Arkan was created in May 2005. The members of the band: Manuel Munoz (vocals), Florent Jannier (Ryth. Guit. & growls), Samir Remila (Bass), Mus El Kamal (Lead Guit.), Foued Moukid (Drums). They quickly released their first mini-album "Burning Flesh" : a concentrate of violence, twenty minutes of pure Death Metal mixed with Chahbi and other Eastern moods. For several months, the band climbed on stage to promote its 1st opus with many bands (Decapitated, Dagoba, No Return, Hacride...) at various venues. Hard work which convinced Season Of Mist to sign the band. During this time, ARKAN were preparing their first album, "Hilal", pushing the elements of "Burning Flesh" forward: metal riffs with Arabic moodswith more aggressive parts, more exotic atmospheric climax, careful integration of oriental instruments (O?d, Mandola, Derbouka, Bendir, Cajon, Tabla, Bouzouki), traditional oriental male and female voices. "Hilal" was produced by Fredrik Nordstr?m and mastered at Hansen Studio by Jacob Hansen. It displays a sharp production, skillfully showing off the different colors and moods of the work. Back from a second tour with Orphaned Land in May 2010 across France and Europe, the band prepared its next album. Arkan decided to record "Salam" with their favourite producer Fredrik Nordstr?m where the band keeps on expanding its unique style of heavy riffing and oriental enlightment On 2011, the band released this 2nd album on Season Of Mist and traveled throughout Europe for a month and a half to defend every night its album in two major European tours headlined by two prestigious bands, Orphaned Land and Arch Enemy! In 2014 Arkan released "Sofia" which marks a new milestone in the Arkan universe: the songwriting is refined focused on the melodies. The richness of the atmosphere is even more delicate always in the harmony of the crossover of metal and oriental culture and pushed forward by the mesmerizing leading vocals of Sarah. 2015, after several shows Arkan began the composition process of its new album on which Manuel Munoz (ex The Old Dead Tree) replaces Sarah Layssac as main singer. 2016, the band signs with Overpowered Records label which release the fourth Arkan album, recorded by the French producer Fran?ois Maxime Boutault (les liens du sons) in Paris. For fans of Opeth, Septic Flesh, Orphaned Land but this album goes beyond the pure Arabic melodic style and is more mainstream orientated.
