They came from all over conservative Algeria, clad in black leather, studded bracelets and even traditional Muslim veils, to revel in a rare heavy metal festival.
Held in Constantine, designated this year’s Capital of Arab Culture by the Arab League and Unesco, the two-day Fest 213 brought together metal fans from across the country.
Headbanging and mosh pits may seem incongruous in Algeria, where the government prefers to promote traditional music and events that bolster its Arab-Muslim identity.
But the country has had a solid core of metal fans for more than two decades and, despite occasional media charges of “devil worship”, the music is attracting a new generation of followers.
“This is really unprecedented,” said a young woman from Constantine, who called herself Sadness Spirit at the event, which shares its name with Algeria’s international dialling code.
Dressed in black leather, with piercings and dyed-red hair, she was waiting for a concert to begin, accompanied by a friend with her own piercings but also wearing a Muslim veil.
Nearby stood a group of young men dressed in black T-shirts, their arms tattooed and their hair slicked back with gel. “Outside of concerts we don’t dress this way or act this way to avoid trouble,” said Sadness Spirit.
Held in Constantine, designated this year’s Capital of Arab Culture by the Arab League and Unesco, the two-day Fest 213 brought together metal fans from across the country.
Headbanging and mosh pits may seem incongruous in Algeria, where the government prefers to promote traditional music and events that bolster its Arab-Muslim identity.
But the country has had a solid core of metal fans for more than two decades and, despite occasional media charges of “devil worship”, the music is attracting a new generation of followers.
“This is really unprecedented,” said a young woman from Constantine, who called herself Sadness Spirit at the event, which shares its name with Algeria’s international dialling code.
Dressed in black leather, with piercings and dyed-red hair, she was waiting for a concert to begin, accompanied by a friend with her own piercings but also wearing a Muslim veil.
Nearby stood a group of young men dressed in black T-shirts, their arms tattooed and their hair slicked back with gel. “Outside of concerts we don’t dress this way or act this way to avoid trouble,” said Sadness Spirit.
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