Mizraab, the Pakistani progressive metal band is a force to reckon with. Being one of the few metal bands that use Urdu as their choice of song, the band is spear-headed by child protégé Faraz Anwar. After the band’s debut album Panchi, the band managed to land itself troubled waters and parted ways. From then on, Faraz Anwar took whatever was left of the band towards a heavier direction with a fresh new set of musicians. Four years of hardwork and resistance against the scene resulted into Maazi Haal Mustaqbil, the first metal album in Urdu to rise out of Pakistan. 

Coming after Faraz’s solo extravaganza Abstract Point of View, it would be normal for one to expect an album blooming with self-indulgence and unnecessary over the top playing. However, the outcome is something quite different, something with a whiff of fresh air. Mizraab have managed to put everything into this album that band’s should be putting in, but somehow are either afraid or are betraying their true selves for unknown reasons. Fueled with a fiery passion encapsulated in the form of simple, but heart felt lyrics accompanied by instrument work marked with a high level of professionalism. 

An aspect of the album, worth mentioning is how each song flows into the next one so that the continuity is maintained. Audio samples are used all over which add a very interesting element to the album and provide a brief introduction to the Pakistani context of metal music. For example, the album opener Maucee is opened by a radio sample recorded in urdu. Another note worthy point is how fusion like airy beats and classically tinged vocals are laden between many tracks . The merger between the western and eastern sounds is done well here. Akhir Kyun and Kuch Hai are instances  where cultural mix of sounds actually brings about a great versatility to the whole album and avoid it from being too one-dimensional. 

Lyrically and vocally, Mizraab have taken the cake and have left their listeners pleasantly surprised. The heaviest track on the album, Aag is possibly also the lyrical jewel in this crown of an album. Lines such as ‘Qaed bhi aazad bhi hai yai’ are simple but yet hair raisingly effective, especially with the treatment Mizraab dishes out. The vocals are brilliant on the ballad Kitnee Sadian and on the depressive banger Meeri Tarhan. The instrumentation apart from the obviously brilliant antics performed by Faraz have been top notch. It seems Faraz got the combination of musicians right this time around. Faraz’s solos are mouth watering good on tracks such as Paanchi and Aag and bare a level of maturity, which is amazing for someone so young. It becomes evident from his mastery of straight forward muted riffs right through to the end of the spectrum to exotic passages that he truly deserved being taken under Allan Holdsworth’s wing.  

To say discovering Maazi Haal Mustaqbil was like discovering a pirates treasure would be an under statement. To pick a flaw one would say that tracks Janay Mein and Insaan felt a bit loose regarding melody, when compared to any of the other tracks. Apart from that the album is highly addictive and suits a wide array of moods and settings. Let’s just hope more and more kids in Pakistan get inspired from this album and choose guitars and drums rather than guns and bullets to let their pain and angst be known - for there is no form of expression better than through music.

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Zaib Siddiqui is a Jazz aficionado, and he preaches that no matter how much of it one experiences, one would always be a "Jazz Virgin". George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” is his ticket to nirvana, though he does experiment with his music a lot.