A heavy metal scene in the Middle East? Sound a little too extreme to be true? Apparently not.
Al Jazeera have released a into the Arab metal scene featuring the bands, the fans and the religious politics.
Driven initially by western artists, the music genre has created its very own Islamic subculture. A new breed of local metal musicians fuse their own childhood music influences with the dark rips of their western predecessors; they have created their own sound and are now exporting it internationally.
In countries where art, music and media are carefully watched at best and tightly controlled at worst, it is refreshing to see that young people are still striving to express themselves through specific genres of music and fashion.
Just bring the noise.
