Al-Namrood

Al-Namrood, a Saudi Arabian collective that took its appellation from the ancient Babylonian ruler Nimrod, fuse black metal with indigenous Western Asian traditions into a ferocious, politically incendiary sound. Every participant in the group remains unnamed to avoid reprisals from Saudi authorities, and the chosen moniker functions explicitly as an act of resistance to religious authority. Issued on the band’s self-operated Shaytan Productions label, their first studio album Astfhl Al Thar appeared in 2008, followed by Estorat Taghoot (2010), Kitab Al Awthan (2012), Heen Yadhar Al Ghasq (2014), Diaji Al Joor (2015), and Enkar (2017), each release occasionally supplemented by standalone singles or EPs.