It is rare to hear an audience at a heavy concert remain silent after hearing a new song.
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But that’s exactly what happened when they heard "War Zone," which was played for the first time on Sunday night at a special show dedicated to Guy Boyland and Yotam Haim.
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Members of the metal band Persephore hold up a sign in tribute to fallen bandmate Yotam Haim, who was killed in Gaza
(Photo: i24News)
Though they died ten years apart, both redheads were members of Israel’s metal music scene, and met their end in Gaza.
"The idea behind this show is, first of all, to honor the evacuees from the Gaza border area," says the organizer of the event Amit Kapeta, who is the director of Metal Israel. "This night is also dedicated to two dear friends we lost.”
Yotam Haim, whose name became known across Israel in the past four months, was a drummer in a metal band. He was abducted from his home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, and was accidentally killed by IDF fire during activity in Gaza several months later. Ten years earlier, Guy Boyland was killed in Operation ‘Protective Edge,’ the last IDF ground invasion in Gaza.
“When I went to their funerals, I couldn't ignore the unbelievable similarity between them, and I saw how the metal scene in Israel is united behind them. So I told myself that there’s no chance that I won’t make the most orange night I can make," in reference to Yotam and Guy’s ginger hair color.
The event, named "Orange is The New Black," gathered some of the top bands in the Israeli metal scene, such as Stained With Silver and The Great Machine.
Another special performance was given Yotam’s bandmates from the group Persephore.
They started playing together one-and-a-half years ago, after meeting on social media. Lidor David Kalai, one of Yotam’s band mates, says they received a lot of support on their Facebook page from Israel and abroad after October 7. “We got a lot of support from a German band from Berlin named ZSK, they really supported us and spread the story of what happened in Israel and especially Yotam’s story.
The concert also gave the stage to Yotam and Guy’s families. Though they had never met, both shared the same passion for music and would have had a lot in common. Iris, Yotam’s mother, sent a video statement as she is currently in the U.S. Adva Boyland, Guy’s mother, addressed the audience from the stage. "One day I watched TV and I saw Iris Haim. She talked about Yotam as a funny guy who likes to mess around.
I thought to myself that this is exactly how my son Guy was, exactly the same.”
Raviv Haim, Yotam’s father also attended the concert. He admitted to us that even though he is not naturally inclined toward metal music, he has become interested in the genre that is considered loud and heavy.
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Heavy metal drummer Yotam Haim, pictured before his abduction and death in Gaza
(Photo: Courtesy)
"I understood that metal is not just music where the singers shout. It is a lot of pain that people suffer from different psychological issues, and this is the only place where people understand them. I learned that from Yotam. It is very exciting."
The song "War Zone" will be released on March 1. Its lyrics were written after Yotam was abducted by Hamas terrorists, with the original intention to raise awareness about his story. Yossef says he was hoping to bring this song as a gift to Yotam when he returned from captivity. In a tragic turn of event, Yotam was accidentally slain on December 15 by IDF troops in Khan Younis, alongside two other Israeli hostages. After his death, some of the lyrics were changed to reflect the new reality.
The remaining members of Persephore now plan to finish recording a whole album that will be dedicated to Yotam.