A newborn Symphonic Black Metal beast will tell the story of Zarathustra’s corruption and insanity in its debut opus, utilizing symphonic elements combined with oriental and traditional classical instruments.

A Symphonic Black Metal project founded by Egyptian vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mohamed Baligh “Aswad”, who’s currently located in the United States, utilizing symphonic elements combined with oriental instruments like the naey and traditional classical instruments such as the violin and cello, Belnejoum is unleashing upon humanity its debut album, entitled Dark Tales of Zarathustra. Mixed and mastered by Fredrik Nordstrom at Studio Fredman, and featuring an array of more-than-special musicians the likes of Fabio Bartoletti (Fleshgod Apocalypse) and Ehab Sami on the guitars, Rich Gray (Annihilator) on bass, Francesco Ferrini (Fleshgod Apocalypse) on all orchestral arrangements, George Kollias (Nile) on drums, and Tamara Jokic on Melisma vocals, as well as guest musicians Hany El-Badry on the naey, Mohamed Medhat on the violin, tenor Christian Correra on vocals, and Jeremy Garbarg on the cello, Dark Tales of Zarathustra tells the story of Zarathustra’s corruption and insanity, his journey to the underworld on the back of a demon named Aeshma, the witnessing of the horrors of Hell, and his suicide as his final act, as he no longer sees a purpose for living.

The opening track Prophet of Desolation couldn’t have sounded more atmospheric, cryptic, doomed and multi-layered, with George sounding inhumane on drums while Aswad roars deeply in the name of Black Metal. Not only that, all background orchestrations elevate the song’s epicness to a whole new level. The Day Zarathustra Turned Dark is more like an interlude than a song per se, darkening the skies before we face Tower of Silence, where the guitars by Fabio and Ehab match perfectly with the orchestral sounds crafted by Francesco; whereas the crying violin by Mohamed will penetrate deep inside your soul in On Aeshma’s Wings, a ruthless, imposing Black Metal aria where George once again steals the show with his fulminating beats and fills.

Guest Jeremy Garbarg recorded Elegie using a rare cello made by Rugieri in Cremona, Italy in 1695, resulting in a somber tune where Tamara’s minimalist vocals sound absolutely enfolding, flowing into the Symphonic Black Metal beast In Their Darkest Aquarium, with once again their orchestrations, riffs and drums generating a massive wall of sounds tailored for lovers of the genre. Then the melancholic piano by Aswad returns in As She Drowns, warming us up for Upon the Mortal Blight, a ten-minute Black Metal creature where their Cradle of Filth and Fleshgod Apocalypse vein pulses harder than ever, all boosted by another amazing vocal performance by Aswad. The Flames, the Prophet, the Tears is another piano-infused composition by Aswad, soothing our souls and preparing us all for the outro Zarathustra’s Last Requiem, a climatic track overflowing classic sounds, sealing the fate of Zarathustra.

Totaling 52 minutes across ten tracks, Dark Tales of Zarathustra is a stunning musical voyage led by Aswad that will surely take the name of Belnejoum to new heights, and if you want to know more about such an amazing project made in the United States but with pure Egyptian blood you can find all details about it on Facebook and on Instagram, stream its amazing debut on Spotify pretty soon, and above all that, purchase the album from Antiq’s BandCamp or webstore. Zarathustra’s descent into madness couldn’t have been better depicted than through the top-of-the-line Symphonic Black Metal by Belnejoum, offering several layers and nuances that definitely make the whole story even more compelling, and may Aswad and his extreme music beast keep delivering amazing albums like Dark Tales of Zarathustra to us all in the coming years, always sounding unique while remaining loyal to the foundations of Black Metal.

Best moments of the album: Prophet of Desolation, On Aeshma’s Wings and Upon the Mortal Blight.

Worst moments of the album: The Day Zarathustra Turned Dark.

Released in 2025 Antiq

Track listing
1. Prophet of Desolation 10:14
2. The Day Zarathustra Turned Dark 2:49
3. Tower of Silence 5:03
4. On Aeshma’s Wings 5:43
5. Elegie 3:39
6. In Their Darkest Aquarium 6:17
7. As She Drowns 3:17
8. Upon the Mortal Blight 10:28
9. The Flames, the Prophet, the Tears 2:01
10. Zarathustra’s Last Requiem 2:36

Band members
Mohamed Baligh “Aswad” – vocals, piano
Fabio Bartoletti – guitars
Ehab Sami – guitars
Rich Gray – bass
Francesco Ferrini – orchestral arrangements
George Kollias – drums
Tamara Jokic – Melisma vocals

Guest musicians
Hany El-Badry – naey
Mohamed Medhat – violin
Christian Correra – tenor
Jeremy Garbarg – cello