Metal has long been a taboo in Saudi Arabia, only existing in small pockets of underground scenes; one black metal band called Al-Namrood, for example, make music anonymously as to avoid threats of death from Saudi authorities.
That's why it's such a huge deal that Saudi Arabia's grindcore band Creative Waste have taken metal to the public for what's believed to be the very first time in the country's history on October 25.
The band performed a ripping set at the Bohemia Art Cafe in Khobar, but as frontman Fawaz Al Shawaf told Metal Injection:
"Leading up to the show people, especially bands, were skeptical for the longest time, because they existed in the old generation. A lot of them were being conservative. They were worried. No one’s ready to take the risk. But I mean, the ones who organized the show are actually basically newcomers and young. They didn’t even know what grindcore or death metal was. So they weren’t into extreme music, but they asked us and I thought the idea was so crazy that I accepted it because it’s a part of the change. They already held a few shows before, but they were just like acoustic shows, solo artists and so on."
Check out the footage of them playing 'Defeatist' below:
Creative Waste have been working hard since their formation in 2002 to land shows overseas with some of their heroes like Napalm Death and Hate Eternal, as well as appearances at Maryland Deathfest and Obscene Extreme, but publically performing their music in Saudi Arabia would have to have been a dream from the start.
Listen to Creative Waste now.
