Washington, D.C.-based progressive rock and metal musician Feras Arrabi has long been captivated by the transformative power of music. From his first encounter with his father’s old guitar to writing original music that blends elements of fusion, progressive rock, and metal, Arrabi’s journey is all about fearless experimentation. His latest release, The Grind, an EP inspired by video game soundtracks, showcases his imaginative storytelling and genre-blurring approach.
In this interview, Feras shares the pivotal moments that shaped his path as a musician, the influences that inform his signature sound, and the creative process behind some of his most compelling tracks. He also reflects on his extensive touring experiences across the MENA region, Europe, and the U.S., and discusses how collaboration and self-taught discipline have fueled his growth as an artist.
Can you share the story behind how your father’s old guitar became such a pivotal part of your life?
It was a classical acoustic guitar missing a couple of strings, I remember when I was even younger than 10 that guitar seemed like a big deal to me at the time, then I became 13 I went to the storage room again and that time picked it up, I even remember my father showing me a hammer-on/ pull-off trill, although my father isn’t a guitar player, but I was amazed by that, and I think that little thing was pivotal. Then we decided to repair it, and see what the deal with that instrument was.
How did being self-taught shape your approach to playing and composing music?
It eliminated any boundaries, there were no rules of what should and should not be written or played, which in the beginnings was apparent. At the beginning of composing music, my ideas were simple, and sometimes harmonically crashing, and like everything else, the more you do it the better you get at it, and to this day I still learn new things.
You’ve mentioned influences from bands like Led Zeppelin, Dream Theater, and System of a Down. How have these inspirations blended into your unique sound?
Yes, in middle school SOAD were my favourite band, the rhythms they used in a lot of songs were close to Arabic rhythms, also Serj Tankian’s voice tamber was familiar, and they had catchy hooks and hits. In highschool I was playing guitar a lot more, and challenging myself technically by covering bands like Metallica and Pantera, and then I discovered Dream Theater and the game kind of changed at that point in terms of what you can do with the instrument and the possibilities. The classic rock stuff like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and The Doors caught my attention when I was in university, and songs had weight and soul to them.
In short, SOAD taught me about the catchy elements, and how to make songs grab attention.
Dream Theater, taught me how to be smart and proggy, and challenge the listener.
Led Zeppelin, taught me to keep it real, and let songs flow naturally.
At least that is what I try to do when writing.
The Grind draws inspiration from video game music—what was it about this genre that resonated with you creatively?
I always loved retro games for the soundtracks before the gameplay, or I guess what I am trying to say is that the soundtracks motivated the game play significantly. The Grind was an experiment for me, I had a simple piano idea in “Minimalist” which is the first track on the EP then I recorded the clean guitars and I thought this reminds me of “Spyro” a PS1 game, I limited myself with some sounds and vst plug-ins that I picked, then went for it.
Building themes and having a simplistic approach is what drove this project, I also wanted to experiment with synth-wave type of drums which was something new to me.
Can you break down one of your favorite tracks from The Grind and share the story or creative process behind it?
Level 3: Boss, this track is about the final boss and villain of the game, the EP being a conceptual one telling a story about grinding through a game, this boss is an evil vampire type that is just sucking the life out of the game’s world by his outdated ways and unfair ruling, and characters are annoyed by his presence and demanding tolls. The protagonist or the “Player” is the one to fight this boss in this track.
The track starts with a fast kick beat, overdriven guitars with low octaver, arpeggiated synth, and haunting piano, setting the intense mood. Then comes the main melody with a synth sound which I played through a guitar and for that I used the plug-in Arch type: Rabea from Nueral DSP, that sound is basically how I imagined the villains voice, and the regular overdriven would be the protagonist’s or the player’s voice. That was the basic creative idea and I built on that, the middle part is intense with a lot of sounds and automations, hinting at a fierce battle, and the outro is a small solo that indicates the end of the battle.
You can see a lot of imagination there (haha).
I would like to mention Carlo Schievano, for the terrific artwork he made for this EP.
Similar to music, it’s amazing how some people can turn music, or words and descriptions into visual results, and Carlo did a great job with that.
How do you strike a balance between technical virtuosity and emotional expression in your compositions?
I always try to serve the song, for me melody is king, then how to play the melody, then comes anything else.
Your debut album AL’ARRABI explored the guitar’s full emotional range. What did that project teach you about yourself as a musician?
It taught me to believe in myself and that I have many people believing in this project.
As a musician I explored everything I wanted to explore at the time, melody, shred, odd time signatures, ambient sound scapes, weird experimental noises.
I collaborated with artists, producers, and musicians, and that taught me a lot in terms of workflow and the creative process.
Fouad Azar who played bass on the whole record, and we worked together on arranging the songs, which was huge. I had Basel Naouri from “El-Morabba3” and “Zaed Naes” to play trumpet, Zayd Mseis which also was in El-Morabba3 at the time played percussion, Mazen Ayoub for the drums, Vadim Kharaz mixing, and co-producing the record, and Nuun Art made the artworks which turned out great.
Over the years, how has your approach to songwriting and production evolved?
Recently I find myself recording small musical ideas either on the guitar or with my voice, either as voice memos on the phone, or writing them down on a paper, or in my humble studio, and from there I see if it can work out or not.
The other way is thinking of an idea or concept that is not related to music at all, and turning it into a musical idea, like intervals, or time signature, or even tempo. Usually this is a game of numbers.
You’ve toured extensively across the MENA region, Europe, and the U.S. — are there any standout moments from your performances that shaped your artistic journey?
Yes, I have started to tour with Albaitil Ashwai which was my first official band, in which I recorded, and co-wrote the first album and EP with, and I remember it was huge when we first travelled to Egypt to play 3 shows, we learned a lot as a unite, and how to deal with the different environments.
El-Morabba3 I joined in 2018 at the time the band was already established with a solid fan-base in the Arab region, especially Egypt, I think the majority of my touring from 2018 to 2022 was with this band, we played big festivals in Dubai, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.
I also learned how to seize the opportunities whenever I am on tour with other bands/projects on how I would score some gigs for my solo project, and this is what I did on a tour I called “Through The Orient” which I played Saudi, Dubai, Jordan, and Egypt. That tour was challenging, I was used to be pampered with tours with El-Morabba3 and other session gigs like when I was hired as a guitarist for Elyanna, with these gigs you don’t think about the logistics or anything, you just do your job get paid, and stay in a hotel, but when I was managing my own tour with my wife Sabreen, and a friend of mine called Gaith, it was a different experience, suddenly you’re dealing with hotels, venue managers, schedules, make sure your band members are good.
Nonetheless, it was an experience I learned a lot from, and I am grateful for all the people who made it happen.
How does performing in different regions influence your music and connection with audiences?
It’s always different, when you play in the US for example, it’s different people every time, and you try to earn new fans with each performance.
You’ve collaborated with various artists, including Albaitil Ashwai and El-Morabba3. How do these collaborations impact your creative process?
I learned a lot from both bands, Albaitil Ashwai got me interested in all the small subdivisions in rhythmic patterns using arabic percussion, and with El-Morabba3 it’s the exploration of sound and frequency.
When you’re composing a new track, do you typically start with a melody, a riff, or a particular emotion you want to capture?
Anyone of these can spark inspiration.
As a guitarist and composer, what challenges push you to keep evolving musically?
The main challenge is grabbing the attention of listeners. We are living in an age where short form media is dominating, so I try not to get discouraged by that and just do my thing, and be consistent as much as possible.
What’s next on the horizon for you—any upcoming projects or collaborations fans should look out for?
I am writing some new songs, and I think I want to compile that into an album, so far it’s sounding Prog, and Fusion, because I am exploring extended chords and voicings, but it’s too early to tell.
I also have a new collaboration with a band called Yokai No Teien from the US, we play Japanese Prog Rock, and it’s pretty, interesting, weird, and experimental, there should be a new track by them very soon!
What advice would you give to young, self-taught guitarists looking to make their mark in the progressive rock/metal scene?
Don’t get discouraged by the market, or the environment, believe in yourself, and what you have, be it skill or gear and equipment, and don’t be a perfectionist, it’s the enemy of creativity.
Check out The Grind on Bandcamp, and follow Feras on Facebook and Instagram.
