Mamaleek

Mamaleek is a San Francisco based band led by two brothers who keep their identity unknown (as does the rest of the band). They clearly have a soft spot for metal, and especially black metal tones that were pronounced early on, but then took a backseat to an experimental, post-rock flavored, jazzy sound over time. Their vocals have a strongly guttural quality, which tends to come across more like a despondent scream from a void rather than an ominous, demonic threat. In addition to metal, a Swans like drone is another key ingredient to their sound, paired with their frequent turn towards passages that incorporate a jazz feel or Middle Eastern motifs ("Mamaleek" is the Arabic word for the plural of "slave"). The band has been able to build an impressive catalog by mixing and matching these ingredients effectively, without sounding even remotely repetitive or predictable.