EMOK

NOT TO be confused with underpaid midgets in bear costumes, post-punksters Emok slap a crunchy low range and heavy riffage, spiced with a generous helping of explosive- percussion of a distinctly middle eastern flavour. With an intensity that would sit comfortably along side RATM, Helmet, or shellac, this shit stomping romp down familiar paths offers up some delectable surprises; most notably 'guilt' and 'loose', with their particular unique blend of hip-hop and hardcore. sometimes, though, more is less, and keeping the burner up too high throughout threatens to turn this into a bland noisefest. But what this three-piece lack in subtlety and diversity they more than make up for in balls-out raw passion and rhythmic density.
- KERRANG! issue #945

"Middle Eastern heritage" gets mentioned endlessly around System of a Down, even though Daron Malakian learned those non-European scales from Iron Maiden records. Shit-stirring trio Emok gigging in Brooklyn, raised in Israel are the real deal. The scales and rhythms of their chaotic North Israeli homeland are mixed with an eclectic stomp thats equal parts S.O.A.D.s herky-jerk, Zack de la Rochas dread-whipping funkiness, and Sepulturas polyrhythmic percussion (in Emoks case, of course, percussion includes Middle Eastern instruments like the jingling riq). Their time on both hemispheres lets them rage against both the Israeli and American governments, and their razor-sharp riffs create a perfectly sludgy bed for their minor-key melodies to shimmy over. - Christopher R. Weingarten - REVOLVER - April 05

Everything about this record is impressive. The packaging, the fantastic artwork, the compelling, original songwriting and the creativity of the music in general. For a trio, Emok manage to conjure up some pretty massive sounds. They incorporate industrial music into their musical bag of tricks and conversely some elements are very Seattle in nature. Overall, this music has edginess about it both tonally and in terms of phrasing that would appeal to metal fans, while it is certainly possible the record could generate a large amount of crossover appeal to fans of more accessible strains of music. On the fourth track, 'Kasba' the band evokes an entertaining crossbreed of Primus and STP. Vocally things are not that aggressive, instead you'll hear Itai's drugged out yelps and chanting that really succeeds considering this band's eclectic approach. Detuned guitars fuse with wide fuzzed out bass rumbling. 'Guilty' is an enormous song that turns around at just the right time as Ofer kicks in some sounds vocally that sound like rap pushed through a hot power line. Also the man to burn the frets up a touch, Ofer kicks in some furious solos at all the right moments while churning out riffs with varied emotions which cover a wide range of styles.Liron (Bul) keeps things simple in terms of drumming, grooving on huge rock beats and performing with a style that evokes drummers like John Bonham, who were more the master for what they didn't play rather than what they did. And as a trio, this group sounds all the better for it. You will find the band to be borrowing a few ideas from early Soundgarden on the track 'Dementia Praecox', at least instrumentally. That notwithstanding, the uniqueness inherent in the voice of Itai gives this sort of inspiration a new definition. 'Shove Your Head Into The Ground And Feed It To The Earth' displays Emok offering up a lot of fresh ideas, such as the at once dirging and driving 'Hatred Grows Old' which slaps stoner rock around like a old rag doll. 'Harbor' turns from spaced out, grungy drones to thunderous blows of incidents of lashing out, reflecting some of the most violent moments of the entire outstanding effort. Emok are not a band to be taken lightly. In a word their sound is huge and this is an album you simply cannot go without. - THE GAUNTLET March '05

(Written by Daniel Henderson)
Emok is a Brooklyn-based Israeli trio consisting of Itai on bass and vocals, Ofer on guitars and vocals, and Liron on drums and percussion. They’ve produced their own album. And they’ve come to clean your clock.

My first impression, without trying to nail adjectives to something already out there, was that Emok FEELS like System of a Down with more developed composition skills; not to knock the impact and mayhem SOAD dishes out, but Emok’s songs do more, go more places, and just plain make more sense overall. They have the same Oriental-influenced style (the Middle East, not Eastern Asia) and incredible energy. I was flattened from the intro of the first song all the way through the 45-minute trip. Emok are currently over in Japan opening for the mighty Dillinger Escape Plan and accomplished jazz-hardcore favorites of mine from back east, Candiria. They are the first band I’ve heard about in a while who has landed AND completely deserved a spot on such a stellar bill.

The main advantage that Emok has over System of a Down is that they make considerably more radio-friendly heavy music. They have equivalent power, but greater marketability. A cross between the creative catchiness of At the Drive In and the aggressive power and political impact of System of a Down provides a pretty accurate picture of what Emok has going. And to the band’s credit, the self-produced Shove Your Head into the Ground and Feed It to the Earth has a very unique sound that really works for them.

As far as subject matter goes, being of Israeli decent, the group has plenty of global issues to be upset about. The songs are politically driven, but are executed very artistically and effectively. The feeling is not like being preached to, but getting the brunt of the impact through the combination of musical magnification of artistically interpreted vocal messages. Of course, there are times, such as this section in Hatred Grows Old, where the lyrics bear the full force of the impact:

“It makes me want to cut my life with scissors, Right down the middle where it hurts the most, it bleeds the most, and Just before it looked so good, it looked SO good, you know it makes you wonder why we even bother letting our children grow, and make them sit and watch while we destroy the world, DESTROY THE WORLD before their eyes.”

So, in conclusion, when things are pissing you off, Shove Your Head into the Ground and Feed It to the Earth is a great 45-minute opportunity to vent some frustration while checking out some Riq and Yaili Tambur playing. A very enjoyable and healthy display of aggression. Check it out – now! - CDREVIEWS.COM March '05

With clear Middle Eastern influences, the Israeli-born members of Emok have come to Brooklyn to further the musical mission of fusing the sounds of their homeland with the pulsating offerings of upper tier metal and the nuances of noise rock's elite. On the trio's 12-track endeavor, there's a slew of System of a Down meandering in between meaty Helmet structures and industrial metal's mechanical rhythmic movements, which are all over tracks like "Guilt" and "Field of Thorns", not to mention a substantial amount of the outfit's traditional roots shining through on tracks like "Kasha" and "Bliss". "Hatred Grows Old" shares the Soulfly vibe, while the pummeling electronic groove of "Turn off the Lights" smacks you down like early NIN. Emok's multifaceted metallic journeys exhibit the type of band that has the lineage and ability to pull off a hybrid form of music with tact and conviction.
-Mike SOS - Skratch Magazine