According to Israelnationalnews.com, Israeli heavy metal band AMASEFFER has won an American award for being the best progressive CD, for its new concept album based on the Biblical story of the Exodus. Amaseffer musician Erez Yohanan talked with Israel National Radio (INR) about Mizrachi metal, fan reactions and the soundtrack to the movie Altalena

Israeli band Amaseffer's album Slaves For Life has been voted Best Album of 2008 by USA Progressive Music, in addition to awards it received from several European web sites. Drummer Erez Yohanan first thought of the Exodus album concept ten years ago, but only began writing material in the past couple of years. He told INR's Ben Bresky about the CD that has been wowing heavy metal fans in Israel and abroad since its 2008 release. "I never felt ready to dealt with such a spiritual and demanding concept until now," he said.

An excerpt from an interview with Amaseffer conducted by Israel Beat can be read below:

Yohanan grew up in a secular home in Tel Aviv, and spent five years playing in bands in New York before returning to Israel. His band mates Yuval Kramer and Hanan Avramovitch are both guitarists from in Jerusalem.

Commenting on the years it took to release the disc, Yohanan says, "It's a very hard story to deal with, both musically, lyrically and personally." Although some verses are taken from the Passover Haggada, most of the lyrics and music are original. Grinding guitars give way to mysterious sounding strings and wailing vocals punctuated by the sounds of soldiers on horseback and the cries of a baby Moses.

A sample of the lyrics: "Two brothers stand; their eyes are caught with fire / They know no fear from the tyrant on the throne/ A simple wish not granted / to worship for their G-d / There's no compassion inside the Pharaoh's heart of stone."

"The first chapter speaks about the beginning of the Book of Exodus up to the slavery period," says Yohanan, "then we move on to the birth of Moses, the Midian story and the burning bush." The CD ends with the Ten Plagues.

A second CD, which will deal with the story of the Jewish people's Exodus from Egypt, will be released some time next year, and a third album will complete the trilogy.

Read the entire interview here.