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Background information
Origin	Giv'atayim, Israel
Genre(s)	Oriental metal Death metal Doom metal
Years active	1985 - present
Label(s)	KMG System Shock Season of Mist (current)
Website	www.salemband.com

Salem is an Israeli doom/death metal band, pioneers of the Oriental metal movement.

Salem, the first extreme metal band in Israel was formed in 1985, and is considered to be one of the first bands in the worldwide underground metal scene to play brutal black metal. This can be heard in their self-titled rehearsal tape from 1986 and their live demo "Destruction till death" from 1987 (recorded at the legendary 'pinguin' club, formerly the only outlet for alternative music in Israel throughout the 1980's). (This formula was later perfected by bands such as Beherit & Blasphemy in the early 1990's

After 5 years of a successful underground career the band released another live demo "Millions Slaughtered " (1990),with a new line-up and a genre shift towards the death\doom realms. This sold 1 500 copies and lead to a record deal with the German label Morbid Records.

"Creating our sins" (1992) and "Kaddish" (1994) were released by Morbid Records and sold over 40 000 copies worldwide. Prior to the release of "Kaddish", Morbid Records released a 7 inch picture EP with the single "Dying Embers"(1994) to promote the album, and when "Kaddish" came out, a limited edition picture disc was released. The opening song "The Fading" was played on MTV's Headbanger's ball rotation and had the band elected as one of the best 10 up-and-coming bands in the world by MTV and Kerrang!.

"Kaddish" also featured a cover song in Hebrew called "Ha'ayara Bo'eret" (the town is on fire). The song was originally written in Yiddish under the name "S'brent" (It Is Burning) by Polish Jewish poet Mordechai Gebirtig in 1938, in response to the 1936 pogrom of Jews in the town of Przytyk near Radom. It was since translated into Hebrew, long before the band preformed it. National controversy lead to the Israeli parliament discussing whether it was appropriate for a metal band to play such songs.

In 1998, following the best offer the band got from Israeli label B.N.E., producer Colin Richardson, the man who had produced acts such as Machine Head and Fear Factory flew over to Israel to record "A Moment of Silence". The album was recorded in D.B. studios in Israel and The Chapel in England and was released late 1998. A big distribution deal with Modern Music (Germany) fell through due to miscommunication between B.N.E. and Salem.

In early 2001, Salem was released from their contract with B.N.E. In December 2001, Salem signed a 3 album deal with KMG/ System Shock from Germany. Their 4th album "Collective Demise" was released in September 2002.This was the most aggressive Salem album to date. Produced by the band and recorded in D.B. Studios (Drums, Bass, and Guitars) and Noise Studios (Vocals and mix) in Israel to maintain the bombastic production standard set forth with previous release "A Moment of Silence".

In 2005 Salem released another album named "Strings attached". The album consisted of 11 previously-recorded re-recorded with added string instruments. The album was also released as a special edition with a bonus CD. This featured 3 remixes, 4 live performances from the “Live Demise” DVD, one drum solo, an alternate take of “A Moment of Silence” and 3 instrumental versions of songs from “Strings Attached”. This edition comes in an all exclusive new slip cover.

The "Live Demise" DVD was shot last July in front of 900 fans, this full-length live concert is presented in stereo, 5.1 and DTS mixes. The DVD includes bonuses such as: 7 promo videos, a behind the scene featurette, a making of featurette, a gag reel, 2 easter eggs, English, German, Russian and Japanese subtitles and a 12-page full color booklet.

Salem is currently working on a new CD titled "Necessary Evil". So far the band has recorded a 27-minute long piece titled "Once Upon a Lifetime Parts I - V". Part I is now available the Salem web page. The album was released on June 5, 2007.

Salem's music is a combination of doom/death metal (slow-paced death metal) with Oriental elements and high-pitched screaming-vocals (distorted hoarse screams). Riffing, henceforth, can range from slow and heavy doom metal riffing to very fast and rapid death metal riffing.

In some songs, Salem combine oriental and Jewish melodies (such as the intro of Ha'ayara Bo'eret). In the album- Collective Demise, Salem also combined soft female vocals - a contrast to the hard raging male "death vocals".

Salem's acoustic compilation, Strings Attached

• Creating Our Sins (1992) Morbid (selling over 50,000 copies [1])
• Kaddish (1994) (selling over 80,000 copies [2])
• A Moment of Silence (1998) BNE
• Collective Demise (2002) System Shock
• Strings Attached (2005)
• Necessary Evil (2007)

• Ze'ev Tananboim - vocals
• Lior Mizrachi (Afifit) - guitars
• Nir Gutraiman - guitars
• Michael Goldstein - bass
• Nir Nakav - drums

• Salem Official homepage
• Salem (BNR pages)
• Nir Nakav Official homepage