Saudi metal band Wasted Land set for rocking return

Wasted Land gave a captivating performance at the Dubai  Metal Fest in 2022. (Instagram/wastedlandofficial)
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Wasted Land gave a captivating performance at the Dubai Metal Fest in 2022. (Instagram/wastedlandofficial)
Saudi metal band Wasted Land set for rocking return
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Wasted Land gave a captivating performance at the Dubai Metal Fest in 2022. (Instagram/wastedlandofficial)
Saudi metal band Wasted Land set for rocking return
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Wasted Land gave a captivating performance at the Dubai Metal Fest in 2022. (Instagram/wastedlandofficial)
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Updated 22 May 2023

Saudi metal band Wasted Land set for rocking return

Wasted Land gave a captivating performance at the Dubai  Metal Fest in 2022. (Instagram/wastedlandofficial)
  • New album in the works after 8-year break
  • Music flourishing in Kingdom, says lead vocalist

RIYADH: Saudi metal band Wasted Land is returning to the music scene after an eight-year sabbatical.

The band is creating a new album with Emad Mujallid on vocals, Ahmed Khojah, Ayman Al-Ghamdi and Jude on guitar, Mahmoud on bass and Tameem on drums.

With the establishment of the Music Commission and the growth and acceptance of music institutes in the Kingdom, Mujallid believes that this is the ideal time to get back on track.




Jude, one of the three guitarists for the band. (Instagram/wastedlandofficial)

“I think that Saudi Arabia’s music culture is flourishing right now, and I hope that they will be more open to supporting all genres of music rather than focusing on a few and ignoring others, like rock, jazz, blues, and even heavier music like metal,” said Mujallid.

As a child, Mujallid was fond of rock and metal music. “I first started listening to some rock and metal with my older brother, who worked as a flight attendant, when I was almost 10 years old in 1990.”

HIGHLIGHTS

• Wasted Land is working on a new album with Emad Mujallid on vocals, Ahmed Khojah, Ayman Al-Ghamdi and Jude on guitar, Mahmoud on bass and Tameem on drums.

• Some of their top songs include ‘Into Chaos I Lost,’ ‘Bells of the Falling Castle,’ ‘Fade Away,’ and their most recent release ‘The Dark Passenger.’

Over time, Mujallid became attached to the genre and “liked the sound of the drums in songs” which led him to purchase his first drum set in late 1997.




Fans of Wasted Land are happy to see them again after an eight-year absence. (Instagram/wastedlandofficial)

As the little boy grew up, so did his desire to form a band. He started his first group, Dark Vision, with two of his friends.

“A few years (after) forming the band, we learned that there (were) some guys who enjoyed metal music and could play the guitar, so I met Ahmed Khojah, the Wasted Land’s guitarist, who invited me to a gathering of metal heads to jam for fun while covering well-known artists like Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, and others.”

I think that Saudi Arabia’s music culture is flourishing right now, and I hope that they will be more open to supporting all genres of music rather than focusing on a few and ignoring others, like rock, jazz, blues, and even heavier music like metal.

Emad Mujallid, Wasted Land vocalist

At one of their head-banging and moshing sessions, Mujallid met Al-Ghamdi, who would become a guitarist for Wasted Land. The passionate musicians dreamt of writing their own songs instead of performing covers. Mujallid said this prompted them to collaborate. The result was their first song, “Death in War,” featuring ex-bassist Sultan Al-Ghamdi.

Death in War:

This collaboration would eventually result in the formation of Wasted Land in 2004.

“As soon as we finished recording our first demo, we started to spread it to our close friends; almost everyone liked it and suggested we start a band with original songs,” he said. “Bells of the Falling” was their second release which focuses on the theme of ancient wars from medieval times.  




Fans of Wasted Land are happy to see them again after an eight-year absence. (Instagram/wastedlandofficial)

“Back in the day, we were all lovers of Hollywood films like ‘Gladiator’ and ‘Braveheart.’ We also have a song called ‘Into Chaos I Lost’ about our individual characters in a culture that doesn’t tolerate anything different from how they’ve always dealt with things,” said Mujallid.

Into the Chaos:

Between 2004 and 2010, the metal band performed in Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Alkhobar, Dubai, Bahrain and Egypt.

In 2013, the band split up because of personal issues and work and social obligations. “We have a humorous memory of the time. Khojah called us to suggest that we should make a farewell music video, and we ended up recording ‘Fade Away’ in 2021, with a depressing narrative about the conclusion of a once-lived story.”

Mujallid said it was a “tribute to the band’s wonderful journey and as a record of what we loved doing together before we broke up in 2013.”

Fade Away:

To their surprise, the farewell song received massive feedback from the Saudi rock and metal community, encouraging them to return to the scene. “We made the song ‘The Dark Passenger’ with new band members Joud, guitarist, and Mahmoud, bassist, and the song was released in 2022 … we realized how many people wanted us back.” 

Dark Passenger:

 

 


Solomon Islands PM discusses climate change with Saudi envoy

Solomon Islands PM discusses climate change with Saudi envoy
Updated 15 sec ago

Solomon Islands PM discusses climate change with Saudi envoy

Solomon Islands PM discusses climate change with Saudi envoy

RIYADH: Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare received Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Climate Affairs Envoy Adel Al-Jubeir in the capital, Riyadh, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said on Thursday.

During the reception, Al-Jubeir conveyed greetings from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and wishes to the government and people of the Solomon Islands for continued stability, progress and prosperity.
 
They reviewed bilateral relations and ways to develop them in various fields, and the Kingdom’s efforts and initiatives to preserve the environment and limit climate change. 

A number of regional and international issues and developments of common concern were also discussed.

Al-Jubeir met with the Cypriot Foreign Minister Dr. Constantinos Kombos, where they reviewed relations between the two countries, and ways to enhance and develop them in various fields, including the environment and limiting the effects of climate change.

He also held separate talks with Emanuela Claudia Del Re, the EU special representative for the Sahel, to discuss cooperation, and Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister, Waleed Al-Khuraiji, held talks with British Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and the UN Lord Tariq Ahmad on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh in Riyadh.

Al-Khuraiji also met Tobias Lindner, minister of state at the German Foreign Office.


OIC praises Saudi Arabia’s continuous support to empowering women

OIC praises Saudi Arabia’s continuous support to empowering women
Updated 19 min 48 sec ago

OIC praises Saudi Arabia’s continuous support to empowering women

OIC praises Saudi Arabia’s continuous support to empowering women

CAIRO: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation expressed its appreciation and gratitude to Saudi Arabia for its continued support for women’s empowerment and generous patronage that enables the OIC to carry out its work in all fields to the fullest, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.
The comments were made by Tarig Ali Bakheet, assistant secretary-general for humanitarian, social and cultural Affairs, on behalf of the head of the organization, Hissein Brahim Taha, during a high-level session of the Women Development Organization in the OIC member states in Cairo.
He praised the offer made by the Kingdom to host an international conference on women’s rights in Islam, in coordination with the OIC, with the aim of clarifying the rights and responsibilities guaranteed to them, especially the right to education and work, in accordance with the teachings of Islam.
Bakheet called for defending women’s rights in education, training and work, and employing their capabilities in social and practical life in member states, including economy, trade, and political and economic decision-making.
He stressed that the OIC harnesses all its capabilities to support the WDO to achieve its desired goals, praising the efforts of the team for the goals they set to empower women in the Arab and Islamic world.


Saudi foreign minister meets French, Lebanese counterparts

Saudi foreign minister meets French, Lebanese counterparts
Updated 5 min 39 sec ago

Saudi foreign minister meets French, Lebanese counterparts

Saudi foreign minister meets French, Lebanese counterparts

RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan met his French counterpart Catherine Colonna on Thursday, on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition against Daesh in Riyadh.

They reviewed the strong relations between the Kingdom and France, and ways to enhance ties in various fields, the Kingdom’s foreign ministry said in a statement.

The two ministers also discussed the latest developments in the international arena and addressed prominent topics at the ministerial meeting.

Prince Faisal also met today with Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Abdallah Bouhabib, on the sidelines of the meeting.

Prince Faisal expressed the Saudi leadership’s gratitude and appreciation for all the efforts made by the security services in Lebanon for their quick response in freeing the Saudi citizen who had been kidnapped.

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations and ways to develop them in several fields and discussed regional and international developments key issues raised in the ministerial meeting.

 

 


Qassim police arrest man over alleged drugs offenses

Qassim police arrest man over alleged drugs offenses
Updated 50 min 54 sec ago

Qassim police arrest man over alleged drugs offenses

Qassim police arrest man over alleged drugs offenses
  • He was also found to be in possession of firearms, live ammunition, mobile phones, and large sums of money

RASS: Police officers in Rass governorate in the Qassim region have arrested a man for allegedly attempting to sell hashish, amphetamines, and narcotic tablets.

He was also found to be in possession of firearms, live ammunition, mobile phones, and large sums of money. His case has been referred to legal authorities.

Anyone with information concerning drug smuggling or trafficking can report it by calling 911 in Makkah, Riyadh, and eastern regions of Saudi Arabia, and 999 in the rest of the Kingdom.
 


European film festival underway at Riyadh’s Sahara Mall 

European film festival underway at Riyadh’s Sahara Mall 
Updated 58 min 50 sec ago

European film festival underway at Riyadh’s Sahara Mall 

European film festival underway at Riyadh’s Sahara Mall 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s second European Film Festival is being held at VOX Cinemas Sahara Mall in Riyadh, with the screening of 16 films from different countries.

The festival, running until June 14, includes Oscar-nominee “Quiet Girl,” “I am Zlatan” by Jens Sjogren, telling the story of Swedish football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and “Sugar and Stars” by Riadh Belaiche, which will be screened for the first time in the Arab world at the festival. 

The event is held in cooperation with the embassies of the EU member states and Arabia Pictures Entertainment.

Patrick Simonnet, EU Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said: “We are keen to be part of the growing cultural scene of Saudi Arabia through various events that foster cultural exchange and engage Europeans and Saudis on aspects of mutual interest such as film in this instance. 

“People-to-people engagement is an important pillar of the EU’s strategic partnership with the Gulf.”

Abdulelah Al-Ahmary, founder of Arabia Pictures Entertainment, said it was keen to make the festival “a special cinematic experience for all the film buffs in Saudi Arabia.”

The festival will also give European and Saudi filmmakers the chance to swap ideas and knowledge at dedicated side events.

Guests will include directors Nuno Beato, Sebastien Tulard and Isabel Fernandez from Portugal, France and Spain respectively, who will meet the audiences and run an open conversation with filmmakers and film enthusiasts.

All screenings and side events will take place at VOX Cinemas Sahara Mall.  The full festival list has films from Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.