Only Heavy Metal

Petition Background (Preamble):
Sometimes peaceful change happens in the most unlikely ways, fostered by the most unlikely people. In the past few years, while Israel’s relationship with the Arab and Muslim world has drastically deteriorated, Orphaned Land, Israel’s biggest heavy metal band, has been uniting thousands of Jews and Muslims across the Middle East.

These fans come from Turkey, Syria, Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, Morocco, Dubai, Yemen and Israel.

Orphaned Land has been able to achieve this through their music (which fuses traditional Middle Eastern sounds and instruments with Western Heavy metal), vision of coexistence, collaborations with Arab and Muslim artists, and a vigorous and active community of fans.

While not overtly political, Orphaned Land are nevertheless proud of creating a reality of coexistence that has escaped politicians and peacemakers alike. They often speak of the power of music to turn purported enemies into friends; frequently pay homage and encourage collaborations with Arab and Muslim artists; and have made their latest album free to download for anyone in a number of Middle Eastern and North African countries.

Their endeavors to transform the region’s conflicts have not gone unnoticed.

• Reciprocating the band’s courageous efforts to cross religious and national boundaries, Divan, an Iranian rock magazine, featured Orphaned Land on their cover in an eight-page spread.
• In 2010, the band was awarded a peace prize by Istanbul Commerce University for their contribution to the friendship between Muslims and Jews in the Middle East.
• In February 2012, in a five-city tour of Turkey (in which proceeds from the Istanbul concert went to the victims of the Van earthquake), Orphaned Land was given The Friendship and Peace Award from Dr. Huseyin Tugcu, official advisor to Prime Minster Erdogan.
• In September 2012, Orphaned Land was bestowed another Peace and Friendship award by Bulent Tanik, Mayor of Cankaya (the main district of the capital Ankara).

Again, it should be emphasized that this all happening during a period in which relations between Israel and the Muslim world are at an all-time low. Orphaned Land has produced a social force that pushes against the direction of conflict, while at the same time creating space for the type of peaceful relations that are still possible within the region.

To nominate them for 2013 Nobel Peace Prize is therefore to make a bold statement: violent conflict is not the destiny of the region.

Please sign this petition if you agree that Norwegian Nobel Committee needs to seriously consider Orphaned Land as a nominee to the 2013 Nobel Peace prize.

Israeli progressive folk metal masters ORPHANED LAND are putting the finishing touches on the follow-up to 2010's "The Never Ending Way Of ORwarriOR". The band's sixth full-length CD, "All Is One", will be released on June 25 (one day earlier internationally).

Commented ORPHANED LAND singer Kobi Farhi: "I'll say it plain and simple — 'All Is One' is ORPHANED LAND's best album so far. I feel that we took all aspects to a new level — the way we write, arrange, play and produce.

"We recorded the album in three countries (Turkey, Sweden and Israel) and it turned out so strong, we can't stop listening to it.

"The album is very rich in sound, with more than 40 people participating (choirs, violins, and many traditional instruments, too).

I never thought that someday I'll write these words.. yet if there's something stronger than our past - it is our future, and our dreams, as we evolve and understand what is right for us in the path ahead.
You know I always strive to be creative, innovative, compose the next authentic thing, and devoted my life to fuse and mix together the East and West, Acoustic with Electric, Rock with Folk traditional music, all with authenticity and full heart.

Books could be written from the what I've done for and gone through since founding "Orphaned Land" (initially named "Resurrection" in 1991), from every fan mail in the early 90's, through signing the 1st deal with 'Holy Records', endorsements, budgeting, website development, pledging ...the list goes on and on.. above all, I'm proud most of my vast compositions, arrangements, production and musical boundaries explored.

"Orphaned Land" has been a dream turned into reality with tremendous hard work and accomplishments. It is my life's work, spanning over more than 22 years as a Founding member, composer, producer and many other roles. But mainly being 'the heart' I always believed O.L should reflect through.
I feel that now, from all the right reasons that I can and cannot change, the time has come for new dreams.

The first dream is on it's way already,- The new album I'm working on these days will be called 'Desert Butterflies', a conceptual piece, rich and diverse, continued to my debut solo release 'Melting Clocks', and the 'Oriental Rock' genre I've been pioneering & redefining. It includes musical collaborations with Ron 'bumblefoot' Thal (Guns'n'Roses), Marty Friedman, Mariangela Demurtas (Tristania) and more. it'll be worth the wait

I'm never leaving you.
I'm not closing the door, not on O.L members, and certainly not on YOU, my beloved & loyal fans, friends and followers.

The best is yet to come... I guarantee it to you, personally

Always with you, always yours,
Yossi

It is a sad day for us, I remember the day me and Uri were looking for a guitarist and put an ad on one of the record shops in Israel, no one called for some time, until we got only one response, and that was Yossi's. Since our youth we were veins of the same body and soul, and built something which was but a realm of light. However, we respect the fact that taking different paths is a part of life. These situations had happened to even bigger and greater than Orphaned Land and the important thing here is that we are still and forever brothers, and the door remains open for both sides. Writing or sharing the stage is something we could easily keep on doing in the near future. Until then, we offer Yossi a warm hug, and wish him the very best! As for Orphaned Land, we keep on going with full force unto our next goals. We never had a main composer or a mastermind in the band, Orphaned Land was always an adventure in which all members are partners in the writing process and in the shaping of the band's concept, therefore Orphaned Land will always be an idea, a concept, a whole which is larger than the sum of its parts. We are planning and will soon announce many shows for 2014 as well as write new material for our next albums.
With endless love, Let there be light. Kobi Farhi on behalf of Orphaned Land

I never thought that someday I'll write these words.. yet if there's something stronger than our past - it is our future, and our dreams, as we evolve and understand what is right for us in the path ahead. You know I always strive to be creative, innovative, compose the next authentic thing, and devoted my life to fuse and mix together the East and West, Acoustic with Electric, Rock with Folk traditional music, all with authenticity and full heart.
Books could be written from the what I've done for and gone through since founding "Orphaned Land" (initially named "Resurrection" in 1991), from every fan mail in the early 90's, through signing the 1st deal with 'Holy Records', endorsements, budgeting, website development, pledging ...the list goes on and on.. above all, I'm proud most of my vast compositions, arrangements, production and musical boundaries explored.
"Orphaned Land" has been a dream turned into reality with tremendous hard work and accomplishments. It is my life's work, spanning over more than 22 years as a Founding member, composer, producer and many other roles. But mainly being 'the heart' I always believed O.L should reflect through. I feel that now, from all the right reasons that I can and cannot change, the time has come for new dreams.
The first dream is on it's way already,- The new album I'm working on these days will be called 'Desert Butterflies', a conceptual piece, rich and diverse, continued to my debut solo release 'Melting Clocks', and the 'Oriental Rock' genre I've been pioneering & redefining. It includes musical collaborations with Ron 'bumblefoot' Thal (Guns'n'Roses), Marty Friedman, Demurtas (Tristania) and more. it'll be worth the wait
I'm never leaving you. I'm not closing the door, not on O.L members, and certainly not on YOU, my beloved & loyal fans, friends and followers.
The best is yet to come... I guarantee it to you, personally
Always with you, always yours, Yossi