Smithsonian Folkways continues their excellent coverage of Central Asian music on this 2007 release, which focuses on the music of northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan. The music is percussion-heavy and syncopated, with haunting minor-key melodies and chant-like, gruff, and masculine singing. The overall sound is quite emotional and gut-wrenching--as intense a listening experience as any heavy metal album.

As with the other entries in the series, the disc is accompanied by an informative 48-page booklet plus a DVD with an introduction to the Folkways Central Asia series.