Motör Militia in 2003
Formed in 2001 by school mates Motör Militia is regarded as one of the first metal bands in the Arabian Gulf and Middle East to record and release a full length album of original material on an independent label. In 2003 Motör Militia built a following based on word of mouth promotion in their local and neighboring Middle Eastern music communities.
Members of the group also began interacting with many other bands in their local heavy metal scene, organizing DIY heavy metal and hard rock concerts at a pace faster than previously realized. This, in addition to the band's decision to play sets consisting almost entirely of original material (and subsequently recording and releasing it), influenced many local groups to do the same.
'The Sound of Violence' 2004
The first FVF Music Festival was organized by Motör Militia on October 23rd 2003. Only the bands’ second live performance the event attracted a crowd in excess of 1,000 people!
In the spring of 2004 while riding the wave of momentum that had been created the band was signed by the Saudi based independent label “SandStorms Records” to record and release an album of original material. 'The Sound of Violence' was released in June that year and launched at the final FVF show.
'Cloaked In Darkness' 2011
In 2007 the band regrouped with a new lineup and continued where they left off. As a result of their resurgence they aided in the resurrection of the Bahrain live Metal scene, which had almost disappeared in their absence. In 2010 the band independently recorded the album “Cloaked in Darkness” which became the cultivation of the work of a band that refused to lie down.
After the album's release in 2011 the band hit the road notably headlining the Dorrak Festival in Bahrain, performing twice in Dubai and at the Deccan Rock Festival in Hyderabad, India. Returning to Bahrain closing out 2011 with an appearance at the annual Bud Battle of the Bands; an event traditionally reserved for hotel based cover bands. Being allowed to participate for the first time the band took the event by storm leaving a lasting impression.
'Resurrection: The Bahrain Underground Vol. 1' 2012
The release party for 'Cloaked in Darkness' in 2011 was captured by the owner of Studio 77 (Rabble Rouser at the time). This recording was subsequently released in 2012 as a split live DVD featuring performances by fellow Bahrain based bands Lunacyst and Smouldering In Forgotten alongside Motör Militia entitled 'Resurrection: The Bahrain Underground Vol. 1'.
The band continued performing live with a notable appearances: opening for Nervecell's second Bahrain performance in 2012 and at the 2013 Bahrain National Day Festival at the Bahrain International Circuit in front of a national audience.
In 2014 the band headlined the fifth and final installment of the annual all ages Heavy Metal Festival “Sanitarium” for which the band received national press coverage most notably via a 2-page spread feature in Rowad Magazine.
In 2015 the band entered the studio to record what would become the album ‘World in Flames’. This process was unfortunately interrupted by the need to recruit new band members. So the album would not be completed until early 2018.
During this time the band played a few shows notably Halloween Rock Fest, Iron Dunes and the Hard Rock Cafe Battle of the Bands. As the band was recording ‘World in Flames’ with the new lineup they were invited to be included in the German publication “Metalized World - on the trail of a subculture”.
2018 proved to be a great year for the band as they released their album, lead single, and held their album release show so much momentum was generated that the band won Castle Blakk Radio Band of the month for August. The band members then also organized the first ever Bahrain Metal Fest on November 19th 2018.
The following year the band headlined the Bahrain Rocks Festival held at the Dilmun Club and closed out the year opening for the US based supergroup HAIL! Unfortunately all live commitments in 2020 were canceled due to the pandemic, however the track “Supremacy” was included on the Black-Roos Entertainment Metal United World Wide 2020 compilation album.
In 2021 the band once again headlined the Bahrain Rocks Festival and by early 2022 Bahrain Metal Fest was back in full swing with a new mission: to attract international bands to play in Bahrain!
In 2023 the band was invited to play Hard & Heavy Metal Night in Qatar, which was a great experience to play one of the first Metal shows in the country.
2024 the band has been busy writing material for a new EP and is set to open for Bay Area Thrashers Heathen and Belgian Death Metal band Schizophrenia and close out the year once again headlining the Bahrain Rock Fest.