On January 13, 2013, we announced the news that Alan Azar will be leaving Lebanon for good to pursue his career, after we got exclusive information from Alan’s management. The news back then shocked the Rock and Metal scene and was shared by all major Rock and Metal news outlets at the time.
Last Christmas, Alan visited Lebanon to spend the holidays with his family. As soon as we knew about his visit, our team at Metal Bell jumped for the chance to have an exclusive video interview with the guitar virtuoso himself.
Alan talked about his decision to Leave Lebanon, about his music, his experience in Hollywood and Disney, and about his previous and future projects.
Watch below the full video interview:
Video by: Nancy Jdid
Edited by: Karam Aslan
Interview by: T.P.
About Alan:
Alan Azar is a Lebanese electric guitar virtuoso who has been known for his melodic, intricate, and technical musicianship. Alan began his journey of learning the guitar when his father bought him a nylon string guitar at the age of 15. With a lot of dedication and practice, Alan became proficient in the instrument.
Feeling an ever-strengthening bond with the guitar and with music as a whole throughout his youth, Alan proceeded to earn a degree in music and became a university guitar instructor.
In 2001, Azar formed his first band, ‘The Alienz’, achieving underground success throughout Lebanon.
The band amassed a strong following, performing cover songs by Metallica, Megadeth, and Savatage.
Eventually, the band shifted their focus from covers to originals, and turned to a more progressive-metal flair, with influences from bands like Symphony X, Dream Theater, and Joe Satriani. This shift was the defining moment in Alan’s career, shaping him into a multifaceted player and giving him the impetus to launch his solo career.
A few years later, Azar’s first solo album, “Defective Harmony”, was released in January of 2009. With help from his brothers, Julien on keyboards and Roland on mixing and mastering duties, the album was met with praise. The guitarist dabbled in genres like jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and oriental, which reinforced and diversified his compositions.
Alan is also a sought-after session and touring guitar player. He has played a variety of genres including R&B, Jazz, Metal, and Rock.
He has collaborated on various international recordings and has also been a session guitar player for the Arab pop sensation Nancy Ajram, a move which gave him the exposure and the world-touring familiarity that would expand his musical experiences to that of international standards.
Alan Azar released his second solo album, “The Cosmologist”, in September of 2011, recorded at Studio Recco, engineered and mixed by Roland Azar, mastered by Glenn Schick at Glenn Schick Mastering Studio, Altanta, GA.
Besides being a successful solo artist , Alan tours with the Lebanese rock band The Kordz.