Dukatalon

Lore & Background

Dukatalon was formed in 2007 by vocalist/guitarist Zafrir Tzori, drummer Yariv Shilo, and bassist Cavan, each coming from diverse musical backgrounds including chillout/ambient, country, blues, post-punk, and heavy metal. They began writing original material and performing immediately, releasing a self-titled demo EP in 2007 and playing mostly within the hardcore punk and grindcore scene of Tel Aviv. On June 14, 2008, they performed alongside UK mathcore/grindcore band Trencher at the Maximum Pain Festival at the Patiphone club in Tel Aviv, then flew to the US to record their debut album.

Their debut album Saved By Fear was self-released in May 2009 after a European tour, distributed worldwide through Sleeping Village Records in a small volume. After the album's release, bassist Cavan left and was replaced by Eliya Gwetta, who was later replaced by Lior Mayer.

Reader's Guide

Dukatalon's significance lies in their role as a prominent Israeli doom/sludge metal act that gained international recognition through Relapse Records. Their debut album Saved By Fear, initially self-released in a small volume, was reissued by a major metal label, marking a milestone for the Israeli metal scene. The band's persistence through multiple bassist changes and periods of inactivity reflects the challenges of maintaining a niche metal band in a small country. Their 2016 European tour and collaborations with international acts like Karma to Burn and Trencher helped raise their profile abroad. While they have not released a second album as of the article's coverage, their meticulous work on new material across three studios from 2014 to 2016 suggests a commitment to quality. Dukatalon's legacy is tied to their representation of Israeli sludge/doom metal on a global stage, though their output remains limited to one album and a demo.

Did You Know?

• Dukatalon's debut album Saved By Fear was self-released in 2009 and re-released by Relapse Records in 2010.
• The band performed at the Maximum Pain Festival in Tel Aviv on June 14, 2008, alongside UK mathcore/grindcore band Trencher.
• Bassist Lior Mayer left the band in September 2011 to pursue musical education abroad.
• In 2016, Dukatalon toured Europe, specifically the UK.

Formation & Musical Roots

Dukatalon came together in Tel Aviv in 2007 as a sludge metal trio, bringing vocalist and guitarist Zafrir Tzori, drummer Yariv Shilo, and bassist Cavan into a single project. What made the grouping unusual was just how far apart their musical roots lay. The three came from bands spanning chillout and ambient, country and blues, post-punk, and heavy metal — a genuinely eclectic mix that would later inform the band's heavy, textured sound. Rather than spending years in rehearsal, the trio immediately began writing original material and hitting the stage. They put out a self-titled demo EP that same year and quickly became a fixture of Tel Aviv's hardcore punk and grindcore circuit. By mid-2008, they had already shared a bill with the UK mathcore/grindcore outfit Trencher at the Maximum Pain Festival in the Patiphone club, a show that also showcased a wide cross-section of Israel's punk and extreme music community. That performance effectively marked the band's transition from local scene players to a group ready to record proper material.

Saved By Fear: From Limited Pressing to Relapse

After the 2008 Maximum Pain Festival show, Dukatalon flew to Indianapolis, Indiana, to record their debut album at Roco Studios. The result, Saved By Fear, was initially self-released in May 2009 following a European tour, distributed worldwide through the American label Sleeping Village Records but pressed in a deliberately small run. The album's release coincided with a period of instability in the lineup: bassist Cavan departed and was succeeded by Eliya Gwetta, who was himself replaced by Lior Mayer. The band then experienced a long stretch of inactivity before Relapse Records signed them in 2010. On November 16 of that year, Relapse reissued Saved By Fear, and just a month later, on December 14, the record became available on iTunes, giving the album a far wider international reach than its original limited pressing had allowed. Despite the label backing, the band remained largely inactive for much of 2010, making the re-release a significant milestone in their still-young career.

The Israeli Underground & European Appearances

Dukatalon built their live reputation primarily within Israel's small-venue circuit, sharing stages with a diverse roster of local acts. In 2011 alone, they played alongside melodic death metal's Prey for Nothing, post-hardcore's Chains of Past Decisions, groove metal's Shreadhead, and grindcore's Dirk Diggler, among others. A notable highlight came on November 24, 2011, when they opened for the American stoner rock trio Karma to Burn at the Levotin 7 club in Tel Aviv and joined the group on their Israeli tour. The band also toured Europe twice — first in 2009 and again in 2016, the latter taking them to the UK. Their live footprint stretched well beyond Tel Aviv, with shows in Jerusalem, Haifa, and Kiryat Malakhi throughout the early-to-mid 2010s. The bassist chair cycled through several occupants during this period: Lior Mayer left in late 2011 to pursue musical education abroad, and Roy Ben Samuel was introduced in January 2012, debuting at Zimmer in Tel Aviv.

The Second Album & a Multi-Studio Approach

By 2014, Dukatalon had turned its attention to a second full-length record, and the process became a defining chapter in the band's history. The trio set an exceptionally high bar for the recordings, and progress was correspondingly slow, stretching well into 2015 and reaching final stages only in 2016. Rather than working in a single room, the meticulous tracking was split across three very different studios: the state-owned Jerusalem Music Center, with its classical-music orientation; Heavy Studios in Tel Aviv, known for progressive and hardcore work; and Bardo. This multi-studio approach reflected the band's desire to capture a specific sonic palette that no single space could provide. Alongside the album work, the band continued to play occasional live shows across Israel. In 2011, they had also recorded a fresh cover of Buzzov*en's "Mainline" for a tribute project called Hell Comes Home, building on an earlier 2007 tribute compilation version. The 2016 UK tour marked another chapter in their ongoing European presence.