From the bands press package:

District Unknown is considered Afghanistan’s first metal band. The band was formed in 2008 when the 2 cousins; Lemar Saifullah and Qais Shaqasi, met the Foushanji brothers, Pedram and Qasem. It took some time for the band to establish who was playing what, but once everyone found their places, it was clear that the band had the raw chemistry.

Like most bands District Unknown first covered heavy rock and metal songs. Their initial performances were raw and gritty, but the crowd gave them respect for ‘getting into it’. In search of their musical identity they began to compose their first songs. Genres were introduced and disguarded like trash as they turn up the distortion to levels, no Afghan had ever attempted before.

Through 2009-10, the band honed their skills playing underground gigs at youth centres, expats hangouts and the Afghan National Gallery. As they grew as musicians, so did their stage presence and it didn’t take long for them to be seen as the leading band in the small but volatile Kabul music scene.

With Saifullah’s leaving in early 2011, the band faced a new chapter of exploration with session musicians, and eventually ended up with a new style which was coined in the Rolling Stone Article as “Psychedelic Metal”. District Unknown at the moment is trying to find support in order to record and publish their first EP called “Anatomy of a 24-hour life time”.

District Unknown is inspired by bands like Opeth, Anathema, Tool, Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, Gods Speed You Black Emperor and B'jork.