KOBI FARHI Of Israeli Metal Band ORPHANED LAND: 'The War Really Shut Down All My Hopes, My Soul And Spirit'

In a new interview with Via Nocturna, vocalist Kobi Farhi of Israeli metallers ORPHANED LAND was asked if there are any plans for him and his bandmates to work on a new studio album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, we need to release the [' A Heaven You May Create'] live album [in December], and then we wanted to tour during 2024 to promote the live album. And then we have no choice — we need to bring another studio album. So this should happen probably during maybe 2025, I think, we will be able to do that."

Asked how the ongoing Israel-Hamas war will affect the songwriting and production process for ORPHANED LAND's next LP, Kobi said: "The war really shut down all my — at the moment, it's shutting down all my creative, all my hopes, all my soul and spirit. It's all shrinking into a very short and small, tiny spot. I hate the war, and I cannot write during the days of war. I can write only maybe after in a retrospective. For the moment, I'm just trying to keep my faith and to keep my hope and to keep my beloved ones safe. But I'm reaching my fifties very soon and we did six studio albums and two live albums, and it makes you wonder what can you write more? How can you address these subjects, from which angle? And I'm shaping these ideas, let's say. I'm not writing at the moment, but I'm thinking. And that thinking will bring something to be born at some stage. And we shall see where we will take it. I think it's going to be a little bit more depressed, let's say, because nothing is really changing, so maybe… I don't know. We need time to see, but I think it will be a little bit more sad or dark, maybe, this time."

ORPHANED LAND released its most recent studio album, "Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs", in 2018.

"A Heaven You May Create" will arrive on December 1. Celebrating ORPHANED LAND's 30th anniversary, the LP contains the recordings of a very special show that the band played in June 2021 with a symphony of 60 players. The concert took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the entire world economy to a standstill. A special gap between lockdowns, were the world seemed normal again for a short period of time, allowing ORPHANED LAND to play a special show in "the hall of fame" of Israel, the Heichal HaTarbut in Tel Aviv, with 2,500 people in attendance. The setlist spanned ORPHANED LAND's discography, featuring their most beloved songs.

ORPHANED LAND's music draws from Eastern, Western and Asian influences, and the band is known for its message of peace and unity among Jews, Arabs and Christians. The group's songs are written in Hebrew and English.

ORPHANED LAND opened for METALLICA in 2010 in Israel and toured Europe with Palestinian rock group KHALAS in 2013.

ORPHANED LAND is Farhi, Chen Balbus (guitars),Idan Amsalem (guitars),Uri Zelcha (bass),and Matan Shmuely (drums).