Israeli progressive metal band ORPHANED LAND have issued the following update:

"Due to an urgent Hernia surgery, Yossi Sassi (guitars and Middle Eastern strings) will not be able to join and play with Orphaned Land at the Ankirock Fest in Ankara tomorrow. OL's members are already on their way to Turkey and will play the concert as planned, with a different setlist selction due to the sircumstances. Yossi is recovering and feeling well, he sends his love to all the fans, See you all tomorrow in Ankara!"

Reuters issued the following report recently about the Ankirock Fest gig:

Israeli heavy metal is rocking Turkey despite deep discord between the Jewish state and its Muslim former ally as hundreds of fans turned out to hear a group called Orphaned Land play a concert in Istanbul.

The group played to Turkish fans and others who came from countries across the Arab world on Saturday. Because the Israeli musicians can't enter many Arab states, they perform several times a year in Turkey, a hub for their fans.

Ankara has downgraded diplomatic relations with Israel and suspended defence trade following the Jewish state's confirmation last week that it would not apologise for its deadly 2010 assault on a boat challenging its Gaza blockade in which nine Turks were killed.

Band leader Koby Farhi, interviewed in Bat Yam, south of Tel Aviv, on Wednesday, said music had the power to transcend political differences and his group was able to connect with people who would usually take an automatic anti-Israel stance.

"I think that music has the power to enter your heart like a bullet ... Usually we judge, usually we stereotype ... I am Israeli, they were raised the whole time not to connect with me. I am the enemy, I'm the bad guy and music has the power to break it," he told Reuters.

The group initiated a brand of music it called Jewish-Muslim metal that is derived from heavy metal. Many of the band's songs include prayer lyrics from Jewish liturgy, the Koran and other religious texts.

Read the entire report here.

Check out footage of Orphaned Land's UniRock appearance below: