Conflict of Interest | Before The War: Syria, with Jake Shuker

I remember the sounds of Syria, the way people talk, and the noise of my hometown.

My name is Jake Shuker and I'm a death metal musician. I grew up in an area called Daraa. It's like nowhere else!

Every year there were music festivals at a nearby coliseum. I would go as a kid with my family.

I first discovered heavy metal through my uncle. When I heard it, I was hooked. I kept it secret as metal music was forbidden in Syria.

Life in Syria is so extreme: no grey, just black or white. Heavy metal expressed that like nothing else.

After war broke out we moved to Damascus. I knew I needed to start a band, and so my friends and I founded Maysaloon.

Our music was totally unique. Death metal mixed with mythology. We had a sound, but also a story to tell.

We played at underground gigs across the city, but we were often harassed by the authorities and blocked from venues.

As war escalated, we kept playing secretly. But performing was too dangerous as the bombs fell around us.

We couldn't make music any more so I left and started a new life in Lebanon. The sounds of Syria still inspire me. The war hasn't stopped me yet!

The Syria conflict broke out in 2011, following protests that had taken place across the Arab world. Since then, the United Nations estimates that the conflict has led to the deaths of 350,000 + people.

According to the UNHCR, there are now 5.6 million Syrians registered as refugees.

The conflict has lasted almost 11 years, and fighting between the Government and the Opposition is still taking place today.