ORPHANED LAND Tap PORCUPINE TREE's WILSON To Produce Next Album

Israeli metal band ORPHANED LAND have announced that Steven Wilson of PORCUPINE TREE will produce their next album, entitled "The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR".

Commented ORPHANED LAND vocalist Kobi Farhi: "We are a big fans of Steven's works, we are very much exited that we will work together and we are sure we will make an unforgettable album!"

Added Wilson: "I'm very happy to have the opportunity to work with ORPHANED LAND, one of the most unique and ambitious metal bands on the scene. I know we are going to make an extraordinary album together."

ORPHANED LAND is a band which combines progressive heavy/death-metal rock with ethnic Middle Eastern/Arabic/Israeli elements, a unique hybrid of styles that contributed to Steven's decision to work with them. The group have recorded three albums to date, the most recent of which, "Mabool", was their Century Media debut.

Existing completely outside of the mainstream, ORPHANED LAND have managed to create a large worldwide following, and their recent appearances in Europe and the USA at the ProgPower festivals have brought them to the attention of a whole new audience. Wilson is, of course, known from his main project PORCUPINE TREE as well as the producer of three of OPETH's albums.

With regards to the next album's concept, Farhi had previously stated, "The next ORPHANED LAND album will deal with the war of light and darkness. We've dealt with this topic in the past, yet this time the emphasis will be on the hero of this war — The Warrior of Light (Lohem Ha'or in Hebrew).

"Every year in late December there's a day where the longest night and shortest day (light time) is measured, meaning that the days to arrive after that night are getting longer, and the nights turn shorter. Spiritual[ly], it's the rebirth of light and death of the darkness. ORPHANED LAND's comeback show in 2001 was exactly on this day, without us paying attention even to this fact. Some might say its coincidence; some will claim for a 'guiding hand from above', your choice…

"Why do we deal with the war of light? The light is the source for everything on this planet; we are all sons and warriors of light. Even if we're not aware of it, we all fight for our right to shed light into this hectic world. In 'Mabool', for example, the three heroes where well-aware of them being Warriors of Light, trying to find for mankind's right to awake and possibly turn back the faith of darkness being brought to earth by the flood. In the meantime, many of us live in confusion, suffering and despair, full of sadness and being let down, leading to self-destruction and lack of self-security. We re-live the traumas of the past, while happiness stays 'somewhere in the future.' The 'here and now' is almost inexistent in our lives."

ORPHANED LAND have yet to set a date to begin recording the new album, as they are still working the new material for the new effort. More details will be made available during the coming months.

For more information, visit www.orphaned-land.com.