I got a package from a metal band named Tristmoon in the mail this week. It contained their first single entitled “As You Come to Me.” Now, before this band, it would never have occured to me that Lebanon would have a metal scene let alone a death metal band. I gave the track a spin. From the first notes, I was highly impressed. They derive their sound from bands like Cryptic Wintermoon and Dimmu Borgir. Presenting a nice contrast between growls and screaches, the band shows they can go from a doomy, piano driven almost ballad like sound to a blasting showcase of agression in the same track. While the recording has much to be desired, we can hope for great things from this band when they release their full-length later in the year (financial troubles have held this up for the time being). It’s not a groundbreaking or even hybrid sound but it’s done well with talented musicians. With the likes of Orphaned Land, Melechesh and now Tristmoon, the Middle East is shaping up as a hotbed of metal creativity.