Znous “Aleph𐤀Beth𐤁Gimel𐤂”

“It is absolutely rewarding to witness Znous’ artistic maturation.”

If you’re discovering Tunisian hardcore political punk band Znous through their latest 2024 album Aleph Beth Gimel, you’re in for a cinematic five-track opus that will leave you wondering who they are, how and why they sound the way they do. Sharpness of mind, clarity of vision, and a good dose of humorous political incorrectness are what you’ll genuinely get out of it. 

If you already know Znous and are only now catching up with their latest album, brace yourself; this band’s musical evolution is a transformation to behold.

Aleph Beth Gimel is just as politically charged as Znous’ previous work, protesting colonialism and social injustice while reminding listeners of the world’s crumbling systems and that ‘history is not a video game’. The first three songs –Aleph, Beth, Gimel– are meant as an allegorical representation of a ‘trinity pointing down to those at the top’, from spiritual higher powers to oppressed souls, and ultimately to decaying, vile human systems. This political message is, however, delivered in the most experimental of ways. 

Distorted guitars leave more space for orchestral arrangements, spoken word, and melody. Straightforward aggression is no longer at the forefront; it becomes part of a process involving atmospheric build-ups and ominous soundscapes that almost verge on post-metal. Don’t get me wrong – the heavy riffs, screeching vocals, and fast, rageful rhythms are all there, you just get to enjoy the sonic mysteries around them first, like the calm before the storm or the delayed gratification of an ambitious work of art.

It is, to say the least, absolutely rewarding to witness Znous’ artistic maturation. This latest album is deeply steeped in history, language, and cultural identity, yet never falls into exotism nor does it ‘get tossed into the rotten bag of oriental metal’, despite its heavy use of North African percussion and musical traditions. 

With Aleph Beth Gimel, Znous continue to use the language of hardcore and punk to relentlessly reshape the way Tunisian heavy music is perceived.