After bombs, Iraqi band rockin’ in USA
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AP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mart 18, 2009 00:00
NEWJERSEY - Tales of bands struggling through hard times and overcoming obstacles to stardom are as old as rock itself. But Iraqi rock band Acrassicauda has had a harder time than most. After three years living as refugees in Syria and Turkey, the band is in the US
The band Acrassicauda is rockin' in the free world after a journey that has enough turmoil to fit its heavy metal style.
After avoiding Saddam Hussein's secret police, enduring the bombing of their practice space, dodging death threats and navigating sectarian warfare in their native land, four Iraqi musicians who wanted nothing more than to rock 'n' roll all night are living in New Jersey, pursuing their dreams of stardom. Tales of bands struggling through hard times and overcoming obstacles to stardom are as old as rock itself. But Acrassicauda, named after a species of black scorpion, has had a harder time than most.
"A lot of heavy metal bands talk and sing about war and death and destruction, but they haven't experienced it," said bass player Firas al-Lateef. "We have."
After three years living as refugees in Syria and Turkey, the band is in America. "We're still in the process of figuring it all out," said drummer Marwan Riyadh, 24.
Acrassicauda (pronounced ah-crass-ih-COW'-dah) was formed in 2000 when Riyadh and guitarist and lead vocalist Faisal Talal met lead guitarist Tony Aziz, 30, in a Baghdad school. In between lessons, they realized they shared a love of heavy metal. They joined with al-Lateef, 27, and played their first concert two months later in a small Baghdad club.
Trouble soon followed. Saddam's secret police was seemingly everywhere, and grew suspicious when bands sang in English or languages other than Arabic, said the 25-year-old Talal.
Though Acrassicauda's music deals with war and suffering, the band took pains to keep it apolitical, singing of injustices in a general sense in songs like "Between The Ashes" and "Massacre." "It's like speaking about the killing of innocent children, but it doesn't have to be in your own country, or any particular country," Talal said.
When the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq and toppled Hussein in April 2003, music took a back seat to staying alive. "We didn't expect to survive," Talal said. "During war, it's stay home, lock your door and stay indoors as much as you can. Missiles and bullets were coming down from the sky." Once Saddam was toppled and fighting subsided in and around Baghdad, the band regrouped in January 2004, they tried to ignore the threats, but they kept coming.
Taking refuge in Turkey
In 2005, their rehearsal space was destroyed in explosions that wrecked several buildings. They knew was it was time to go and they took refuge in Turkey.
Vice, a New York magazine, had profiled the band earlier and helped produce a film about them called "Heavy Metal in Baghdad," which was shown at the Toronto and Berlin International Film festivals. The magazine spent about $40,000 to help support the band as the men applied for refugee status in Turkey, trying to get to America. Editors felt that, by publicizing the band, they unwittingly placed its members in great jeopardy and felt obligated to help.
Finally, they had to get exit visas from the Turkish government. It took almost two years, but the band members started arriving in the US last fall with the help of the International Rescue Committee, which found them their apartment in New Jersey and is helping them look for work.
Days after Riyadh arrived in the US last month, three of the four band members (Aziz is in Michigan helping settle family members) got to live out every heavy metal fan's dream: a backstage meeting with Metallica at Newark's Prudential Center.
Metallica singer James Hetfield signed a guitar for them and thanked them "for keeping the faith." Now that things are settling down, Acrassicauda is working on getting its act back together. The members admit they need a lot of practice. The band hopes to have a new three-song EP finished by the end of the year, and dreams of signing with a record label.
After avoiding Saddam Hussein's secret police, enduring the bombing of their practice space, dodging death threats and navigating sectarian warfare in their native land, four Iraqi musicians who wanted nothing more than to rock 'n' roll all night are living in New Jersey, pursuing their dreams of stardom. Tales of bands struggling through hard times and overcoming obstacles to stardom are as old as rock itself. But Acrassicauda, named after a species of black scorpion, has had a harder time than most.
"A lot of heavy metal bands talk and sing about war and death and destruction, but they haven't experienced it," said bass player Firas al-Lateef. "We have."
After three years living as refugees in Syria and Turkey, the band is in America. "We're still in the process of figuring it all out," said drummer Marwan Riyadh, 24.
Acrassicauda (pronounced ah-crass-ih-COW'-dah) was formed in 2000 when Riyadh and guitarist and lead vocalist Faisal Talal met lead guitarist Tony Aziz, 30, in a Baghdad school. In between lessons, they realized they shared a love of heavy metal. They joined with al-Lateef, 27, and played their first concert two months later in a small Baghdad club.
Trouble soon followed. Saddam's secret police was seemingly everywhere, and grew suspicious when bands sang in English or languages other than Arabic, said the 25-year-old Talal.
Though Acrassicauda's music deals with war and suffering, the band took pains to keep it apolitical, singing of injustices in a general sense in songs like "Between The Ashes" and "Massacre." "It's like speaking about the killing of innocent children, but it doesn't have to be in your own country, or any particular country," Talal said.
When the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq and toppled Hussein in April 2003, music took a back seat to staying alive. "We didn't expect to survive," Talal said. "During war, it's stay home, lock your door and stay indoors as much as you can. Missiles and bullets were coming down from the sky." Once Saddam was toppled and fighting subsided in and around Baghdad, the band regrouped in January 2004, they tried to ignore the threats, but they kept coming.
Taking refuge in Turkey
In 2005, their rehearsal space was destroyed in explosions that wrecked several buildings. They knew was it was time to go and they took refuge in Turkey.
Vice, a New York magazine, had profiled the band earlier and helped produce a film about them called "Heavy Metal in Baghdad," which was shown at the Toronto and Berlin International Film festivals. The magazine spent about $40,000 to help support the band as the men applied for refugee status in Turkey, trying to get to America. Editors felt that, by publicizing the band, they unwittingly placed its members in great jeopardy and felt obligated to help.
Finally, they had to get exit visas from the Turkish government. It took almost two years, but the band members started arriving in the US last fall with the help of the International Rescue Committee, which found them their apartment in New Jersey and is helping them look for work.
Days after Riyadh arrived in the US last month, three of the four band members (Aziz is in Michigan helping settle family members) got to live out every heavy metal fan's dream: a backstage meeting with Metallica at Newark's Prudential Center.
Metallica singer James Hetfield signed a guitar for them and thanked them "for keeping the faith." Now that things are settling down, Acrassicauda is working on getting its act back together. The members admit they need a lot of practice. The band hopes to have a new three-song EP finished by the end of the year, and dreams of signing with a record label.