NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – August 23, 2024
MASSIVE SCAR ERA Collaborates w/ Entheos’ Chaney Crabb To Give A Voice To Recent Egyptian History w/ Single “School Girls”
New EP “Assyad” Out October 2024
ft. guest musicians Simon McKay (The Agonist), Frédérick Filiatrault (Unexpect, Vvon Dogma I), Salem Atallah, Muhammed Abouzeid, Chaney Crabb (Entheos)
L-R – Cherine Amr | Chaney Crabb
Massive Scar Era, the visionary Egyptian/Canadian metal project led by Cherine Amr, is thrilled to announce the release of their new single “School Girls | بنات المدرسة”. This track, featuring the dynamic vocals of Chaney Crabb from Entheos, is the lead single from their upcoming EP, “Assyad”, set to drop in October 2024. With “School Girls”, Massive Scar Era breaks genre boundaries again, blending progressive rock, post-grunge, Egyptian music, and metal into a captivating sound that resonates deeply with fans worldwide. Amr comments on the unique track:
“‘School Girls’ represents a dialogue between the Mu’allima (teacher) spirit, brought to life by Chaney’s voice, and the outside world. The chorus is adapted from the traditional Zar song “Banat el Madrassa,” reflecting a significant era in Egyptian society and feminism. It highlights the pursuit of higher education by middle and upper-class women in the 1950s, symbolizing their aspirations and empowerment. The Mu’allima serves as both a guide within the female Zar realm and a social archetype.”
Amr, the creative force behind Massive Scar Era, has dedicated years to studying Egyptian Zār traditions, weaving this deep cultural understanding into her music. Zār is a cult of possession in which ritual incorporates music and dance. Zar aims to establish a state of reconciliation between the individuals and the possessing spirits (Asyad) that inhabit their bodies and are believed to be the cause of illness.
For this EP, Amr received invaluable support from the community and cultural consultant, Dr. Kawkab Tawfik, who introduced her to Zar Abou El-Gheit, led by the master Zar musician, Muhammed AbouZeid. Muhammed invited Amr to attend one of their ceremonies held for a patient at his home in the village of Abou El-Gheit, a couple of hours outside Cairo, Egypt. They formed an immediate connection there, and Muhammed was instrumental in deepening Amr’s understanding of Zar songs.
Amr later invited Muhammed and his bandmate Salem to Montreal, where we engaged in daily songwriting workshops. Joining them were metal musicians Simon Mckay (the drummer of The Agonist) and Frédérick Filiatrault (bassist of Vvon Dogma I, Unexpect) for a month-long residency. Amr worked closely with Simon, recording the Zar songs played by Muhammed and Salem on a DR-70 Tascam. Amr would then take these recordings home to develop the songs further, sometimes sending Simon rough versions with unquantized drumlines or even without any drumlines. Simon would then rewrite the drumlines and occasionally assist with the guitar arrangements. The next day, they would reunite in the studio to share and refine their ideas. This process, which they repeated five days a week, was truly collaborative.
As Massive Scar Era continues to evolve, the release of the single “School Girls” marks a new chapter in the band’s journey, offering fans a glimpse into the rich, progressive musical experience that awaits in “Assyad”, which will be a concept record that blends Egyptian Zār songs with prog rock and metal.
“I believe this EP will be a journey that and I think it will resonate with those who appreciate concept albums and are drawn to non-mainstream metal music. In the world of Zar, what you are curious about also becomes curious about you. Each song on this EP is inspired by a specific Zar spirit, and I’m eager to see how each listener connects with the EP, as I’m sure everyone will be drawn to different songs in their own unique way.” adds Amr.
This single “School Girls” is a testament to Amr’s commitment to exploring and honoring these traditions while pushing the boundaries of modern metal music along with it being a bold statement, blending traditional Zār songs and rhythms with the raw power of metal into a unique and distinctive sound.
Recommended for fans of Merfolk, Nawather, and Zaeer, listen to “School Girls” ft. Chaney Crabb (Entheos) at the following links:
Lyric Video – https://youtu.be/AQoz_rPrJwE
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/4716lSP
Due on October 25th, 2024, “Assyad” is available for pre-order at https://massivescarera.bandcamp.com/
Track Listing:
1. Muluk al-Ardiyya | The Kings of the Earth – 4:54
2. Abdel Salam Lasmar – 3:17
3. Genie, Lambo – 3:17
4. Inner Dialogue – 3:33
5. El-Leil | The Night – 4:24
6. Pretend – 3:43
7. School Girls ft. Chaney Crabb (Entheos) – 3:26
EP Length: 26:38
More info: Facebook.com/massivescarera | Instagram.com/massivescarera
Note: Funded by Canada Council for the Arts – https://canadacouncil.ca/
EP Recording Credits:
Creative producer: Cherine Amr
Zār Leader, teacher, and consultant: Muhammed Abouzeid
Community Connector, Cultural Consultant, and overseas executive producer: Dr. Kawakb Tawfik
All songs and lyrics are written by Cherine Amr.
Any Arabic vocals heard on Assyad are folkloric Zār songs.
Percussion and Kawala arrangement and performance: Muhammed Abouzeid
Traditional Zār singer: Salem Atallah
Drum arrangement and performance: Simon McKay
Bass arrangement and performance: Frédérick Filiatrault
Vocal, Guitar, and back vocals arrangement and performance: Cherine Amr.
Death Growl: Chaney Crabb on Track 7. School Girls
Music Producer: Etienne Tremblay (La Machine à Mixer)
Recorded at Studio Mix Art in Montréal, Québec, by Nicholas Pétrowski and Etienne Tremblay.
Mixed and Master by Etienne Tremblay (La Machine à Mixer)
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“Steeped in Metal, but bridging the gap to Egyptian music, Massive Scar Era is a Metal band you need to know about in 2023. The brainchild of visionary artist Cherine Amr, their new EP Metal Goes Egyptian, the seventh release in her career, is coming out in November. Not only does the band creative a ground-breaking mix of Metal and world music, Cherine had to flee her country where “the devil’s music” is forbidden to create, let alone defying gender norms that could lead to punishment, or worse. With its unique fusion of Prog Rock, post-Grunge, Egyptian music, and Heavy Metal, the group just released a new single “Between Waves!”” – Ghost Cult Magazine (2023 – Metal Goes Egyptian)
” When you’re a metal act, you either go big or you go home, and going big is what Massive Scar Era does extremely well. Today, the metal ensemble unveiled the video for their new single, “Oblivious,” off of their Metal Goes Egyptian EP. As an in-studio performance video, it’s simple but effective. It’s particularly effective due to the level of precision with which the band plays. Then you add in the orchestral elements, and you have essentially what amounts to a symphony. Beyond band founder and leader Cherine Amr, there are many minds and parties at play to bring this vision to life. Amr collaborates closely with musicians, producers, and video creators. Her goal is to combine heavy metal’s power with traditional Arabic music’s beauty and charisma. You’ll hear it all come together in perfect harmony upon Metal Goes Egyptian’s official release on November 3rd.” – V13 (2023 – Metal Goes Egyptian)
“As the title indicates, it’s metal with a middle eastern tone and style… mostly melodic death with clean and harsh vox.” – The Moshpit – WORT 89.9 FM (Madison, WI) (2023 – Metal Goes Egyptian)
“the Egyptian-Western music cocktail has an almost hypnotic effect” – PowerMetal.de (2023 – Metal Goes Egyptian)
“Through “Metal Goes Egypt”, their new EP, Canadian band Massive Scar Era invites open-minded heavy music fans to embark on a musical journey that transcends borders and creates a unique fusion of metal energy and the melodic beauty and cultural nuances of traditional Egyptian Arabic music.” – YoZone.fr (2023 – Metal Goes Egyptian)
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