After Matisyahu went all hip-hop hasidic, it was time to highlight orthodox Jews who covered some genres that can’t be used for a Sprint commercial. An article entitled “The Secret History of Jewish Metal” from newspaper Forward interviews some bands that are trying to combine discussions of their jewish faith with the heaviest shit you’ve ever heard. Okay, some of it’s kind of folky or industrial and may sound a little System of a Down around the gills. But folks like John Zorn and Mike Patton have embraced what they’re trying to do and there is a surprisingly large swath of influences, including Eyehategod, the Melvins and black metal. And it’s always cool to read an article that has the phrase “a stunningly and unexpected religious artifact” like four sentences away from mentioning Napalm Death.
Check out the sludge with a fiddle live jam from Pitom below and then below that, just because I have a chance, enjoy a live performance from Jewdriver.
