In 1997, Orphaned Land fell into hibernation when the band members had to deal with the harsh reality in their homeland of Israel. After all these years of silence, the band members felt that the way to come back was starting with three shows under the motto "The Calm Before the Flood".The first took place in Istanbul, Türkiye in 2001. The second was a show in Tel Aviv in 2002, and the last one an acoustic set that was recorded and included as 5-track bonus CD on the first pressing of Mabool. For their live performances, Orphaned Land works with many belly dancers.In 2011, during the band performance at the Hellfest music festival in France, 22-year-old French-resident Lebanese belly dancer Johanna Fakhry raised the Lebanese flag alongside the Israeli flag on stage. Since the incident, Johanna Fakhry has received death threats and is afraid of visiting Lebanon.“Sahara” is their debut album originally released in 1994 by the Franch label Holy Records.Tracklist:01. The Sahara's Storm 02. Blessed Be Thy Hate 03. Ornaments of Gold 04. Aldiar Al Mukadisa 05. Seasons Unite 06. The Beloved's Cry 07. My Requiem 08. Orphaned Land, the Storm Still Rages Inside...
