Massive Scar Era Premieres the Music Video for Her Reworked Version of “Oblivious”

When you’re a metal act, you either go big or you go home, and going big is what Massive Scar Era does extremely well. Today, the metal ensemble unveiled the video for their new single, “Oblivious,” off of their Metal Goes Egyptian EP. As an in-studio performance video, it’s simple but effective. It’s particularly effective due to the level of precision with which the band plays. Then you add in the orchestral elements, and you have essentially what amounts to a symphony.

Beyond band founder and leader Cherine Amr, there are many minds and parties at play to bring this vision to life. Amr collaborates closely with musicians, producers, and video creators. Her goal is to combine heavy metal’s power with traditional Arabic music’s beauty and charisma. You’ll hear it all come together in perfect harmony upon Metal Goes Egyptian’s official release on November 3rd.

Discussing “Oblivious” and its accompanying music video, Amr mentions:

I’m thrilled to share a fresh interpretation of one of my beloved songs, ‘Oblivious.’ This track has always held a special place in my heart, and the addition of Arabic orchestration brings an entirely new emotional dimension to it. I sincerely hope that listeners will embrace it warmly.

When the new year arrives, it’ll mark 20 years since Amr officially formed Massive Scar Era. Amr is originally from Alexandria, Egypt, and made her musical home in Montreal, Quebec. It is a mostly genre-blind project, blending together progressive rock, post-grunge, classic metal, and, of course, Arabic music. Amr and her bandmates put such a focus on Arabic music in the final product that they employ Weka Soliman, who helps select and flesh out songs that would be best suited to incorporating Arabic arrangements.

There is close attention paid to avoiding forcibly converting metal music into Egyptian music. The tradition of Arabic music has to be very much intact, or it’s a no-go. You have to have great admiration for an artist so willing to stick to their guns. What’s even more admirable is the ability to pull it all together and make it as impressive and coherent as Metal Goes Egyptian proves to be.

Metal Goes Egyptian Track Listing:

1. Between Waves – 3:22
2. 30 Years – 4:43
3. Oblivious – 3:46
4. Back to the Sun – 3:41
5. Color Blind – 3:14
6. Endorphins – 2:37

Massive Scar Era ‘Metal Goes Egyptian’ album artwork