New Zealand rock legends Shihad will release a fly-on-the-wall documentary covering their 20-year career in their homeland next month.
Titled Beautiful Machine (the name of their 2008 album) the documentary has a particular focus on their failed attempt to crack the American market after the September 11 attacks in 2001.
The events of September 11 forced the group to change their name to ‘Pacifer’ due to a perceived resemblance of Shihad with Islamic war term ‘jihad.’ They later reverted back to Shihad upon the release of their next album – Love Is The New Hate – in 2005.
According to Mess and Noise, Beautiful Machine is described as “an all-access pass” that follows the band from “their roots in Wellington’s furious ’90s punk metal scene to the wild Berlin days, the tragic overdose of their manager, the international explosion of [1999 album] The General Electric and the infamous American name-change.”
Beautiful Machine will be released in New Zealand cinemas on May 17, but there’s no word yet on whether there’ll be an Australian release. In the meantime, check out the trailer:
