The death of Jean-Pierre “JP” Haddad last month rocked the Middle East’s heavy metal scene.
Since stalwarts of the genre Kimaera announced that their frontman and guitarist had died aged 39 of asphyxiation resulting from a natural gas leak in his Cairo apartment, the community has rallied to hold remembrance events in Egypt and in his native Lebanon.
It was in the latter where fans heard his last batch of recordings as part of the official launch of Kimaera’s fourth album, Imperium.
Speaking to The National, keyboardist Charbel Abboud confirms the release was recorded and mastered a fortnight before Haddad’s death.
“In a way that gives me and the rest of us that sense of comfort because JP heard the album and was satisfied,” he says.
"After all the work that we did on it for two and a half years, to have him listen to it, enjoy it and say how proud he was of our achievement is something I will always remember and hold on to."
Songs of empire
Haddad’s contentment was certainly deserved, as Imperium, which was released last week, is Kimaera’s biggest artistic statement to date.
Inspired by the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, the nine songs explore aspects of the heady period, from Rome’s war with Gaul, the constant political intrigue of the senate and the rise and fall of Emperor Julius Caesar.
According to Abboud, the subject matter was inspired by Haddad.
"I remember a few years back when JP had this new obsession with the Roman Civilisation," he recalls. "He would watch every single movie or television series related to it and he would tell us how amazed he was at how the Roman Empire survived for so long."
Since Haddad was Kimaera's chief lyricist, Abboud and his bandmates realised the subject would undoubtedly form the basis of an album.
It meant stepping things up musically to match the majestic subject matter.
Imperium is not so much bombastic as it is grand. Its songs are laced with cinematic orchestral instrumental passages that feature strings and piano.
"We were even precise in the choice of instruments. So if we were going to be composing a song about ancient Egypt, which was part of the Roman Empire, we chose oriental instruments," he says.
"We want people to feel like they are journeying through different locations by listening to the album."
While Imperium achieves Haddad’s ambitions, Abboud admits some of the songs feel different now that his bandmate is gone. One is the thundering Ides of March, detailing Caesar's eventual assassination by his colleagues in the Roman Senate.
"Whenever the band listen to it we get goosebumps because of the way JP sings it," Abboud. "Especially in the lyrical part that says: 'So let it be done. His dreadful end has come. His body struck down. Betrayed by his own.'”
A lasting legacy
One track that has inspired an unlikely mass reaction is the album’s closer, Ya Beirut.
A death metal interpretation of Majida El Roumi’s Beirut Set El Donya, the song was initially released in 2020 with a music video broadcast on the Lebanese television channel MTV.
While the track resulted in the group's first and only brush with mainstream attention in their 22-year career, it earned the ire of El Roumi who filed a copyright claim against Kimaera for what she alleged was unofficial usage of the song.
With both parties coming to an agreement requiring the official video be taken off the band's social media channels, Abboud says Ya Beirut achieved its purpose in showcasing the artistic value of death metal, a genre long derided in Lebanon.
“This was something JP always pushed for and what he has been doing for over 20 years, and that's 10 years before I even joined the band,” he says. “I remember when my father saw the music video on TV he cried.
“He was able to appreciate what we did to the song and not be influenced by some of the misconceptions that people over here have about metal music in general.”
Abboud confirms that Kimaera will continue. However, talk of a replacement for Haddad remains premature.
"It is still very sensitive for us and the whole scene," he says.
"Whoever might someday replace JP has to be up to it not only musically, but also carry a certain weight within the scene to be accepted. That will be a very hard decision that we will eventually have to make."
That said, Haddad has left behind a legacy and an approach to life that guide Kimaera in these uncertain times.
"We learned a lot just by watching him. We learned that whenever we want to do something we should see it through until the end," Abboud says. "JP never wanted to do a sloppy job. He pushed us to keep going no matter what the obstacles. This is what we did and what we will do."
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
Day 3, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Just three balls remained in an exhausting day for Sri Lanka’s bowlers when they were afforded some belated cheer. Nuwan Pradeep, unrewarded in 15 overs to that point, let slip a seemingly innocuous delivery down the legside. Babar Azam feathered it behind, and Niroshan Dickwella dived to make a fine catch.
Stat of the day - 2.56 Shan Masood and Sami Aslam are the 16th opening partnership Pakistan have had in Tests in the past five years. That turnover at the top of the order – a new pair every 2.56 Test matches on average – is by far the fastest rate among the leading Test sides. Masood and Aslam put on 114 in their first alliance in Abu Dhabi.
The verdict Even by the normal standards of Test cricket in the UAE, this has been slow going. Pakistan’s run-rate of 2.38 per over is the lowest they have managed in a Test match in this country. With just 14 wickets having fallen in three days so far, it is difficult to see 26 dropping to bring about a result over the next two.
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Dr Graham's three goals
Short term
Establish logistics and systems needed to globally deploy vaccines
Intermediate term
Build biomedical workforces in low- and middle-income nations
Long term
A prototype pathogen approach for pandemic preparedness
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on Quran memorisation:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
How to increase your savings
- Have a plan for your savings.
- Decide on your emergency fund target and once that's achieved, assign your savings to another financial goal such as saving for a house or investing for retirement.
- Decide on a financial goal that is important to you and put your savings to work for you.
- It's important to have a purpose for your savings as it helps to keep you motivated to continue while also reducing the temptation to spend your savings.
- Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
