, 2018 .
  10. ↑ DISTRICT UNKNOWN. ProGnosis, accessed August 26, 2018 .
  11. ^ Möritz Grütz: Interview with Sully Omar from District Unknown (Afghanistan). Metal1.info, June 29, 2016, accessed August 26, 2018 .
  12. ↑ Del Crookes: Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon & Babymetal win Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. BBC.co.uk, June 16, 2015, accessed August 26, 2018 .