BAGHDAD HEAVY METAL are as unlikely a band as the war in Iraq is making sense. Two totally different musical cultures thrown together grinding their identities against each other to seemingly dominate and subjugate. But in their mutual attack they come together into a cohesive whole that is both powerful and completely unique. It is a marriage made in hell?but by Allah it works. In this music one is transported driving down Baghdad streets in a Humvee smelling the smells and hearing the sounds of that troubled land. It is Arab ? it is American ? it is cultural fusion at its best as it is unapologetic, direct and takes no prisoners. The guiding hand behind the production is Steven Last, already known for his work merging Middle Eastern music with Western techno and pop. His Galactic Caravan albums are popular in the World Music marketplace as well in the Tribal and traditional Bellydance world. With Steve Hunter on guitar (Lou Reed) and vocals from respected Arab artists/lyricists Yuri Mrakadi, Rayess Beck, Tania Sallah, and American icon rocker Sammy Hagar, we have a blend that is as stunning as it is surprising. Issam Houshan, the master percussionist behind the Bellydance Superstars gives driving backing with his Arab percussion as only he can.