JO Magazine

JO profiles the fourth of the hastily assembled ‘supergroups’ competing live in Jordan’s first rock-themed talent contest.

Words by John Lillywhite.

IN PERSON, THE HOUNDS of hell are really nice. “Cerberus,” of course, being the name of the three-headed dog that guards the underworld of ancient Greek myth—a good, classic name for a metal band.

JO caught up with the dogged performers after the second stage of Crash of Titans, on November 15, and perhaps it wasn’t their best day. Although the band made a huge impression in the first stage, the next show saw them lose a band member, and have to adapt to a tough new venue. Still, the group presents a quiet self-assurance that serves them well.

“It was fun,” hedges Zenah Haddad, the band’s lead vocalist and the only female “Titan” in the competition. Haddad says she’s been singing and listening to music all her life, but Crash of the Titans is her first time performing on stage.

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Asked whether people will vote for a band with a female vocalist, the group quickly close ranks. “If anything, having Zenah is an advantage … people immediately notice us… we stand out’.

“We don’t think of Zenah as a girl, but as a band member, one of the team,” explains bassist Foad Azar. “That, for us, is very important.” Cerberus have a professional feel, with less banter than the other groups but a keener focus on how they perform together on stage.

“At first we were strangers,” says Azar, “but the more we played together, the more we meshed, and now it’s very comfortable, and our transitions between songs are excellent.”

Losing their rhythm guitarist, Ali Khashashneh, was probably a blow, but they take it in stride.

“He left three days ago,” observes drummer Ali Lars, matter-of-factly. “There was a misunderstanding, and there’s only so much time people can dedicate to this kind of thing. But I don’t think it affected us.”

“It’s true we expected to do better today,” muses Azar, but the “acoustics were not good, and we had to alter the vocals being so close to a church.”

“Most of all we play to have fun, and part of that is working with what you’ve got,” adds Lars. “We’re very happy to be here.”

“Originally we wanted to be called Cerberus+2,” he adds, “because Cerberus the mythical beast had only three heads, and there were five of us. But now our guitarist has left I’m glad we didn’t!”

Cerberus are hesitant to summarize their style in a sound bite, with Lars favoring thrash and progressive metal, Omar “anything that sounds good,” and Azar listening to everything from classical music to jazz, swing and blues.

“Music helps broaden my creativity,” he says.

Outside of the competition the Titans are busy, with Zena currently in ninth grade, and Azar studying for his A-Levels.  Lars has a degree in aviation maintenance and Omar is currently in his third semester at college. Mazan Ayyoub, from rival band Cactus also requested a mention: “I’m the groupie!” he interjects—not for the first time.

In regard to their competition rivals, Cerberus’ members remain confident and respectful. At the moment the band is taking it one step at a time, with no plans as yet for after the competition.

“Everything is about doing our very best for each performance,” says Omar abu Rabea, the lead guitarist. “We all grew up listening to rock music, and at some point all of us wondered what it would be like to play it.”

In September, dozens of musicians auditioned for spaces in Jordan's first rock- and metal-themed talent contest, Crash of the Titans. Nineteen were chosen and scrambled into four impromptu bands, which performed in two live shows in November. You can read their stories here, and go to Crash of the Titans to vote for your favorite band.

The competition will resume after the ‘Eid, with a semifinal and then final elimination round.