Resurrection was created by Hani Taqi in 2010 - a series of live metal events built around a single idea: bring the Bahrain metal community together under one banner and give the scene a regular stage to grow from.

The first two events proved there was a real audience hungry for heavy music. So when the third Resurrection was planned for July 2011, Hani decided to film it. What came out of that decision was Resurrection: The Bahrain Underground Vol.1 - the first heavy metal DVD ever released from the Middle East, and the first documented record of a live metal event in Bahrain.

The two-hour release captures three of the most important bands in the Bahrain scene - Lunacyst, Smouldering In Forgotten, and Motör Militia - performing live at Tabasco Charlie’s nightclub in Manama on July 1, 2011. It remains one of the most significant documents the Gulf metal underground has ever produced.

Resurrection would later evolve into Metal Fest Bahrain, carrying the same vision of supporting and promoting Bahrain's heavy metal scene. 

Trivia:

• Rabble Rouser Studios changed their name to Studio 77 - a very good decision.
• The Resurrection logo was designed by Scott Jackson and is the property of Hani Taqi. If you see it used on any project or website not associated with Hani Taqi, it is being used without permission.
• The cameraman that was hired to film the event was a journalist for Al Arabiya News and was kidnapped in Sitra a few months after this show, during the Arab Spring troubles of 2011. He's ok.

Production Credits:

• Audio recorded and mixed by Hani Taqi at Studio 77 (formerly known as Rabble Rouser Studios)
• Audio mastered by Alan Douches
• Cover art and layout by Scott Jackson
• Video editing - Ramji Thiagarajan
• Video Recording - Sheikeldin Ahmed

About The Release

Resurrection: The Bahrain Underground Vol.1 is a two-hour live metal DVD capturing one night in Manama that nobody who was there will ever forget. Recorded at Tabasco Charlie's nightclub on July 1, 2011, it documents Lunacyst, Smouldering In Forgotten, and Motör Militia - young, hungry, and with something to prove.

This is not a polished production, and that's exactly what makes it valuable. It's a raw document of a moment in time when the Bahrain metal scene was beginning to step up to a new level. It's worth noting that this show took place during the aftermath of the Arab Spring - and the gig went on regardless. The energy in the room that night was real, the performances were real, and the camera caught all of it. This is what the scene looked like. This is what it sounded like.

The Bands

Lunacyst - formed in Bahrain in 2009, Lunacyst play progressive death metal with a technical groove. By the time of this Resurrection show they had already built a reputation as one of the tightest live acts in the scene. Their performance that night remains one of the most intense sets ever captured on film in Bahrain.

Smouldering In Forgotten - One of the founding acts of extreme metal in Bahrain, Smouldering In Forgotten formed in 2005 and helped define what the underground could sound like - aggressive, atmospheric, and rooted in both Western extreme metal and Arabian musical culture. Their Resurrection set drew from their first two albums, Legions Into Black Flames (2007) and I, Devourer (2010).

Motör Militia - Formed in 2001, Motör Militia are one of the first metal bands in the Gulf to record and release a full-length album of original material. The Resurrection show doubled as an album release party for their second record - Cloaked In Darkness.

Exclusively available on this site!

Support the Bahrain metal underground - the audio and video recordings are available to download on this site. If you'd like a physical copy of the DVD, get in touch via the Contact page.

More Killer Metal From Bahrain!

• Metal! Live In Bahrain Vol.2
• Metal! Live In Bahrain Vol.1