Litham combines metal with african, andalousian, amazighian or european music

Litham is an Algerian metal band playing a heavy/dark metal full of bloody riffs and solos.

In July 1999 Litham releases the first Algerian metal album called “Dhal Ennar” (shade of fire).

With their new compositions, Litham unveils a new face of its musical evolution, by exploring musical paths of the national Algerian patrimony. This new spirit is very inspired from chaâbi (popular Algerian music), andalousian (Algerian classical music) or bedoui, a blend that allowed the introduction of new rhythms in metal, such as insiraf, or goubbahi.

For the future, this ambitious band is looking for a record contract (we are ready for everything, we work hard and have a professional attitude), and concert organizers, for tours all over the world.

All advices and propositions are welcome (participation in a compilation, radios and zines interviews, concerts, contract etc...)

interview with Redouane on 12-11-2002

Please give us a short introduction of yourself?
I am Redouane the bassist vocalist of the band Litham!

So why do you live in Algeria?
I live in Algeria because I was born in this country but perhaps one day I'll change .

Little is known about the metal scene in Algeria. Maybe you can tell us some more?
In Algeria there are about 15 metal bands wich are working and playing live, the other bands have splitt!! Because of many problems like the cost of the material and the places for concerts, so we can't say that the metal scene in Algeria is under construction :) !!

How do you came in contact with metal music? How do you obtain albums? Can you see live bands?
My first album of metal music that I heard it was Kill 'em All of Metallica! I was really surprised when I listened to this album!!! First in eighties it was very difficult to have a metal album, but now with internet we can download them and making copies. I know it is forbidden ;) but it is the only way to get metal music! For the bands there is no foreign bands in Algeria, but in January we are going to invite a french metal band called Gurkkhas to play with us, it'll be the first foreign metal band who play in Algeria!

Is it allowed to be a metalhead in your country? Is it accepted? How much is religion involved in your daily life?
In Algeria metal heads are accepted and don't have problems because we don't preach about anything and there is no satanism or religion with metal in our country. In daily life there is only islamic religion.

Did you ever visited another country? What were the big differences you saw?
I visited other countries in my life like: USA, France, Belgium, Spain.... I think that there is no difference with persons because we are all humans and have the same organs!!! The difference is with religion, traditions, language, behaviour, colour, I think one day the humans will speak one language and have one money perhaps in 100 or 200 years !

So one day you decided to make music. What drove you into that? What bands?
I wanted to play music when I was very young !! But I decided to play it when I saw some gigs of Tampa (Florida) deathmetal scene like Deicide, Death, Cannibal Corpse...

How did you learn the instrument? Was it easy to find fellow metallers?
I lean playing bass alone at home, listening to bands on K7 player and trying to play at same time with the music. In the first epoque of metal in Algeria it was very hard to find fellow metallers, 1 or 2 persons but now the things have evolved and changed, we can see a lot of metal heads in college or university !!

What attracts you in death metal? Why no nu metal or black metal?
I like death metal because it is a very brutal and powerful music and there is very deep emotions when you listen to it, for black metal I don't listen to it very much because sometimes there are a lot of melodies wich arent in their place!! 'For nu metal I hate it!!!!!

What is the best national food from Algeria? How does it look like and how does it taste?
The best national food from Algeria is 'eldjadj bezzitoune'!! It is made with chicken , olives and mushroom!! It very very delicious!!!

Great you introduce arabian rhythms in the music. Is this a promotional choice or just artistic?
We introduce algerian rythms in the music (it is not the same when you say arabian because in algerian music there is not only arabian music there is african, andalousian, amazighian, european music)! Because first our music is very very rich and varied and the other reason is that we like it!

Your album was the first metal album in Algeria. Did already others follow?
Now some other bands are preparing their first album! So they are following our issue!

How where the reactions to the album?
Our CD ’Dhal Ennar’ is our first experience, 2350 copies were sold in cassettes (and 500 CDs brought out a new edition by the band itself) only in Algeria. The metal community in the world labels, radios, zines etc..) think that our music is stange and the mixture with algerian music is original and they are surprised to know that metal exist in Algeria!!

Is it forbidden for women to have a beard in Algeria?
It is not forbidden but I think like other countries in the world people will look to her very strange and sometimes make some pertinent observations!

What are the plans for the future? New material out soon?
Now we are ready to record our second album with new songs which are not in ’Dhal Ennar’ CD but we didn't received a proposition from record companies because we want to record it in a studio in Europe (like Lablab of Stephane Buriez or Losangered studio of Andy Laroque ...) to obtain a good and a strenght sound and the idependant labels can't finance our recording and the other big labels aren't interested by our music !!

How much time do you spend on rehearsing? Have a own room to rehearse?
We have regular rehearsals about 3 or 4 times per week! For the room its depend sometimes whe play in my home or sometimes we play in the place that we are going to make concert

Have you played live? Are there facilities to play live?
Litham did about 30 gigs since its creation. We play about 5 or 6 concerts per year! It isn't easy to make a concert in Algeria, the major problems are to find a place for it! And a good sonorisation!!

Can you remember your first gig? What were the emotions afterwards?
Our first gig under the band Litham was in 1997 in university (8th of Mars) but my first gig that I played was in 18th of May in 1995, it was with 50 or 60 persons (it was the first metal concert in Algeria)!! With a lot of emotions because it was a dream and I reallized it!!!

How do you see your life in 5 years?
I can't aswer to this question because I can't see my life in 5 weeks!!!!

Having some interesting hobbies?
My hobbies are sport, reading, listening to music (not only metal).

What should we know and don't know about you?
I can't answer because I don't know!!!!!

Your promotional word so people will contact you and help?
For the future, this ambitious band is looking for a record contract (we are ready for everything, we work hard and have a professional attitude), and concert organizers, for tours all over the world.
All advices and propositions are welcome (participation in a compilation, radios and zines interviews, concerts, contract etc...)

Last Rites?
Litham 'till death!!