Wolfheart to Have the Dubious Honor of Being the First European Metal Band to Play in Saudi Arabia
Saudia Arabia is one of the most brutal and oppressive countries in the Middle East. Democracy Matrix ranked 176 countries by the quality of their democracy and ranked Saudi Arabia 173rd, with only Yemen, North Korea, and Eritrea coming in lower. Freedom House gave the country a rating of “Not Free” giving its political rights a score of 1 out of a possible 40 and an overall freedom score of 8 out of a possible 100. According to Amnesty International, the country routinely targets people for exercising rights of freedom and expression peacefully and those calling for human rights are arbitrarily detained by the government. So, it’s with all that in mind that we report that Finnish melo-death band Wolfheart have proudly announced themselves to become the first European metal band to play in Saudi Arabia.
According to Lambgoat, the group is scheduled to make history in the authoritarian country, serving as the headliner of the Heavy Arabia Showcase at a 3-day music conference called XP Music Futures in Riyadh. In a statement reported on by Lambgoat, the band’s frontman Tuomas Saukkonen said:
“2024 has been full of adventures and taken us to places where we have never been before from Australia to the Balkans and of course to familiar territories all around Europe and Scandinavia. The highlight of the year will definitely be the fact that we will be the first European metal band ever to play a show in Saudi Arabia. Absolute honor and a privilege. Wolves of the north will bring the winter storm to Riyadh!”
The organizer, Heavy Arabia, added:
“We’re incredibly proud to bring WOLFHEART to Saudi Arabia for the first time as the headliner of the Heavy Arabia Showcase at XP Music Futures. WOLFHEART is a staple of melodic death metal in the Nordics, and having them here is a huge moment for our local scene. This isn’t just about a performance; it’s about giving our audience the chance to experience one of the genre’s most iconic bands live in their homeland. It’s a moment that celebrates the passion and dedication of Saudi metal fans and highlights how far the scene has come. This showcase is another milestone for metal in Saudi Arabia, and we’re so excited to see what this means for the future of our community.”
Some companies and organizations have faced stern criticism over the past several years for doing business with and holding events in Saudi Arabia due to its abysmal human rights record. The WWE, for example, faced stern critiques from fans for holding events in Saudi Arabia, especially considering that, up until 2019, female wrestlers weren’t even allowed to participate in the events due to the nation’s lack of rights for women. It would be surprising if nobody raised similar concerns about Wolfheart playing in the Middle Eastern country. After all, as it should be noted, if Wolfheart were not an all-male band, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t have been picked to play the showcase.
