Heavy metal in Egypt faced significant challenges from the start, due to cultural conservatism and censorship. However, a vibrant underground scene began to take shape in the late 1990s.
A key pioneer is Crescent, formed in 1999 in Cairo. They are one of the earliest extreme metal acts in the region and the first Egyptian group to perform at internationally renowned festivals such as Wacken Open Air. Crescent blends blackened death metal with ancient Egyptian themes, gaining global recognition for their atmospheric and culturally rooted sound. However, they only released a demo tape in 1999, while their first EP came ten years later.
Another significant band is Scarab, founded in 2006 in Cairo/Giza. Scarab plays brutal death metal with lyrical motifs tied to ancient Egyptian mythology and iconography.
Egypt’s metal scene faced a massive setback in 1997, when a government crackdown led to the arrest of many metal fans accused of promoting Satanism. The scene re-emerged slowly in the 2000s and has been gaining strength in recent years.
CITIES
FAMOUS METAL BANDS FROM EGYPT
Crescent
Hecate
Maddox Theory
Mythos
Scarab
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